The NFL Draft has finally arrived and when the Minnesota Vikings go on-the-clock with the 11th pick there will be a ton of buzz about what “Trader Rick” Spielman will do.
The Vikings’ general manager said this week that unless there’s a player available who is too good to pass up, he would prefer to trade down to collect more picks.
Based on the final mock drafts that have been posted so far today, the two most popular names being tied to the Vikings are Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker and Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes.
Mike Mayock, NFL Network – DeVante Parker
“Parker was Bridgewater’s teammate from Louisville. Parker can high-point the football, and was highly productive when on the field.”
Peter King, MMQB – Trae Waynes
“Might be too light at 186 to be the kind of physical corner many teams would want, but the only highlight I saw of Waynes in run defense put the kibosh on that: In the 2013 Big Ten championship game, he made a physical stop of Ohio State’s Carlos Hyde (40 pounds heavier) for no gain. Mike Zimmer needs two good physical cover corners, and adding Waynes to Xavier Rhodes would give the Vikes two first-round young players at that position.”
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN – Trae Waynes
“The top three wide receivers are off the board, and they get immediate help at CB while pushing Captain Munnerlyn to a better position in the slot.”
Todd McShay, ESPN – Trae Waynes
This is another pick I’ve made a few different times during the draft process, but it continues to make sense. The Vikings need a press-man corner opposite Xavier Rhodes, and Waynes is the best cornerback prospect in this class who figures to fit best in press-man or Cover 2 alignments.
Peter Schrager, FOX Sports – Trae Waynes
“Waynes could go earlier, depending on team needs in the top 10. He is a 6-foot, 186-pound corner who starred in a man-to-man defense at Michigan State. He played on an island against some of the best players in the country, and according to sources worked his tail off with Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi and MSU secondary coach Harlon Barnett to polish his game. He does it all and runs a 4.32 40-yard dash. Don’t forget, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is a defensive backs coach at heart. Xavier Rhodes showed flashes last year; here’s his battery mate.”
Mark Maske, Washington Post – Andreus Peat
“The Vikings have remained adamant they aren’t going to trade RB Adrian Peterson. If they don’t, both Peterson and second-year QB Teddy Bridgewater would benefit from some bolstering of the offensive line.”
Dane Brugler, CBS Sports – Trae Waynes
“While the Terrance Newman signing was good for depth, the Vikings still have a need at cornerback and could draft the top defensive back on their board with this pick.
Nate Davis, USA Today – Trae Waynes
“The Vikes must contend with Calvin Johnson, Jordy Nelson, Golden Tate, Alshon Jeffery and Randall Cobb, among others, twice a year. Bolstering the secondary with a talented cover man like Waynes aces the common sense test.”
Jason McIntyre, The Big Lead – DeVante Parker
“Vikings have been all over the board in my mock drafts, but unhappy with how some WRs have panned out, do they bring their franchise QB, Teddy Bridgewater, his college pal?”
Walter Football – DeVante Parker
“The Vikings traded for Mike Wallace, but if they watched him abandon his teammates, they know that they need some sort of insurance policy. They could even spend their first-round pick on a receiver. I’m not sure if the following was misleading, but it’s worth noting that Adrian Peterson’s agent, who is pissed that the Vikings are holding his client captive, tweeted out a hint that Minnesota really likes DeVante Parker.”
Matt Miller, Bleacher Report – Marcus Peters
