Buzz continues to grow around Vikings newcomer at key position group

The Vikings' first move of free agency this year was to sign former Eagles and Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers to a two-year, $11 million deal. It was a move that generated relatively little national attention and was quickly overshadowed by Minnesota signing big-name players like Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.

But over the course of the offseason, the buzz around Rodgers has grown steadily. First, there was Kevin O'Connell saying Brian Flores had major conviction when it came to signing him — and that Flo is usually right when he has that "tone in his voice" about a guy. Later in the offseason program, we heard directly from Flores about how much he's liked Rodgers for a long time, and how he was "all in" when the Vikings had a chance to get him.

When you hear that from O'Connell and Flores, it's worth listening. Several analysts have taken notice of the hype around Rodgers, both locally and nationally.

At The Athletic, beat writer Alec Lewis selected Rodgers as his breakout candidate for the Vikings. ESPN's Kevin Seifert recently chose Rodgers as the "biggest surprise player" on the roster. CBS Sports' Jared Dubin labeled him the Vikings' "most important non-quarterback."

You don't have to squint too much to see how Rodgers could have a big first year in Minnesota. He's the clear No. 2 cornerback on the roster behind Byron Murphy Jr. — and the fact that he was the main corner the Vikings added this offseason speaks to their confidence in his abilities.

Rodgers is 27 years old and has put up nothing but strong PFF grades as a rotational player with Philadelphia and Indianapolis. The tape backs up those grades. He's a fluid athlete with excellent straight-line speed, sticky coverage chops, and plenty of ball skills. Back in 2021, he had three interceptions for the Colts and looked like a potential future star. A season-long suspension for violating the NFL's gambling policy derailed his career in 2023, but he bounced back nicely with the Eagles last season. An interception of J.J. McCarthy in OTAs this year was an early sign of his talent.

There's no debate that Rodgers is among the Vikings' more important players, non-McCarthy division, heading into training camp. The cornerback room is the biggest on-paper question mark of an otherwise loaded defense. If Rodgers is the guy Flores and the Vikings believe he can be, he'll form a strong pairing with Murphy and can take this defense over the top as a unit without any weak points.