Minnesota Vikings kicker Daniel Carlson still in awe over being in the NFL

Minnesota Vikings kicker Daniel Carlson still in awe over being in the NFL by Adam Carlson

The Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback is drawing rave reviews out of a staff that usually doesn’t mince words.

When the Minnesota Vikings were on the clock with the 30th pick in the NFL Draft last April, there was a large portion of the fan base that was screaming for help along the offensive line. With names like Will Hernandez, Austin Corbett and Connor Williams on the board, the opportunity to beef up the team’s biggest weakness was there.

Even with a run on offensive linemen taking some other prospective targets off the board (Frank Ragnow, Billy Price), the Vikings went in a different direction by selecting cornerback Mike Hughes out of Central Florida.

It was a questionable pick considering Minnesota is deep at cornerback, but as the Vikings conducted a joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Wednesday afternoon, it’s becoming clear that Hughes is a special talent.

After getting off to a great start in training camp, Hughes followed that up with a solid performance in the preseason opener against the Denver Broncos. The rookie almost made an interception in the end zone to end one Broncos drive in the first half and showed great coverage skills while also coming up to stop the run with a pair of tackles.

“Mike did very well the first time out,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said on Monday. “We were talking about some of our other corners and how their first game out was a little bit different compared to his. I thought that he played really well. He did a lot of very good things, it was a step in the right direction.”

Zimmer normally isn’t one to throw superlatives in the direction of rookies, but his actions following the Denver game spoke louder than words as Hughes received first-team snaps at nickel in practice. The rapid ascension continued as Hughes made several great plays against the Jaguars on Wednesday that had onlookers taking notice.

Zimmer would double down on his Monday statements after practice on Wednesday as well, putting the Hughes hype train in full motion.

“What sets him apart athletically is he’s got unbelievable break and quickness coming out of the cut. His feet are unbelievable.’’

In addition to Zimmer, Terence Newman also gave his thoughts on Hughes when speaking to reporters. Spoiler Alert: They were positive as well.

“I think he’s doing great. He’s smart. He’s tough. He’s going to be another good one. The sky is the limit for him.”

Previous cornerbacks that have developed under Zimmer’s watch usually don’t get this much praise. It took a couple seasons for current starters Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes to not only crack the lineup, but hit their stride in Zimmer’s system.

However, it appears that Hughes is on track to make a major impact in his rookie year.