The Vikings are getting a lot of love for their defense this season. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores's unit is giving up the fewest points per game this season (13.3) and is second in sacks (25), while guiding the team to a 6-1 record.
The frequency of blitzes by the Vikings this season has drawn national attention. Minnesota had the highest blitz rate in the league through seven weeks (71.4%), and that number likely rose due to the large number of blitzes the Purple and Gold sent at Lions quarterback Jared Goff in Sunday's 19-15 loss .
One player in Minnesota's defense who isn't getting as much attention as he should is James Pierre. The Vikings signed the former Steelers cornerback this offseason to bolster a depleted cornerback room, and he has thrived since his arrival, raising the idea that Flores & Co. must do a better job of maximizing Pierre's skill set.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Pierre has a Pro Football Focus grade of 75.9 this year , ranking him 12th out of 102 qualifying cornerbacks. He is also the 12th-ranked cornerback when it comes to pass coverage, with a grade of 75.3.
Pierre is no slouch in run defense either. His PFF grade in that area is 69.9, which is 35th at the position. When targeted by opposing quarterbacks, he allows a 23.6 passer rating, which is stellar for a defensive back.
While playing 173 defensive snaps for Minnesota this year, Pierre has accumulated 23 combined tackles (19 solo), four pass defenses, and two interceptions-including one against the Lions in Week 8. His production has been excellent while on a two-year, $8.5 million contract .
The crazy part of his amazing season is that Pierre is only playing 40% of Minnesota's defensive snaps. He's averaging 24.8 defensive snaps per game, finishing below that number twice in the last four outings. The Vikings need to figure out a way to get him on the field more , but that will be difficult with Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rogers above him on the depth chart.
Murphy has played nearly 91% of the Vikings' defensive snaps, while Rodgers is at about 88%. Murphy has a PFF grade of 62.3 this season and has three interceptions, so cutting into his reps doesn't make much sense.
It makes even less sense to take snaps from Rodgers and give them to Pierre. Rodgers has a PFF grade of 85.8 this season, ranking him as the third-best cornerback in the league. He is third in coverage at 86.2 and 18th in run defense at 76.7.
That said, Rodgers is reportedly dealing with an ankle sprain , which could result in more playing time for Pierre against the Bills on Monday.
Isaiah Rodgers's ankle injury could open the door for James Pierre to get more playing time. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While giving Pierre more time on the field sounds like a problem, it is an issue that is a gold mine for the Vikings this season. Having three cornerbacks playing so well this season not only raises the position's floor but could also allow Flores to play his defensive backs more situationally. Minnesota can also find out whether Pierre is a viable replacement option should Rodgers leave as an unrestricted free agent in March.
For a player with only a $2.985 million cap hit this season, Pierre is massively outplaying his contract. The only question is whether the team can figure out a way to get him more time on the field this season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi as Vikings Are Missing the James Pierre Gold Mine Right in Front of Them .
