The Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings agreed to a trade Friday to exchange cornerbacks whose time had run out with their respective teams.
The Cowboys will receive cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., the No. 42 pick of the 2022 draft, who played only 11% of the Vikings’ defensive snaps over the past two seasons. The Vikings will take on cornerback Nahshon Wright, a third-round pick in 2021 who played in just 22 games with three starts and one interception.
Wright is the fourth veteran cornerback the Vikings have acquired since the start of training camp as they have tried to stabilize a position group that has been rocked by tragedy and injuries. Rookie Khyree Jackson was killed last month in a car crash. Potential starter Mekhi Blackmon suffered a torn ACL on the first day of camp, and veteran Shaquill Griffin hasn’t practiced since straining his hamstring the next day. The Vikings have also signed veteran cornerbacks Duke Shelley, Cobi Francis and Fabian Moreau.
With Trevon Diggs coming back from a torn ACL in his left knee, Wright was working with the first team in training camp this summer, but he was being pushed by rookie Caelen Carson, a fifth-round pick. With Diggs expected to ramp up his work in practice as the regular season approaches and Carson making the most of his chances, Wright, who is set to be an unrestricted free agent after this season, became expendable.
The Cowboys thought highly of Booth during the 2022 draft process and hope a change in scenery and perhaps scheme under new coordinator Mike Zimmer, former Vikings head coach, can help his development. Booth had a long injury history during his college career at Clemson and suffered a torn meniscus during his rookie season that required surgery and limited him to six games.
The Vikings hired defensive coordinator Brian Flores in 2023, and Booth never found a footing in his scheme. Despite the injuries and uncertainty at the position this summer, Booth was mostly practicing with the Vikings’ third-team defense.
Last August, the Cowboys traded disappointing 2021 second-round pick Kelvin Joseph to the Miami Dolphins for 2020 first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene. Neither player had a lasting impact, although Igbinoghene did score the Cowboys’ first touchdown last season, off a blocked field goal.