The Top 10 Defensive Rookies The Vikings Will Face in 2020
In the weeks following the 2020 NFL Draft in late April, there has been endless discussion and analysis of the rookies the Vikings added to their roster. That will continue throughout the rest of the offseason, but with last week's schedule release still fresh in our minds, let's take a second to preview the best rookies the Vikings will play against this season. We started with the offense, and now it's time to take a look at ten standout rookies on the defensive side of the ball.
1. Detroit Lions CB Jeff Okudah
- College: Ohio State
- Pick: 3
- Plays Vikings: Week 9 in Minneapolis, Week 17 in Detroit
This was an obvious choice because the Vikings don't play Washington and Chase Young this year. The Lions lost Darius Slay this offseason, so they used the No. 3 overall pick on the best cornerback in the draft and one of the cleanest CB prospects in years. Okudah is a special player who should be a solid starter from Day 1 and has a chance to be better than Slay in a couple years. He'll form a strong corner duo with free agent acquisition Desmond Trufant. Watching Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson go against Okudah twice a year for the foreseeable future should be pretty fun.
2. Carolina Panthers DT Derrick Brown
- College: Auburn
- Pick: 7
- Plays Vikings: Week 12 in Minneapolis
The Panthers used all seven of their draft picks on defensive players, as new coach Matt Rhule clearly wants to build a strong unit on that side of the ball. The centerpiece of their haul is the 6'5", 325-pound Brown, a dominant nose tackle from Auburn. He'll step right into a starting role in the middle of the Panthers' 3-4 defense and should be a disruptive force in his rookie season. Brown's strength and burst make him incredibly difficult to block; Garrett Bradbury and the rest of the Vikings' interior offensive line will have their hands full keeping him out of the backfield.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars CB CJ Henderson
- College: Florida
- Pick: 9
- Plays Vikings: Week 13 in Minneapolis
Okudah was the consensus top corner in the draft, but Henderson wasn't far behind. He has the size, speed, and coverage ability to become a perennial All-Pro in Jacksonville. The only real question Henderson has to answer at the NFL level is whether or not he can be an above-average tackler. He's the main building block in a revamped secondary that was dominant a couple years ago but no longer has Jalen Ramsey or A.J. Bouye. Jefferson and Henderson battled in the SEC and should see more of each other in Week 13.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson
- College: LSU
- Pick: 20
- Plays Vikings: Week 13 in Minneapolis
The Jaguars' visit to U.S. Bank Stadium isn't expected to be a particularly difficult game for the Vikings; I ranked it as the easiest game on their schedule. Anything can happen on any given Sunday, but this looks like a team that will struggle to be competitive in 2020. Still, there will be a couple of ultra-talented rookies on display for the Jags' defense. 11 picks after taking Henderson, Jacksonville added a stud pass-rusher with limitless upside. Chaisson has the build and explosiveness to become a major sack producer in the NFL. Yannick Ngakoue (if he's not traded), Josh Allen, and Chaisson is a menacing trio of pass-rushers for the Vikings' tackles to worry about.
5. Atlanta Falcons CB AJ Terrell
- College: Michigan
- Pick: 16
- Plays Vikings: Week 6 in Minneapolis
The Falcons may have reached a little bit with this pick, but that's not a knock on Terrell's talent. He's someone I looked into a lot as a possibility for the Vikings, and I came away very impressed with his game. Terrell has good size and is an outstanding athlete who can really cover, even if he had an ugly performance in the national championship game. In Okudah, Henderson, and Terrell, the Vikings will face off against the top three corners taken in this year's draft.
6. Seattle Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks
- College: Texas Tech
- Pick: 27
- Plays Vikings: Week 5 in Seattle
This was another pick that surprised some people, given that Brooks didn't have a ton of first-round buzz. However, the Seahawks have earned the benefit of the doubt, and there's certainly a lot to like about Brooks as a prospect. He's a rangy, athletic linebacker who is more developed playing downhill than in coverage. The Seahawks play more base defense than any team in the NFL, so Brooks should see plenty of snaps alongside Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright right away. Dalvin Cook has averaged just 73.5 yards from scrimmage in two games against the Seahawks and will once again have a tough matchup in primetime.
7. Houston Texans DT Ross Blacklock
- College: TCU
- Pick: 40
- Plays Vikings: Week 4 in Houston
After Brown and Javon Kinlaw (who went 14th overall to the 49ers), Blacklock was the best defensive tackle remaining. The Texans may have gotten a steal by landing him in the second round and keeping the former TCU star in his home state. Blacklock is adept at shooting gaps on the interior and getting to the quarterback. He'll have to compete for a starting spot, but he should at least see a rotational role on a Texans defensive line that lost D.J. Reader this offseason.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers S Antoine Winfield Jr.
- College: Minnesota
- Pick: 45
- Plays Vikings: Week 14 in Tampa Bay
The Vikings' trip to Tampa Bay in December will not only be a huge game for playoff purposes (we hope), it will also be a special one for a lot of Minnesotans. The Bucs landed both high-profile draft picks from the University of Minnesota in Winfield and wide receiver Tyler Johnson. Winfield's dad was a great player for the Vikings, and he will look to follow in those footsteps by carving out a long career. Tampa has plenty of intriguing young talent in its secondary, but Winfield should see some snaps early and may have won a starting role by the time this late-season matchup rolls around. Winfield intercepting Kirk Cousins would cause a frenzy on Vikings Twitter.
9. Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson
- College: Utah
- Pick: 50
- Plays Vikings: Week 10 in Chicago, Week 15 in Minneapolis
Johnson is another corner who I considered as a strong first-round possibility for the Vikings, so I was surprised to see him last all the way to the 50th pick. Injury concerns with his shoulder were likely the main cause for that fall. Johnson has first-round talent when healthy; he's a tough, physical player with great instincts and playmaking ability. Johnson will compete with Kyle Fuller, Artie Burns, and Buster Skrine for snaps in 2020, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's starting by the time the Vikings play in Chicago on Monday Night Football. Like Okudah, Johnson should see a lot of Thielen and Jefferson in the coming years.
10. Carolina Panthers DE Yetur Gross-Matos
- College: Penn State
- Pick: 38
- Plays Vikings: Week 12 in Minneapolis
The Panthers could have two rookies make a major impact on their defensive line if Gross-Matos is able to earn regular playing time as a rookie. One of the players he'll be competing with for snaps is former Viking Stephen Weatherly, who signed a two-year, $12 million deal with Carolina in free agency. Gross-Matos has the length and explosiveness to develop into a productive defensive end.
Honorable Mention
- Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs
- Panthers S Jeremy Chinn
- Titans CB Kristian Fulton
- Falcons DT Marlon Davidson
- Lions DE Julian Okwara
- Saints LB Zach Baun
- Jaguars DT Davon Hamilton
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