Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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And if Tomlinson's presence will help boost the run defense, the additions of Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander will giving Minnesota's pass defense a boost.
Clay noted that the pair of cornerbacks should help provide stability and a veteran presence on the back end for the Vikings. The combination ranked 22nd in Clay's list.
Zimmer made it a mission to improve his defense this offseason following a rough 2020 showing. One of the big overhauls came in the secondary, as it's possible that only Harrison Smith and Cameron Dantzler will return as starters. New to the fold are three-time first-team All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler Peterson and old friend Alexander.
Peterson was not his usual dominant self in Arizona's man-heavy defense in 2020, but he had a lot on his shoulders. His 555 coverage snaps were third most among corners. A bounce-back is very possible in a Zimmer scheme that has leaned more on zone in recent seasons. Peterson has been around for 10 seasons, but he's only entering his age-31 campaign.
Alexander is back with the team after a successful 2020 season in Cincinnati and will handle slot duties. The team also added Xavier Woods as Anthony Harris' replacement at safety. This is a good group with the potential to be very good.
The Vikings were the only NFC North team to appear in Clay's piece, which did not include picks from the 2021 NFL Draft.
Clay's full list of his top 25 offseason moves can be found here.