EAGAN, Minn. — When the Minnesota Vikings handed the defensive reins to Brian Flores in the offseason, it became evident the team was seeking more than just a new scheme. The Vikings wanted a whole new defensive philosophy.
The team turned to Flores just weeks after the New York Giants amassed 443 yards of total offense to end Minnesota’s season in the first round of the playoffs. The defense failed to generate much pressure and struggled to get off the field, a common theme for much of the season as the unit finished near the bottom of the league in several categories.
Rather than use the offseason to upgrade the defense with pricey free agents, the cap-strapped Vikings went a different route by bringing in a defensive coordinator with a knack for disrupting the quarterback.
“That’s his mentality,” said linebacker Jordan Hicks. “But it’s doing it smart, it’s showing different looks, it’s making the offense feel the pressure even when we’re not pressuring.”
Flores and the Vikings will need to do it with youth and athleticism after the team parted ways with a handful of impactful veterans in Eric Kendricks, Patrick Peterson, Za'Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson. Minnesota brought in a few free agents to fill the voids, but coaches are also anticipating improvement from the players returning, especially at cornerback.
“I expect these guys to compete in the meetings, compete in the walk-through, compete in practice, compete in the preseason games, obviously,” said Flores of his young corners. “At the end of the day, we’ll sit down with (Vikings GM) Kwesi (Adofo-Mensah) and (Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell) KOC and try and put the best group out there.”
One of the players competing for reps is second-year corner Akayleb Evans, who appeared in 10 games last season, including two starts. His season was cut short after the team placed him on injured reserve following his third stint in concussion protocol. He’s returned to the field and has been spending most of his time in camp with the top defensive unit.
“I feel great,” said Evans, a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. “I feel like last year I learned from guys like (Peterson) … I took a lot of notes from him that I’d like to carry over into this season and my career.”
His one season with Minnesota already makes him one of the more experienced cornerbacks on the roster. The Vikings added 25-year-old Byron Murphy Jr. in the offseason to provide some leadership, but if the secondary is going to improve, some younger players will almost certainly need to step up.
“We all know we have a young group, but that’s not a problem,” Evans said. “We’re going to fly around and be physical, play smart.”
Last season, Evans had the opportunity to learn how to “play smart” by watching Peterson, a three-time All-Pro, but this year he’ll look to veteran safety Harrison Smith and Murphy Jr. for guidance.
“He has the ability to make plays,” said Murphy Jr. of Evans. “(He’s) just a guy that’s always in there asking questions, always trying to get better.”
Murphy Jr. joined the Vikings back in March and is already the most experienced cornerback on the roster. He’s played in 56 games and is the only corner who’s made more than two starts. This is the first time since being drafted in 2019 that he’s been tasked with learning a whole new system, but so far, it’s been a good fit for him and for the other players on defense.
“It’s a great scheme for us,” said Murphy Jr. “We’ve just got to keep coming in, running the scheme, obviously get better each day, learn from it and keep going from there.”
If last season was any indication, the preseason won't show much in terms of scheme. However, it will provide reps for a young cornerback group desperate for game-day experience.
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