The downfall of the Minnesota Vikings’ path to the Super Bowl in 2017 was their secondary and they addressed that issue in drafting cornerback Mike Hughes from Central Florida in the first round.
Hughes is a bit raw in his technique but no one can deny that he is a ball hawk. He started 13 games for the Knights this past season and had a team high 11 pass breakups and four interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.
He will bring a confident attitude and could be a playmaker for the Vikings not just on the defense but in returning kicks as well. He returned three kicks for touchdowns this past season and will brings some slick moves and speed to the NFC North.
The big knock on Hughes is that he comes with some character concerns. After playing 12 games as a freshman with North Carolina in 2015, he abruptly left the team for “personal reasons,” but he was suspended prior for being charged with a misdemeanor for assault that occurred at a campus party. After a winning a National Championship at the JUCO level he was committed to South Carolina but could not complete the academic requirements in time to enroll at USC. That left him at UCF and he has since been showing that he has moved on from previous issues.
If the character concerns are behind him, the Vikings could have found a nice complement to Xavier Rhodes and will bring a massive challenge to the NFC North quarterbacks.