After a start to his career that did not meet expectations, CB Mike Hughes will move on to a different team.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs have traded for Hughes. Minnesota gave up a seventh-rounder in 2022 and Hughes for a Chiefs sixth-round pick, per ESPN’s Field Yates.
On paper, Minnesota did not get much back for a player it drafted in the first round of 2018. However, with the way the Vikings cornerback corps was looking, it made sense to move on.
The Vikings dealt with inconsistency at corner this past season, but Cameron Dantzler emerged as a very promising player. Rookie corner Jeff Gladney’s playing status is currently up in the air after his arrest this offseason.
In 2020, the Vikings utilized some other cornerbacks with potential, such as Harrison Hand and Kris Boyd. Then, this offseason, Minnesota went out and signed cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander. Peterson will presumably be a starting corner out wide with Dantzler, while Alexander can play in the slot.
The team even took DB Camryn Bynum in the fourth round of this year’s draft. Bynum could also be playing safety at the next level, but maybe the team will use him as a versatile depth player at corner and safety.
With all that — in addition to Hughes’ injury history — an argument could be made that Hughes might not have even made the roster amid cutdowns. In that case, it makes sense that Minnesota tried to get something back for him now.
Either way, I doubt the Vikings would make this move if they were worried about cornerback depth in 2021. This is a vote of confidence for that position.
