Many believe that the Minnesota Vikings will trade up for a quarterback but there’s also a possibility they could use their two first-round picks to bolster the roster.
The Vikings’ interest in Michael Penix Jr. has also some believing they could take a defensive prospect with the 11th overall pick and select Penix later in the first round.
If the Vikings don’t take a big swing to land Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy, they’ll have to pivot to a Plan B. But which players could they target in this scenario?
Byron Murphy II (DT – Texas)
It’s been a long time since the Vikings had a difference maker in the middle of their defensive line and Murphy (not to be confused with current Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.) would give Minnesota its first pass-rushing threat since Linval Joseph left in 2019.
Murphy was a beast for the Texas Longhorns, racking up 70 total tackles, eight sacks and 15 tackles for loss in three seasons. Murphy is also coming off the best season of his collegiate career, recording 29 tackles (8.5 TFL) and five sacks to lead the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff.
The production checked out with Murphy’s athleticism, which posted a 9.03 relative athletic score (RAS) at the NFL’s scouting combine. Pro Football Focus also credited Murphy with 45 quarterback pressures which was almost as much as the 49 combined pressures Vikings interior defenders produced last season.
The Vikings have been looking for a pass-rushing interior defender dating back to their pursuit of Christian Wilkins in free agency. But with Brian Flores’s pupil signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, Murphy could be a fine addition in the draft.
Quinyon Mitchell (CB – Toledo)
Mitchell didn’t play in a Power 5 conference, but he had major production, leading all cornerbacks with a 91.5 overall PFF grade last season. Mitchell also was a shutdown corner with the Rockets, ranking first in coverage grade and forced incompletion rate.
If there is a hole in his game, it’s that Mitchell played 56.8 percent of his snaps in zone coverage and doesn’t have a lot of experience in press-man coverage. But no corner played more than 25 percent of their snaps in man coverage for the Vikings last season and it could be a reason why Lewis linked Mitchell to Minnesota last February.
With Byron Murphy Jr. performing better in the slot than on the outside, the Vikings could use another player on the outside and it could lead Minnesota to its fourth cornerback in the first round since 2015.
Terrion Arnold (CB – Alabama)
One of the biggest things Flores loves in his players is versatility and Arnold displayed that in his final season with the Crimson Tide, spending time both on the outside and in the slot.
While Arnold posted a forced incompletion rate in the 95th percentile last season, his biggest trait is his athletic ability. Arnold posted an 8.37 relative athletic score and while his 4.51 second time in the 40-yard dash was a little slow, he makes up for it with his physicality.
Arnold is a bit of a raw prospect but would provide some depth and a starter with upside at the cornerback position.
Jer’Zhan Newton (DT – Illinois)
If a quarterback is available with the 11th overall pick or the Vikings decide to double-dip and roll with Sam Darnold, Newton could be a target in the mid-to-late portion of the first round.
Gopher fans know about Newton after he was named the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and at 6-foor-1 and 300-pounds, he’s similar to Murphy in that he’s on the lighter side. But his quickness helped him collect eight sacks and finished eighth with a 15.4 percent pass-rush win rate last season.
It’s hard to know where Penix could be taken with his stock rising over the past week but if the Vikings need to take him early, Newton could be a prospect comparable to Murphy that’s available in the back end of the first round.
Nate Wiggins (CB – Clemson)
Another top cornerback in this class, Wiggins could be on the Vikings’ radar in the back half of the first round.
Wiggins allowed a 43.9 percent completion rate during his final season with the Tigers and has experience in zone and man coverage. At 6-foot-1, 173 pounds, Wiggins still needs to work on his 16.1 percent tackle rate from last season and durability is a concern after suffering a hip flexor injury in the 40-yard dash.
Still, Wiggins posted a 4.28-second time in the 40-yard dash and a 1.59-second time in the 10-yard split before the injury. With speed and the ability to play in several concepts, Wiggins could be another solid addition to the cornerback room.
