Xavier Rhodes emerging into superstar cornerback for Vikings
Xavier Rhodes is finalizing a five-year contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings, and is simultaneously emerging as one of the NFL’s best CBs…
If you’re a Minnesota Vikings fan, this probably won’t come as any sort of ‘news’ but cornerback Xavier Rhodes is emerging into one of the superstar cornerbacks in the NFL today.
The Vikings, as it turns out, are working on finalizing a five-year deal to pay him accordingly.
Rhodes played about 76 percent of the Vikings’ defensive snaps a season ago, and showed off his shut-down ability, picking off five passes. Now, he’s about to be handsomely rewarded…
The #Vikings are doing work. They will lock up CB Xavier Rhodes on his long-term extension today. We discussed it on "Inside Training Camp" pic.twitter.com/U3RNn2lfs6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 30, 2017
If you want to be considered among the best cornerbacks in the NFL today, you have to be able to be a versatile playmaker on the back end. Obviously, Rhodes excels in coverage. He has phenomenal size and length to go along with his ball skills and football instincts, but he’s also very good when it comes to defending the run…
Xavier Rhodes excels in all facets of the cornerback position pic.twitter.com/kmpg7kABiW
— PFF (@PFF) July 19, 2017
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That type of physicality bleeds out into other parts of Rhodes’ game, and he’s ready to take on even more responsibility in 2017. He’s been pretty steadily getting his hands on the ball throughout his career, which began after the Vikings selected him in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
That said, Rhodes capitalized on taking the ball away this past year, more than doubling his career total of two interceptions heading into last season.
Now in his fifth season already, Rhodes is established among the best and most complete players at his position in the game right now. His physicality against the run isn’t all that uncommon for defensive backs, but the fact that he’s able to combine his physicality with excellent coverage ability is something that the Vikings are willing to invest in long-term.
He has already established himself as sort of an underrated star in the league, but 2017 will be the year when Xavier Rhodes becomes universally known as a superstar cornerback.