Vikings didn't pursue top CB targets despite thin room

Minnesota parted ways with veteran Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin this offseason and only retained Byron Murphy from last year’s starting unit. The team then signed 2020 first-rounder Jeff Okudah and former Eagle Isaiah Rodgers to inexpensive short-term deals in free agency.

The trio of Murphy, Okudah, and Rodgers have been the Vikings’ starting cornerbacks in spring practices, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. Also taking first-team reps were 2023 third-rounder Mekhi Blackmon, who missed all of last year with a torn ACL, and 2024 UDFA Dwight McGlothern, who made the 53-man roster as a rookie.

The Vikings are confident in that group, and as a result, acquiring Alexander or Ramsey was “always a longshot,” per Lewis. However, as Lewis notes, that does not mean that the team didn’t inquire about either player.

Alexander is now a Raven, and while Ramsey is still available, Minnesota does not appear to be a likely landing spot. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has typically avoided splashy trade acquisitions during his tenure, the lone exception being T.J. Hockenson at the 2022 deadline. The Dolphins’ desire to move Ramsey and his sizable contract have likely dropped his value to a mid-round draft pick, but the Vikings seem content in the depth and chemistry of their current cornerback corps.