Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens finds himself in a very interesting position just days before he hits free agency.
Stephens, 27, was at the forefront of the Ravens’ struggles against the pass this season. The former third-round pick allowed 66 receptions and a 106.1 passer rating, per Pro Football Reference. Even as the secondary drastically improved in the second half of the season, Stephens still struggled in coverage and allowed some long completions against him.
Luckily for him, though, this free agent cornerback class is pretty weak, and the demand may outweigh the supply. So, Stephens should still have a market despite the tough season, but which team(s) would have interest?
According to CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin, the Minnesota Vikings would be an ideal destination for the young corner.
“The Vikes are going to need to refortify their secondary this offseason,” Dubin wrote. “They’re going to lose Stephon Gilmore, probably going to lose Byron Murphy and might also lose Camryn Bynum. So, they need to bring in players who are both scheme versatile and have positional flexibility. Stephens fits the bill on both fronts, given his experiences with the Ravens.”
Despite winning 14 games, Minnesota struggled to defend the pass throughout the season. The Vikings ranked 28th against the pass, allowing 242 yards per game. It wasn’t exactly their undoing as their offense collapsed at the end of the season, but it is definitely an issue they need to address.
For as much as he struggled this season, Stephens can still be an effective NFL cornerback. He proved as much in 2023, when he allowed a passer rating of just 80.6 despite a high volume of targets. While he’ll probably never be one of the league’s best corners, he’s shown he can be a solid one in the right situation.
Is Minnesota the right situation, though? That remains to be seen.