Mock draft season is upon us and that means our mock draft roundup is back!
What we do every week is track the mainstream outlets mock drafts and aggregate how many times a player gets selected. Last season, we tallied up 173 mock drafts and only 10 of them were on offense. This season could end up being much of the same.
We will track them and try to determine trends and patterns, along with giving my own analysis on how they could fit with the Minnesota Vikings.
Maryland CB Deonte Banks
Who:
Chargers Wire’s Alex Katson
The Athletic’s Ben Standig
SB Nation’s Staff
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy
Following the release of Adam Thielen, a receiver is certainly in play with this pick. But neither starting cornerback is returning for Minnesota either after the release of Cameron Dantzler and the impending free agency of Patrick Peterson. Dantzler wasn’t a scheme fit in Brian Flores’ new defense, so his release isn’t a huge shock, but it does reinforce that the Vikings need a cornerback.
Banks has rocketed up draft boards after surprising people by declaring early for the draft, but as analysts have circled back to his tape, it’s become more and more obvious why he was confident in his NFL prospects this season. A nasty run supporter with good ball skills and elite athleticism, Banks would likely walk into a starting role in Minnesota and provide at least some stability while the Vikings work out the remainder of the depth chart between Duke Shelley, Andrew Booth Jr., and Akayleb Evans.-Alex Katson
Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes
Who:
The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler
Patrick Peterson and Duke Shelley are UFAs and they cut Cameron Dantzler, making the way for Emmanuel Forbes to start opposite 2022 second-rounder Andrew Booth Jr. this fall. The premier ball-hawk in the class, a secondary of Booth, Forbes, safety Lewis Cine, and Akayleb Evans is young, yes, but extremely talented that can do a lot of things well.-Ryan Fowler
Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr.
Who:
Porter has offensive tackle arm length and plus man coverage ability. The Vikings again go to the secondary well early in the draft.-Chris Trapasso
Georgia CB Kelee Ringo
USC WR Jordan Addison
Who:
CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards
Draft Wire’s Natalie Miller
Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings
Minnesota has made the decision to move on from Adam Thielen. The Vikings need someone to compliment Justin Jefferson in the passing game, and Jordan Addison can be that player long-term.-Josh Edwards
Boston College WR Zay Flowers
Who:
Pro Football Network’s Oliver Hodgkinson
Vikings Wire’s Kevin Fielder
CBS Sports’ Kyle Stackpole
Justin Jefferson is one of the best wide receivers in the league, but his supporting cast leaves a lot to be desired — especially following the departure of long-time slot savan Adam Thielen. Boston College WR Zay Flowers is a dangerous after-the-catch threat who combines long speed with ludicrous lateral agility as one of the most exciting and explosive receivers in the draft.-Oliver Hodgkinson
TCU WR Quentin Johnston
Who:
Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema
With Adam Thielen officially gone, the Vikings could very well be in the wide receiver market in the first round, especially if a player like Quentin Johnston is available. Johnston is one of the few in this class who gives you a size and speed combination as an outside receiver.-Trevor Sikkema
North Carolina WR Josh Downs
Who:
Pro Football Network’s Joe Broback
With the Vikings cutting Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson’s hoping that they can add a reliable and explosive second option. Josh Downs is the perfect fit for that need.
While Jefferson is commanding attention on the outside, Downs is a master technician in the slot. He’ll stretch the defense enough to open the field up for the Minnesota superstar, and Kevin O’Connell knows what to do with a talent like the former Tar Heel.-Joe Broback
Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Who:
The Vikings parted ways with Adam Thielen, and the remaining wide receivers on the roster are Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn, Jalen Nailor and Jalen Reagor. The Jalens combined for 17 receptions last season. And Osborn, who had 60 catches in ’22, will be a free agent after the season. Enter Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who barely saw the field during the 2022 season because of injuries, but is still one of the top wideouts in the class. It’s easy to forget that he led the 2021 Buckeyes in receptions, and that corps included first-rounders Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, and future first-rounder Marvin Harrison Jr.-Ryan Wilson
Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith
Who:
Smith gets a little lost after missing the end of his final Bulldogs season with a torn pec. A team like the Vikings stops the fall for an accomplished all-around stand-up EDGE. Smith has enough athleticism and savvy to work in some off-ball LB looks too.-Jeff Risdon
Tennessee WR Jalin Hyatt
Who:
The Minnesota Vikings recently parted ways with wide receiver Adam Thielen and can get younger at wide receiver with Hyatt. Along with Justin Jefferson, Kirk Cousins gets a good duo to throw to.-Patrick Conn
Overview
Through 11 weeks, I have collected 248 industry mock drafts with 46 different players
| CB Deonte Banks | 26 |
| CB Cam Smith | 22 |
| CB Kelee Ringo | 19 |
| CB Emmanuel Forbes | 17 |
| CB Joey Porter Jr. | 13 |
| WR Jordan Addison | 13 |
| CB Clark Phillips III | 12 |
| WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 112 |
| CB Devon Witherspoon | 10 |
| CB Christian Gonzalez | 9 |
| CB/S Brian Branch | 9 |
| EDGE Lukas Van Ness | 8 |
| WR Zay Flowers | 6 |
| EDGE B.J. Ojulari | 5 |
| LB Trenton Simpson | 5 |
| EDGE Myles Murphy | 5 |
| EDGE Nolan Smith | 5 |
| WR Josh Downs | 5 |
| S Antonio Johnson | 4 |
| EDGE/LB Drew Sanders | 4 |
| DT Calijah Kancey | 4 |
| DT Bryan Bresee | 3 |
| WR Rashee Rice | 2 |
| QB Anthony Richardson | 2 |
| NT Siaki Ika | 2 |
| C John Michael Schmitz | 2 |
| DL Mazi Smith | 2 |
| DL Keion White | 2 |
| WR Jalin Hyatt | 2 |
| WR Quentin Johnston | 2 |
| OT Peter Skoronski | 1 |
| OT Blake Freeland | 1 |
| OT Anton Harrison | 1 |
| QB Tanner McKee | 1 |
| CB Jaylon Jones | 1 |
| WR Kayshon Boutte | 1 |
| OL Cody Mauch | 1 |
| CB Tyrique Stevenson | 1 |
| EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah | 1 |
| OT Broderick Jones | 1 |
| CB Kyu Blu Kelly | 1 |
| RB Bijan Robinson | 1 |
| EDGE Isaiah Foskey | 1 |
| C Joe Tippmann | 1 |
| CB D.J. Turner | 1 |
| DL Adetomiwa Adebawore | 1 |
| Total | 248 |
