While the Vikings had some good picks in the third day (most notably Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson in the fourth round), it’ll be tough for any of those guys to present equivalent value to what UCLA edge-rusher Gabriel Murphy can bring. At 6′ 2⅜” and 247 pounds, Murphy may be a bit undersized for some teams, but he put up eight sacks and 61 total pressures last season, and he absolutely has NFL-ready tape.
Perhaps some evaluators thought that he benefited too much from being Laiatu Latu’s bookend, but when you watch the tape, there are enough examples of Murphy winning against more than one blocker in his way. He’ll make Brian Flores’ blitz packages that much more interesting and effective.
The Minnesota Vikings cornerback room isn’t filled with star power, but it does have some talented players. The major question concerning the group is: who will step up?
Byron Murphy Jr. was signed last year to be the team’s top cornerback and Shaquill Griffin was signed to compete for a starting job with Akaleb Evans on the outside. With those players at the top, the Vikings should be in a good place, but there are still question marks.
One of the players who will compete for a starting job is flying under the radar nationally in second-year cornerback Mekhi Blackmon. Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson highlighted him when talking about underappreciated players in the NFC North
