If there is a staff that has each flexibility it might ever need, it is the Minnesota Vikings. They addressed any holes on their roster in free company, including veterans alongside each the offensive and defensive strains.
The Vikings additionally outperformed all expectations final season, with quarterback Sam Darnold main the way in which to a 14-win marketing campaign and postseason berth. They’ve a gifted roster high to backside that is aided by the most effective teaching tandems within the league in head coach Kevin O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
However simply because the Vikings do not have urgent wants, that does not imply they do not have an enormous query mark. Minnesota will go the way in which quarterback J.J. McCarthy goes. He missed his total rookie season due to damage, which additionally pushed again his improvement in favor of rehabilitation. Now, with McCarthy set to start out the season, the Kevin O’Connell Quarterback Faculty will probably be on full show.
The easiest way to assist McCarthy is to solidify the remainder of the roster, which the Vikings can do within the draft, even with the restricted variety of picks they’ve.
With out additional ado, here is a full seven-round mock draft for the Vikings.
I believe Minnesota is a superb candidate for a commerce down as a way to get extra picks, however the subject is discovering a commerce companion. The Vikings sit under the Steelers within the first spherical, probably making it tougher to execute a commerce with a quarterback-needy staff. How helpful is Minnesota’s first choice to a different membership? That is the largest query right here.
If the Vikings stand pat, they might use reinforcements alongside the again degree of the protection. They’re skinny within the secondary, particularly with Harrison Smith getting near the tip of his profession. Security and nook are most likely their greatest wants right this moment and within the subsequent couple of years. Starks is likely one of the greatest safeties within the class and may rotate on this 12 months whereas creating for the long run.
This is not a necessity now with Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill because the bookends on the offensive line, but it surely might be a necessity quickly. Plus, Darrisaw is coming off an damage, and it by no means hurts to have an insurance coverage coverage. At worst, Milum is a swing deal with. At greatest, he can take over both deal with spot, having performed each in school. His shorter arms even have many projecting him as a guard on the NFL degree, so Milum might basically be insurance coverage wherever the Vikings want him.
Minnesota addressed the inside rotation alongside the defensive position in free company, signing each Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, however each gamers aren’t spring chickens. The inside thrives on a rotation anyway, particularly with gamers who’ve place flexibility. It is a robust defensive position class, and it is totally attainable to get a strong rotational participant within the fifth spherical.
I ran a number of draft simulations and every time, in some way, Shough was nonetheless obtainable at this choose. Quarterbacks normally rise within the draft, even when it is simply from Day 3 to Day 2, which I believe might occur with Shough. But when Shough’s there when the Vikings make their final choice, it would not be a foul concept to take a stab on the place. The one QB in addition to McCarthy on Minnesota’s roster is Brett Rypien. I am not solely positive the Vikings are comfy with Rypien being the one and solely backup, and unsigned veteran choices are restricted.
Carmen Vitali is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. Carmen had earlier stops with The Draft Community and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, together with 2020, which added the title of Tremendous Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You possibly can observe Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.
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