The Vikings selected Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes with their first round selection. Daniel House talks about what this means for the roster.
Updated: April 30th, 2015 8:45pm
By: Daniel House
The Vikings didn't trade back or draft for the offensive side of the ball with the 11th selection in the first round of the NFL Draft. They decided to stay put and select cornerback Trae Waynes from Michigan State.
Trae Waynes is an impressive athlete who is fluid in almost everything he does. He has a long and narrow frame (6'0" 186 pounds) that would allow him to perform well on the outside. His size sometimes hurts his ability to remain balanced, leading to him using his hands more than I would like to see. However, his speed, agility, and smooth footwork are all areas that help separate him from other cornerbacks. He has 4.31 speed and that alone, combined with his ability to be physical at the line of scrimmage is enough reason to be excited about how Waynes would fit in the Vikings defensive system. Waynes never missed a game in his three-year college career and is an extremely durable player. His balls skills could be improved, but Mike Zimmer is a whisperer when it comes to teaching footwork, fundamentals, technique, and balls skills. A player with the raw skills and athleticism that Waynes has can do very special things with a defensive mind like Mike Zimmer. He has some experience playing in man, but needs to improve in this category. Again, that's where the coaching comes into play and takes his game to the next level.
You have to believe the Vikings will love to pair Waynes with Xavier Rhodes on the edge of their defense. In order to keep pace in the NFC North, the Vikings needed to add a cornerback that can solidify the edge spot opposite of Rhodes. They did that by adding Waynes and if Mike Zimmer liked him the best out of all the players in the draft, you have to trust that the Vikings made the correct selection.
The draft will continue tonight and Minnesota is notorious for moving back into the first round. Stay tuned for the latest, but as it stands, the Vikings will select in the second round with the #45 overall pick.
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