And it’s hard to argue, honestly
The Minnesota Vikings may have waited until the last minute to add cornerback Stephon Gilmore to their defense, but it’s an addition that has proven to be worth waiting for, according to ESPN.
Behind the great E$PN paywall, Aaron Schatz has named five players whose contracts with their new teams are working out pretty well, and Gilmore is listed among those five. Here’s what Schatz had to say about Gilmore’s performance so far this season:
The raw coverage stats are pretty average for Gilmore, who has one interception this season. He has allowed a lot of shorter completions and finally gave up his first touchdown against the Rams in Week 8, a 7-yard score for Cooper Kupp. However, Gilmore’s coverage DVOA is near the top of the league because of adjustments for who he has had to cover. He has had difficult tests against these primary receivers this season:
Week 1: Malik Nabers
Week 2: A combination of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel Sr.
Week 3: Nico Collins
Week 4: A combination of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks
Week 5: Garrett Wilson
Week 7: All over the place, covering all the Lions receivers and Sam LaPorta at times
Week 8: A combination of Kupp and Puka Nacua
Schatz also informs us that Gilmore’s DVOA for last season placed him 57th among 93 qualified cornerbacks when he was with the Dallas Cowboys. This season, his DVOA rating currently places him 15th out of 89 qualified corners. That’s pretty solid for a guy that’s in his mid-30s.
Gilmore only signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Vikings when he came onboard, so it’s not likely he’s going to be here beyond this season. It’s nice, however, that he’s proven himself to be a big part of a defense that is still among the NFL’s best despite a couple of rough performances over the past couple of weeks.
