Sports Illustrated’s Luke Easterling put out the first of many three-round mock drafts with the end of the NFL regular season inching closer.
With the 22nd pick in this hypothetical, the Minnesota Vikings take defensive lineman Leonard Taylor, III from Miami.
This entire defensive front needs reinforcements, so this pick is about finding the best value, either along the interior or on the edge. In this scenario, it’s the former for Minnesota, as they land an explosive and disruptive presence at the point of attack in Taylor. His attacking style of play would be put to good use by defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Easterling continued adding to the defense. With the next pick at number 53, the Vikings took Jack Sawyer, a fleet-footed, explosive edge rusher out of Ohio State.
Minnesota’s third-round pick was a part of the deal for tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Immediately, questions will arise over the quarterback position. That’s fair. With this hypothetical, it’s safe to assume that Kirk Cousins has a chance to finish what he started in the beginning phases of this season. Another assumption is that Flores does not take a head coaching position and stays to help continue to build Minnesota’s defense.
This scenario is not a far-fetched reality. The defense has been playing at a stellar pace thus far. With how Kirk played before he was injured, it does make one wonder how much this team could have accomplished with him at the helm. Next year would be a chance to find out. It would be a chance to make that deep playoff run that has alluded Vikings fans since 2017.
There’s also the dark side of these decisions. What if this is just a fantasy that the front office is chasing? What if Cousins never looks the same again after a ruptured Achilles at the age of 35?
These are all questions that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings front office must mull over before the 2024 NFL draft in April.
