NFL Draft day has arrived and with it comes another smorgasbord of mock drafts that will likely be wrong with the majority of their first-round selections, but they at the very least are fun to look at to see the players the experts think the Vikings will take.
Here are 10 final mock drafts submitted Thursday by some of the biggest names in the draft industry, and all of them have the Vikings taking an offensive lineman, with five of them predicting the 18th overall selection to be North Carolina State center Garrett Bradbury.
Peter Schrager, NFL.com: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State
“Minnesota’s No. 1 goal this offseason has been to find ways to keep its $84 million quarterback upright. Bradbury is nasty, versatile and tough. He had a great week in Indianapolis at the combine and is projected to be a Day 1 starter in the NFL at one of the three interior OL positions.”
Charley Casserly, NFL.com: Greg Little, T, Mississippi
“The Vikings address their biggest need by adding a talented edge blocker. If they go this route, I see Little sliding into the left tackle spot and Riley Reiff moving to guard.”
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State
“The Vikings must address the O-line. Bradbury is one of the best center prospects of the last five years, and Pat Elflein would move to guard to clear a spot for him.”
Matt Miller, Bleacher Report: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State
“The Vikings could easily take one of the top offensive tackles remaining on the board here, but the smart move is to draft the best center in the class and look to move Pat Elflein to a more natural position of offensive guard. Bradbury isn’t on the level of Ryan Kelly or Billy Price in terms of the best centers I’ve evaluated recently, but he’s also a very different player. He has special mobility and agility in getting to linebackers or pulling to kick out defensive ends in the running game. He’s an athlete, and it shows when he’s on the move. That’s perfect for the Vikings as they look to get Dalvin Cook more touches and keep quarterback Kirk Cousins upright.”
Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated: Jawaan Taylor, T, Florida (via trade up to #13)
“Well, so long as the Cardinals and Niners stay put with the first two picks and, as expected, take Murray and Bosa, respectively, all the trades arranged pre-draft will be based on contingencies and pushed over the goal line on the clock. This would be a good example of such a circumstance—I have two of the three top tackles off the board, a team with a need at the position that’s done a lot of work on offensive linemen, and teams in front of them (Jets, Panthers, Giants) with a tackle need. In this circumstance, I think Minnesota would have to weigh the value of getting a tackle against the interior players they could have at 18, like NC State’s Garrett Bradbury and Boston College’s Chris Lindstrom, both of whom I believe they like.”
Peter King, NBC Sports: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State
“Speaking of PFF, the lowest-rated NFL center in the league by far last year was Minnesota’s Pat Elflein. The Vikings pick at 18, 50 and 81, and the perception on the scouting trail is that two of those three picks will be offensive linemen. They’d better be. Bradbury’s a pugnacious guy, a Jason Kelce type, with more quickness than most centers in the league now. He could start day one. No, let me amend that. With Elflein still in-house, Bradbury had better start day one.”
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: Chris Lindstrom, G, Boston College
“I expect an offensive lineman for Minnesota, and there should still be good options on the board. Lindstrom is my top-ranked guard.”
Danny Kelly, The Ringer: Andre Dillard, T, Washington State
“Easily neutralizes pass rushers with light feet, impressive balance, and top-tier mirroring skills.”
Todd McShay, ESPN: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State
“The Vikings’ line would improve drastically if they moved Pat Elflein to guard and inserted the top center prospect in the class in the middle. Bradbury has great agility and is quick off the ball in run blocking.”
