</p>
<p>” data-image-caption=”</p>
<p>Tennessee Titans wide receiver Mason Kinsey (12) evades Minnesota Vikings safety Theo Jackson (25, helmet) during practice in Eagan, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Helmet-1.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=612,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Helmet-1.jpg”><figcaption><span>Tennessee Titans wide receiver Mason Kinsey (12) evades Minnesota Vikings safety Theo Jackson (25, helmet) during practice in Eagan, Minn., Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK.</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>The start of Minnesota Vikings training camp is less than three weeks away.</p>
<p>It’s been another busy offseason for the front office, with <a href=)
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah blowing the Gjallarhorn to bring in plenty of newcomers to the roster through free agency and the draft.
Reasonably, a few of these acquisitions may have gone under the radar for Vikings fans, but now that we are in the dog days of summer, it’s the perfect time to begin familiarizing ourselves with some of these new names.
And according to one Vikings analyst, it’s especially time to get familiar with one Vikings defender.
The New Minnesota Vikings Defender Everyone Should Know
Isaiah Rodgers.
Rodgers, who turned 27 back in January, is entering his sixth NFL season (though he did not play in 2023 due to a violation of the league gambling policy), and he has seen an ever-growing role since entering the league.
And according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, it’s time for fans to stop sleeping on the new Minnesota corner. It’s not just because he brings flair to practice with clean custom helmets; he also brings plenty of talent to the field.
Take a look at what Lewis recently wrote to describe Rodgers:
“Maybe the most slept-on Vikings defender. He’s athletic. He’s tough. He has ball skills. Rodgers and Byron Murphy Jr. is an underrated cornerback tandem. The question with the room is the depth behind them.”
 during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Isaiah-Rodgers.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=600,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Isaiah-Rodgers.jpg” src=”https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Isaiah-Rodgers-788×401.jpg” alt ><figcaption>Nov 1, 2020; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (34) during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports.<span></span></figcaption></figure>
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<p>Rodgers was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, so in a lot of ways, he has already exceeded plenty of expectations simply by sticking around into his sixth pro season. </p>
<p>But now, the six-year pro is firmly entrenched in a battle to earn a CB2 role for the Vikings in 2025, and it’s a well-earned opportunity based on Rodgers’ NFL play to this point. </p>
<p>Prior to things going off track a bit due to the suspension in 2023, Rodgers made nine starts for a 2022 Colts team that was itching for any type of production on the defensive side of the ball. Given the circumstances, he performed admirably, grading out as the sixth-best CB in coverage that year, per PFF.</p>
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<figure><img loading=)
Rodgers also played in all four playoff games on the way to that Super Bowl win, including 57 snaps in a hard-fought Divisional win against the Los Angeles Rams. He broke up a pair of passes during that win.
Now in Minnesota, Rodgers is hoping to build off that Super Bowl experience to raise the level of play for a Vikings defense that allowed the fifth-most passing yards in the league last season. It was the one major blemish on what was otherwise an elite defensive unit.
From being a two-star recruit who ultimately committed to the University of Massachusetts, to being a sixth-round draft pick, to now becoming a Super Bowl champion, Rodgers has consistently exceeded expectations throughout his career.
It’s time for Vikings fans to familiarize themselves with this underdog.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey
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