Vikings deep at cornerback despite Robinson injury

In case you missed it during the holiday weekend, it was revealed that Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson has a partially torn pectoral muscle. The extent of the injury is unknown, but he wasn't on the field during minicamp last month.

Robinson played in all 16 games last year and made six starts. After dealing with a hamstring injury during training camp and being labeled as "the other guy" by Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer as a result, Robinson actually got off to a good start. He appeared as the most improved player on the team during the early portion of last season serving as an outside cornerback.

Robinson was inconsistent at the end of the season however, including his performance in Chicago where the Bears picked on the 5-10, 199-pound cornerback the entire game. He finished the season with 56 tackles, two interceptions and three passes defended.

So where does this leave the Vikings at the position?

There's a clear emphasis on depth this year for the Vikings, but it's almost mandatory at cornerback and the defensive line in Zimmer's defense. He stresses on those specific positions in order for his scheme to function properly by eliminating the run and having technically sound cornerbacks that are in position to contest every ball.

Fortunately for the Vikings, they stocked up on cornerbacks this offseason with the additions of veteran Terence Newman and rookie Trae Waynes. The Vikings are already set with their No. 1 corner, Xavier Rhodes. The rest remains a mystery as we're a little over two weeks away from training camp.

Captain Munnerlyn was limited with a foot injury during OTAs and minicamp, which led to the Vikings slotting Waynes in the nickel role with Newman serving as the outside cornerback with Rhodes. Jabari Price, Marcus Sherels, Jalil Carter and undrafted rookie free agent Justin Coleman also all benefited with more reps due to the absence of Robinson and Munnerlyn.

If Robinson is out for an extended period of time, the Vikings should be fine with the depth they have. But he's 24 and entering a contract season with a lot to prove. I wouldn't give up on him yet despite the injury and his recent Twitter comments, but he needs to get on the field as soon as he can so he doesn't fall behind the competition.