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USA Today
10 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Numbers show different side to Vikings' Byron Murphy Jr.'s 2024 Pro Bowl season
Numbers show different side to Vikings' Byron Murphy Jr.'s 2024 Pro Bowl season Byron Murphy Jr. had a Pro Bowl season and led the Vikings in a variety of statistics, including interceptions. At one point in the season, he went as far as to tell the media that he wanted to secure an interception in every game last season. While that didn't happen, the numbers show that he had every chance because of the number of times he was targeted. PFF recently published a piece showing the most targeted cornerbacks by situation. Byron Murphy Jr. was one of the leaders in several situations. When he was lined up in the slot, he was targeted 60 times on 267 coverage snaps, while in late down situations, he was targeted 44 times in 207 coverage snaps. He allowed a combined completion percentage of 66.5% on those snaps. Could it be because he was going for the ball? The point is that teams feel they can still test him, for whatever reason. In 2025, if they decide to do that again, they could be burned again, potentially with six interceptions.
New York Times
24-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Vikings NFL Draft strategy: With free agency filling voids, what's Minnesota's plan?
The first wave of free agency often clarifies a team's plans for the NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings added players in so many spots that the possibilities may be more open than initially expected. Bringing back Byron Murphy Jr. kept Minnesota from having to find a versatile difference-maker at cornerback. Trading with the San Francisco 49ers for Jordan Mason addressed the need at running back. Minnesota has multiple paths it could follow come late April. Here is a brief snapshot of the possibilities at the top and how the road the Vikings take could affect the ensuing decisions: Live: DL Jonathan Allen — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) March 19, 2025 Any conversation about what the Vikings will do at No. 24 should start here. Minnesota has only four picks in the 2025 draft. The team kept its first-rounder, received a third-round compensatory selection, has a fifth-rounder (via the Cleveland Browns) and a sixth-rounder (after trading for Mason). The Vikings have all of their premium picks for 2026. Because multiple free agents departed for big money this spring, more compensatory picks are likely coming their way. Advertisement Still, Minnesota could benefit from more draft darts to throw at young contributors on rookie contracts. Trading back from No. 24 would help replenish those picks. Of course, the Vikings would need a team to trade with. Buffalo, Kansas City and Philadelphia have not been afraid to move up to snag targeted prospects in recent years. If the Vikings were to drop down toward the bottom of the first round, they could garner another meaningful selection. Last year, for example, the Dallas Cowboys traded the No. 24 pick to Detroit. The Lions shipped Dallas a third-rounder as part of the deal. Adding more draft capital while remaining at the bottom of the first round would accomplish two things for the Vikings: allow them to find premium talent and give them more bites at the apple. The Vikings understand that trading down isn't always the answer. In 2022, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah executed a deal with the Lions to move back from No. 12 to No. 32. Not only did safety Lewis Cine (their pick at 32) not pan out, but also the decision appears worse as Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (who was available to Minnesota at No. 12) has become a star. This is a worthwhile subject matter whether or not the Vikings trade back. Because Minnesota filled so many needs in free agency, there is no pressure to focus on one position. The interior of the defensive line does not have an immediate void. Running back is not the obvious need it once was. Left guard remains one of the more questionable spots on the roster, but it's not as if there aren't options. Wanting to see how Blake Brandel looks next to center Ryan Kelly and left tackle Christian Darrisaw (when he returns from his ACL tear) would make sense. Walter Rouse, who played tackle at Oklahoma, got reps at guard last fall and could factor into the mix. Advertisement The depth at cornerback might be questionable, but the Vikings might want to see if Mekhi Blackmon or Dwight McGlothern can prove they deserve an opportunity. In other words, the Vikings are in a position where they don't have to reach to fill an immediate hole. Most drafted players will have time to assimilate into the professional environment rather than being thrust into action with the pressure to perform for a team that has high expectations. Drafting a running back is still possible, but only if the right player falls to the Vikings in their preferred spot. Minnesota's goal has been to build the type of roster that allows for conviction in the player to win out, as opposed to any short-term need. What happens if the Vikings don't trade back? And what if, for example, there are several intriguing players available? Position could then become a focus, and the Vikings proved over the last two weeks how committed they are to becoming more formidable in the trenches. Drafting an interior offensive or defensive lineman would reinforce that vision. First, the Vikings must be mindful of the injury histories of Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Will Fries and Kelly. Losing any of the four for an extended period would leave Minnesota in a similar position to last season. Second, the Vikings are not contractually bound to any of these four for more than two seasons, meaning that adding young talent would be an investment for the future. The Vikings also have to consider their current contracts. Head coach Kevin O'Connell, along with the rest of the staff and locker room, reveres right tackle Brian O'Neill, but O'Neill's contract will become much heftier next season, necessitating restructuring conversations. Similarly, 2026 is the final season of defensive tackle Harrison Phillips' deal. The belief that either of these players would be hard to retain would further validate eyeing a lineman (or two). Advertisement Minnesota has often gone to the defensive back well at the top of the draft. Chronicling the misses — Cine, Jeff Gladney, Mike Hughes, etc. — is why this is still a discussion. Even if the Vikings are committed to a cornerback or safety at No. 24 (or following a trade back), it's going to be a tough sell. That should not prevent Minnesota from doing it if there is a player who defensive coordinator Brian Flores sees as a fit for his system. Safety might even be the more interesting position. The Vikings staff believes Theo Jackson can become a key contributor, hence the three-year extension. Doubting Harrison Smith's ability to keep contributing into the future would be foolish at this point, but bringing in a capable youngster who could learn from him might also benefit them once Smith retires. In reflecting on the 2022 draft, Adofo-Mensah has admitted that safety is among the most difficult positions to evaluate. Missing on another at the top of a draft would leave little wiggle room. (Photo of T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vikings, Pro Bowl CB Byron Murphy Jr. agree to $66M deal
The Minnesota Vikings have secured the services of their top secondary defender. Per NFL Network, Minnesota and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. agreed to a three-year, $66 million contract. Murphy made his first Pro Bowl in 2024 and is now awarded with a significant pay raise after earning a total of $27 million over the first five seasons of his career. In 17 games last season, Murphy tallied two interceptions, 14 passes defended, 81 tackles and a forced fumble. He allowed opposing quarterbacks a 76.7 passer rating when targeting him, a career-best mark. A
New York Times
06-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Vikings mock draft 2.0: Making sure Minnesota gets D-line help and an impact running back
Free agency will determine the Minnesota Vikings' priorities in the 2025 NFL Draft. Will they sign multiple interior defensive linemen? How will they improve the interior of their offensive line? Will cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. or running back Aaron Jones test the market? The answers to those questions will affect Minnesota's plans. The team will also be mindful of needs in the present and future. For example, center Garrett Bradbury's contract is set to void after the 2025 season. Securing a replacement via the draft would be smart. GO DEEPER What I heard about the Vikings at the NFL combine: Expect a flurry of moves in free agency Similar to our last mock draft, trading down in the first round felt like the right call. The Vikings are projected to have only four picks (including a third-round compensatory pick). Unearthing more darts to throw feels like the right approach for a team in need of youth. Here is our second mock draft: In my first mock draft, I projected Minnesota to take a guard. That remains in play, and it's a sensible route if the Vikings fortify the interior of their defensive line with sharp signings in free agency. Cornerback is also an option here, especially if the Vikings can't re-sign Byron Murphy Jr. Advertisement Ultimately, defensive tackle feels the safest at the moment because Minnesota sees it as a major need. Alexander may not be as heralded as Michigan's Kenneth Grant or Oregon's Derrick Harmon. Still, he's less bulky and more versatile, which aligns with how defensive coordinator Brian Flores wants to play. Alexander, measured at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, produced one of the best pass-rush win rates in college football last season. His tape shows explosion, violence and effective hand usage. Alexander is likely to be available late in the first round. Targeting him allows us to trade back with the Kansas City Chiefs, a team typically willing to move around. Dropping seven spots opened the door to two more picks: a late second-rounder and a sixth-rounder. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has traded back before, and the Vikings could be set up for this strategy once again. Toledo DL Darius Alexander was moving. 💨 4.96 unofficial. 📺: 2025 #NFLCombine on NFL Network📱: Stream on @ — NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 27, 2025 The primary reason I wanted to trade down was to ensure the Vikings could snag one of the elite running backs. North Carolina's Omarion Hampton will be tempting in the first round if he's still on the board. Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson has game-breaking skills as well, but he, too, might be gone too early. Johnson offers a blend of size (6-foot-1, 224 pounds), vision and three-down ability. He may not possess the smoothness of Hampton or the speed of Henderson, but he's more capable of being a bellcow than many of the prospects projected to go in the middle rounds. This class of running backs is exceptional, and Arizona State's Cam Skattebo, Tennessee's Dylan Sampson, Miami's Damien Martinez and Kansas State's DJ Giddens are all intriguing. Most come with questions, though. Are Sampson and Giddens big enough to shoulder a heavy workload? Does Martinez have a dynamic enough skill set? Skattebo's pass-catching ability might be underrated, and if the Vikings end up adding a running back in the third or fourth round, he might be a realistic option. Johnson, though, provides security as another major positional priority. Advertisement I had three goals in this mock draft: find a game-affecting interior defender, find a running back of the future and supplement the interior of the offensive line (with an eye on the future). That last point is where Wilson comes in. Bradbury is under contract through 2025, so Minnesota's future at the position is uncertain. Wilson is not the biggest option, but he wowed in Indianapolis with his athletic traits. He ranked as the No. 2 center since 1987 in RAS score, which is intended to reflect a player's overall athleticism. It's worth asking whether Wilson will fall to the third round. Dane Brugler, The Athletic's draft expert, listed Wilson at No. 83 on his most recent top-100 list. If he falls and the Vikings find themselves in the third round without having already added an interior offensive lineman, he would make sense. GO DEEPER Vikings are — and should be — prioritizing DT with first-round pick in draft Another interior defensive lineman? Why not? Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has reiterated his belief that you can never add enough juice to either front. Even if the Vikings sign interior defenders in free agency, and even if they fortify the group with a younger option in the form of Alexander, it could still be worth selecting a player like Norman-Lott. He's not a perfect prospect by any means. There are some injury concerns with his knee. Norman-Lott is built low to the ground at 6-foot-2 and 291 pounds, yet he uses his measurables to create leverage against interior offensive linemen. And although he rushed the passer on only 139 snaps last season (compared to Alexander's 327), Norman-Lott posted the highest pass-rush win rate in the country among interior defenders (18.9 percent). Omarr Norman-Lott is an underappreciated name heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. Extremely productive interior pass rusher who should be excellent at the @seniorbowl and NFL Combine. — NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) December 5, 2024 Minnesota needs more young cornerbacks. The staff believes in the trajectory of Mekhi Blackmon, who is coming off an ACL tear, and Dwight McGlothern, who was an undrafted free agent last year. Still, the tragic passing of Khyree Jackson affected the team's long-term outlook. Alexander is not the thickest corner at 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds, but he moves smoothly and can play man and zone, which is a priority for Flores. Advertisement How about a gift for Matt Daniels' special teams unit? White blocked four punts last year, altered three more and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. Oh, and by the way, he also notched 1,000-yard receiving seasons in back-to-back years. Vikings No. 3 receiver Jalen Nailor is entering the final season of his rookie contract. White would help the special teams unit win on the margins and give receivers coach Keenan McCardell another player to mold. (Photo of Kaleb Johnson: Matthew Holst / Getty Images)
