The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.
I have now done 11 mock drafts for the Vikings this offseason and they all have taken a slightly different turn each time. This is the final one and I try to be predictive in doing so.
Mock draft 1.0
Mock draft 2.0
Mock draft 3.0
Mock draft 4.0
Mock draft 5.0
Mock draft 6.0
Mock draft 7.0
Mock draft 8.0
Mock draft 9.0
Mock draft 10.0
Mock draft 11.0
8. Florida QB Anthony Richardson
Vikings send picks 23, 87, 2024 first and 2025 second to Atlanta for pick 8
This is somewhat of a shocker, but it really shouldn’t be. The Vikings need a quarterback of the future and the tea leaves are coming into focus. The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling has the Vikings trading up to 11 to take Anthony Richardson and he makes sense for what the Vikings are trying to do moving forward. He has every single tool you could ask for and with a year behind Kirk Cousins, Richardson will be afforded time to work on his mechanical consistencies.
119. West Virginia WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton
Without a single pick on day two, the Vikings look at some explosive athletes who are developmental players. With the Vikings having needs across the board, take the guy you think has the highest potential ceiling. Ford-Wheaton has that in droves. He’s a massive receiver at nearly 6040 and 223 lbs and has some explosive testing numbers with that size.
Bryce Ford-Wheaton is a WR prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.97 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 11 out of 3048 WR from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/pI7be1kVNH pic.twitter.com/zA6Icd8Klf
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 15, 2023
Taking Ford-Wheaton would give the Vikings a receiver with both size and field-stretching ability. They need that to help relieve the pressure off of Justin Jefferson in time.
137. Purdue CB Cory Trice
Vikings trade Dalvin Cook to the Bills for pick 137
After missing out on Bijan Robinson in round one, the Bills send an early fifth-round pick to the Vikings for Dalvin Cook. They could go running back here, but cornerback should be addressed first. Trice is a bigger cornerback with length, but a 4.47 40-yard dash and 1.56 10-yard split are good for a player his size. In his first draft, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted three defensive backs in the 90th percentile of height and getting him in the cornerback room is a great move for the future.
158. Oklahoma RB Eric Gray
The Vikings traded Cook earlier in the draft and need a replacement. Adofo-Mensah seems to be building a running back room with multiple pieces that all have different skill sets. Gray is the final piece to the puzzle. Alexander Mattison is the bruiser, Ty Chandler the explosive piece and Gray the pass catcher. He has a well rounded skill-set and blossomed when finally given the starting job in 2022.
211. Western Kentucky NT Brodric Martin
Nose tackle is such a key position in the Brian Flores defense. Think about the impact that Vince Wilfork had for the Patriots during their run in the 2000’s. Martin isn’t the same type of athlete, but he has a ton of size and talent. Taking a chance on day three is a solid investment for the Vikings.
