The folks at ESPN, partnered with Pro Football Focus, listed their candidate from each team to bounce back.
For the Vikings, it was former All-Pro cornerback Xavier Rhodes.
After a great 2016 and 2017, Rhodes fell off big time in 2019.
Why will Rhodes bounce back?
This is what ESPN’s Courtney Cronin wrote about the corner:
It doesn’t appear that the 29-year-old cornerback has lost his speed or athletic ability, so he needs to stay healthy and sharpen his technique, according to Zimmer, to return to the “Rhodes Closed” form we saw in 2016-17.
Rhodes is still very much in his prime, but injuries limited him last season. He’s always been a physical corner, and that’s been his greatest strength and weakness. It helps him shut down receivers, but also can get him in trouble with penalties and gambles.
The Vikings secondary as a unit fell off last season. Rhodes could be a big part of what turns it around in 2019.
