My Favorite (Other) Player

Xavier Rhodes - Cornerback - Minnesota Vikings

Being a fan of a franchise in one of the NFL’s ‘smaller’ markets, you get used to being overlooked when it comes to things like ‘the top 10 players at X position’ or ‘who’s going to the playoffs’. This happens to the Falcons a lot and it also happens to other franchises, for example, the Bengals, the Titans, the Jets…

Up until recently, the Minnesota Vikings were another team that would regularly get overlooked and I still feel that some of their players don’t get the recognition they deserve. There is one player in particular on the Vikings roster who I feel is simply the best at his position and doesn’t get anywhere near enough credit. That player is Xavier Rhodes.

Rhodes was selected 25th overall in the 2013 NFL draft and was the 4th CB to be picked in the first round that year. He played in 13 games in his rookie season, 6 as a starter. Since being drafted, Rhodes has only missed 2 regular season games, through injury, which is a rarity for a position that requires high levels of speed, athleticism and sudden changes of direction.

Year on year, Xavier just seems to get better and better as indicated by his selection in the Pro Bowl in 2017 and 2018. You could just take a look at his stats and instantly know that he’s a good player. Take the 2016 season, for example, 44 solo tackles, 11 pass deflections, 5 interceptions, and a touchdown which, by the way, was a 100-yard return against the Arizona Cardinals (a franchise record).

Still not convinced? OK, let's look at some of the head to heads that Rhodes has featured in over the last couple of seasons:

2016 Vs Kelvin Benjamin – 0 catches

2016 Vs Odell Beckham Jr – 3 catches, 23yards

2016 Vs Dez Bryant - 3 catches, 28 yards

2016 Vs Antonio Brown – 3 catches, 28 yards

2017 Vs Julio Jones – 2 catches, 24 yards

2017 Vs Michael Thomas – 5 catches, 45 yards

2017 Vs AJ Green – 2 catches, 30 yards

That’s a fine who’s who list of NFL receivers in anyone’s book and Rhodes has dominated all of them. If you dig further, there are similar performances against DeAndre Hopkins, Mike Evans and so on. Even against Tight Ends, Rhodes has had his way.

You don’t have check his stats to see how good he is. Every time Rhodes plays, his strength, speed and tactical nowse are on display for all to see. He is strong enough to get physical when required whether that’s pressing the Wide Receiver at the line of scrimmage or jostling for position as the pass comes in. Rhodes is also described as being ‘sneaky fast’. He may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of blazing speed but he’s fast enough to keep up with the likes of Antonio Brown. When you add up all of the prodigious physical traits Rhodes has, and then tie them in with a great work ethic, the end result is an elite cornerback who can shut down every receiver in the game.

Xavier Rhodes does all of this without the bravado and arrogance of some of his counterparts. He’s not mouthy like Richard Sherman, he’s not brash like Patrick Peterson. What he is doing is watching film, studying his opponent and then executing a plan to deny the opposing team their most lethal weapon. Even when he’s successful at breaking up a play, or snagging an interception, you rarely see him over celebrate or rub failure in the face of his opponent. He simply gets things done and the Vikings’ fans mantra of ‘All Rhodes are closed’ couldn’t be more accurate.