With the 30th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings select (fill in the blank).
Conventional wisdom leads one to believe the Vikings will draft an offensive guard in the first round, but general manager Rick Spielman is known for taking the best player available rather than using his top pick to fill a need.
Guard, however, is Minnesota’s biggest need since Jeremiah Sirles signed with Carolina and Joe Berger retired.
With that in mind, here are five players the likes of Mel Kiper Jr., Albert Breer, Matt Miller and other mock drafters have going to the Vikings four weeks from the draft.
James Daniels, C/G, Iowa
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. says: “Daniels is my top-ranked center, but in this scenario he’d slot in as an immediate starter at guard for the Vikings, who already have Pat Elflein at center.”
Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State
NFL Media’s Peter Schrager says: “The Vikings might have the best front seven in football, but with contracts for three key players ( Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks) due to expire after the 2018 season, adding some depth at the linebacker position wouldn’t be the worst move at 30th overall.”
Kolton Miller, OL, UCLA
Jared Dubin from CBS Sports says: “Miller dominated athletic testing at the combine and played really well at UCLA, and could be a great find for Minnesota up front.”
Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer says: “Hurst’s heart condition might cause him to slip a little. But it doesn’t change the kind of player he is—the chaos-causing kind that Mike Zimmer really likes.”
Billy Price, G, Ohio State
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller says: “Price excelled at center in 2017, but in Minnesota he’d go back to playing guard and can be a dominant force there.”
