Over the next month our understanding of the Minnesota Vikings’ plan in the NFL Draft will become clearer. They will make decisions on veterans, moves in free agency and we will have the benefit of NFL Combine results, which will sharpen our eye for which prospects the Vikings might target. But that doesn’t stop us from trying to project how things will play out, so let’s have a look at a draft simulation using the PFF Mock Draft Simulator.
In this sim, the Vikings traded out of the first round, dealing the 23rd overall pick to the Los Angeles Rams for No. 36 and No. 69 overall. While the haul isn’t massive, three top cornerbacks who the Vikings would presumably be interested in (Christian Gonzalez, Joey Porter Jr., Cam Smith) were off the board, as were receivers Jalin Hyatt and Zay Flowers.
Had they remained at No. 23, the options based on their positions of need based on PFF’s rankings would have been edge rusher Lukas Van Ness, Miami corner Tyrique Stevenson, Pitt DT Calijah Kancey, edge rusher Keion White and Michigan DT Mazi Smith.
The gap between those players and early second-round prospects was not wide enough to justify staying at the 23rd pick. For example. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein scored Van Ness slightly lower than Iowa State’s Will McDonald IV by his rankings and only had Smith as his 13th ranked corner. Trading down gives them an opportunity to take multiple positions of need, even if it won’t provide much entertainment for fans on Day 1 of the draft.
Here’s how the Vikings’ picks played out:
The Cyclones’ star McDonald IV had impressive production with 34.0 career sacks and an 84.1 PFF pass rush grade this season. He projects as a fit Brian Flores’s defensive system as an undersized edge player.
Here’s what Zierlein wrote of McDonald IV:
“McDonald is an explosive, pliable edge talent whose active hands and eager feet make it hard for tackles to get a firm grip on him. His burst and lower-body flexion give him an advantage at the top of the rush, while his spin moves and feel for pocket depth round out his attack. He has good strength for his size and plays with admirable contact balance against bigger players, but setting firm edges and holding his ground against a downhill running attack could be an issue. Overall, McDonald’s hard-nosed demeanor and pass-rush talent are winning play traits that will help him become a successful 3-4 outside linebacker and sack artist.”
Interestingly there were two quarterbacks taken shortly after McDonald IV in our simulation. Hendon Hooker and Tanner McKee went 46th and 47th. Would the Vikings consider one of them as a “development” prospect in that position?
Other available players at premium positions with the 36th pick were:
— Notre Dame edge Isaiah Foskey
— Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo
— South Carolina cornerback Darius Rush
— Baylor DT Siaki Ika
— LSU WR Kayshon Boutte
With No. 69 overall, a cornerback needed to be selected. Syracuse’s Garrett Wilson matches the description of a man-to-man type that Flores may be looking for. PFF wrote: “What Williams has is uncoachable. He’s a top-five corner in the class at mirroring ability alone.”
Coming into the last college season, Williams was routinely mocked as a first-round pick but a torn ACL midway through the year set him back and caused his stock to drop. While the Vikings may want help right away, one thing we have learned over the years about corners is that they are rarely ready in Year 1, especially in the middle rounds. However, Adofo-Mensah would likely receive some (undue) scrutiny for picking someone at the CB position with an injury issue for the second straight year.
With the 87th pick, the Vikings take the highest receiver selected since Laquon Treadwell that wasn’t named Justin Jefferson. Houston’s Nathaniel Dell had back-to-back seasons of 1,300-plus yards and played both inside and outside for the Cougars. He is compared by PFF to Darnell Mooney because he is very undersized for his position, listed (pre-Combine) at under 170 pounds. But the Vikings aren’t looking for the next Calvin Johnson in the third round, they are in search of a playmaker who can take advantage of the space created by Jefferson. Dell has a chance to do that.
Here’s how the entire first round played out (without trades):
Assuming the Bears aren’t going to trade Justin Fields, it seems almost a foregone conclusion that they will move out of the No. 1 pick. How far back would they go considering that Will Anderson and Jalen Carter are considered a cut above when it comes to defensive prospects? Would they move back if one of the teams included a top-notch defensive player like Brian Burns of Carolina?
