Jeff Gladney signs rookie contract, Vikings draft pick signings complete

On Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings began the flurry of signing their remaining NFL Draft picks by coming to terms with one of their first-round picks. They finished that flurry by agreeing to terms with the other player they took on the draft’s first day.

Jeff Gladney, who the Vikings selected after trading down in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft to select, has agreed to the terms of his rookie contract. It is a four-year deal (with a fifth-year option as he is a first-round pick) worth just under $11 million, fully guaranteed. It includes a signing bonus of $5.55 million dollars.

Rick Spielman and company had made the move down on draft night from their original spot at #25 in a deal with the San Francisco 49ers, moving to #31 overall. That’s where they selected Gladney, who was one of the more highly-rated cornerback prospects in this year’s draft after an outstanding career at Texas Christian University.

We’ve mentioned the Vikings’ cornerback depth chart and the questions that surround it ad nauseum over the course of this offseason, but you’d have to think that Gladney is going to be on the field right away. After investing a first-round selection on him, he’s going to start, it’s just a matter of where and how well he’s going to hold up against top-flight NFL receivers. It will likely be a bit of a trial by fire for him, but the Vikings seem to think he’ll be up for the task.

That concludes the Vikings’ signing of their 2020 draft class, one of the largest in team history. We now move on to the start of Training Camp, where hopefully we’ll start hearing some news about players making impressions and getting ready to make an impact for your 2020 Minnesota Vikings.