Mackensie Alexander, after dubious early years, matures into reliable Vikings cornerback

Mackensie Alexander's development with the Vikings has come in distinct stages, from the youthful intransigence of his 2016 rookie season to frank conversations with coach Mike Zimmer before the 2017 season about what would have to change if he wanted to see the field.

The next stage came in 2018, when Alexander took command of the Vikings' nickel cornerback spot with Terence Newman retired and Mike Hughes out because of a torn ACL.

But the stage Alexander is in now — staying late after practice, passing along technique tips to rookie Kris Boyd? Not even Zimmer could have predicted the 25-year-old would end up here.

"Probably, 'No way,' " Zimmer said Monday, when asked how the 2016 version of himself would have responded to the notion of Alexander as a mentor. "But we had a lot of conversations when he was younger. I kind of told him there were two paths to take, and he started to take the other one."

Alexander's growth, fitful though it's been at times, appears to have delivered the Vikings a reliable corner precisely at the time they need one most. The 2016 second-round pick has taken every snap with the Vikings' top nickel package in training camp, and joins Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes as the only proven and healthy corners on the roster right now, with Hughes still coming back from knee surgery and Holton Hill facing an eight-game suspension for substance abuse and performance-enhancing drug violations.

Coming off a season where he posted four sacks — as a blitzer benefiting from open lanes to the quarterback — and became one of the league's better cover corners from the slot in the second half of the year, Alexander heads into the final season of his rookie contract as a fixture in the Vikings' secondary.

The Vikings added sixth-year corner Bene' Benwikere on Saturday to improve their cornerback depth, but there appears little doubt about Alexander's role in the defense heading into the season.

"Mackensie has grown up a whole lot since his time here," defensive coordinator George Edwards said last week. "I think the increased reps and those kinds of things have helped him. He has more experience now at the position. … Down the stretch last year he played pretty good for us, and he's come out here and done a good job thus far as we started camp. You can tell he has a better feel for it. It's not the first time he's been through it so he can lean back on some of that experience and now line up and go play and not do so much thinking."

Alexander was not available for comment Monday.

It remains to be seen after this season whether the Vikings will try to bring back Alexander on a new deal; they'll face the same decision with Waynes, who also becomes a free agent in March. They'll have to determine what they can afford in a year where their books will still be loaded with eight-figure salaries.

A strong year as the Vikings' nickel corner could put Alexander in line for a handsome payday after the season; former Vikings defensive back Justin Coleman became the league's highest-paid nickel corner when he got a four-year, $36 million deal from the Lions this spring.

It wasn't so long ago that the idea of a second contract with the Vikings for Alexander would have seemed preposterous. His growth, from a rookie who chafed at his role to a standard-bearer of Zimmer's scheme, at least has made a longer stay possible.

"If you had asked me who has turned the corner as far as coaching and believing in the system, I think Mackensie would be the No. 1 guy from where he started — which wasn't the best," Zimmer said. "But he's done an excellent job. He's taken extra reps, I've seen him coaching the young guys. It's way different. I'm proud of him."