JUST IN: Vikings $4.5 Million Starter Could Be Suspended After Dubbed Trade In NFL Draft Reveals

Minnesota entered the opening night of the NFL draft looking for a quarterback to replace Kirk Cousins, a pass rusher to replace Danielle Hunter, and at least one cornerback to improve a defensive secondary that has languished at the bottom of the NFL for several years. Rookies J.J. McCarthy of Michigan (No. 10 overall) and Dallas Turner of Alabama (No. 17 overall) addressed the first two needs, but the Vikings waited until the fourth round to draft cornerback Khyree Jackson.

The team’s secondary position will undoubtedly be a top priority for the rest of the summer, and it might be one of the strongest catalysts for a trade if Minnesota decides to make one. Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation indicated on May 3 that a deal including 2023 starting cornerback Akayleb Evans may make sense.

Evans, a fourth-round pick in 2022, still has two years remaining on his rookie contract. That might make him valuable to the Vikings as a depth piece at a position where depth is frequently required, but it could also make him a potentially appealing trade chip.

Evans, who turns 25 this summer, has showed some real potential as a long, athletic cornerback over the last two seasons. He started two games as a rookie and 15 last season, with uneven results. Evans had one interception, three forced fumbles, and seven passes defended in 2023, although he struggled as a tackler.

Akayleb Evans Could Drop Down the Vikings’ Depth Chart According to Ragatz, Evans will likely rank fourth or fifth on the depth chart during the regular season.

“The Vikings’ top three corners this year are Murphy, Shaq Griffin and Mekhi Blackmon, and Khyree Jackson was just added to that mix as a fourth-round pick,” Ragatz stated. “That could make Evans expendable at the right price.”

Minnesota used a fourth-round pick on Evans (118th overall in 2022), but that was before defensive coordinator Brian Flores arrived. Flores evidently liked what he saw from Evans in compared to the other possibilities on the roster, elevating him to a starting position; yet, this favouritism could simply be based on Evans’ competitiveness.

The Vikings drafted Blackmon in the third round last season, then added Griffin in free agency before selecting Jackson in the fourth round last month. According to Pro Football Focus’s overall player grades, Blackmon and Griffin performed far better at the position than Evans. PFF ranked Evans 99th out of 127 cornerbacks who played enough snaps to qualify.

Vikings may have a difficult time improving their secondary in the next NFL draft.
Evans may not be a long-term NFL starter, but the Vikings’ 23rd-ranked pass defence (4,288 yards allowed) in 2023 demonstrated that he can be used as one in a pinch. He’s also owing less than $2.1 million in basic money over the next two seasons under the $4.42 million rookie contract he signed in 2022.

As Ragatz pointed out, Evans’ low pay and experience last season could justify keeping him, but only if the Vikings aren’t aggressive in finding another cornerback or two to play in front of him in the coming season.

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN gave Minnesota a C+ overall grade for their draft efforts this year, in part because the organization did not pursue more talent earlier in the secondary and, according to Kiper, mortgaged future opportunities to do so by giving up money in trade ups for McCarthy and Turner.