The Buffalo Bills gave a jolt to their secondary when they traded for veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas midway through the 2023 season, landing a player who went on to start 23 total games.
Douglas may now be heading off to another Super Bowl contender, with an NFL insider predicting he could land with the Minnesota Vikings. Douglas has remained a free agent since his contract with the Bills expired, but has not seen much action through the first few months of free agency.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder believes the wait could come to an end soon, with the Vikings as one of the top teams to land Douglas.
Rasul Douglas Could Replace Another Bills Cornerback
Holder suggested the Vikings could be in the market for a veteran cornerback like Douglas after allowing Stephen Gilmore to leave in free agency. Gilmore, another former Bills defensive back, started 15 games for the Vikings last season, making 40 total tackles with one interception.
The Vikings already have their starting cornerbacks set, but could use Douglas as a steady veteran below them on the depth chart, Holder suggested.
“Jeff Okudah and Isaiah Rodgers are currently expected to start on the boundary, but those two were backups with the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively, last season,” Holder wrote. “Adding Douglas would upgrade the cornerback room in Minnesota.”
Though Douglas had some struggles in coverage for the Bills, he was a steady presence in the secondary and made 58 total tackles with one forced fumble. Douglas had a big impact immediately after joining the team in the 2023 season, making four total interceptions including one that he returned for a touchdown.
The Vikings are looking to remain in Super Bowl contention after a surprise 14-3 season in 2024. The team made some big changes, allowing quarterback Sam Darnold to hit free agency after his career-best season and instead going back to J.J. McCarthy, who suffered a season-ending injury before the start of his rookie season.
Bills Looking for New Starting Cornerback
While the Bills are set with Christian Benford as their top cornerback, there could be a competition to fill the other starting spot that Douglas vacated when he hit free agency. The Bills used their first-round draft pick on cornerback Maxwell Hairston while bringing back veteran corner Tre’Davious White.
Hairston could be in line for the job, with SI.com’s Daniel Flick naming him the top rookie on the Bills for the 2025 season. Flick suggested that Hairston has all the physical tools to earn the starting job, as well as the trust of the coaching staff.
“Hairston won’t be handed the starting No. 2 cornerback job—he will compete with Tre’Davious White and Dane Jackson— but there’s a strong chance the 30th pick hits the field in Week 1 opposite Christian Benford,” Flick wrote. “Skinny yet explosive, Hairston is a proficient cover corner in both man and zone coverage due to his quick feet, fluid hips and standout instincts. He has a history of creating turnovers—he had five interceptions and two pick-sixes in 2023—and could be an early source of playmaking in Buffalo’s secondary.”
