Minnesota Vikings rookie defender is not one to overlook

Minnesota Vikings rookie defender is not one to overlook

Over the last two offseasons, the Minnesota Vikings have shown what they want in their cornerbacks: physicality at the line of scrimmage, quickness and length. They scored all three of them with fourth-round pick Khyree Jackson.

Despite being 25 years old and rarely playing during his college career, there is a lot to like with his profile. Bleacher Report's Matt Holder identified eight overlooked rookies to watch and one of them was Jackson.

It was surprising to see Khyree Jackson fall to the fourth round. He was ranked as the 43rd overall prospect and sixth-best cornerback on B/R's final big board primarily due to his size and ball production last year at Oregon.

"Jackson is an interesting prospect with a high ceiling," defensive backs scout Cory Gidding wrote of the 6-foot-4 corner with nearly 33-inch arms. "He still needs to shore up some things in the NFL, but he has the length and skill set that teams are looking for. Jackson has the potential to be an impact player in the NFL.

It's a fascinating situation that Jackson walks into. It's a cornerback room with a ton of talent but nobody has identified themselves as the guy. Only Byron Murphy Jr. is penciled in as a starter going into training camp.

There is going to be room for Jackson to stand out during training camp and it especially matters due to his size and length. Press coverage becomes easier with his length and athleticism, plus said length will clog up passing lanes in zone coverage. Versatility is huge for the Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Don't be surprised if Jackson ends up heavily involved in the rotation.

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