04-29-2021, 04:12 AM
Now that the clock has struck midnight (CT) it is officially draft day. Going into this I can say that never has there been so many unknowns on how the draft will play out. The lack of a scouting combine, the normal scouting circuit, and the ability to bring player in for visits has pulled a veil over the entire process. But with intrigue & unknowns comes surprises, which we're all anxiously awaiting. But here it is... the final mock for this draft season:
1(14): TRADE. Vikings trade 1(14) and 4(143) to Miami for 1(18) and 3(81). Come tomorrow evening I don't think the Vikings will end up deviating much from their original draft slot. There are 16 or so 1st round players in this draft class and you don't want to pass up one of those players. The big choice the Vikings will need to make in the 14 hole is whether they want to draft the 3rd or 4th best offensive lineman or one of the best pass rushers. They drop back 4 slots to see how the board shapes up. In an alternative universe I can see them trading up for Sewell/Slater so be on the lookout.
1(18) via Miami: Jaelan Phillips DE/Miami - Instead of going offensive line in round one the Vikings end up taking the most talented edge rusher in this years class. Although Phillips has struggled with a multitude of injuries and has interests in music, he's ended up on plenty of teams draft boards. Since transferring to Miami he's outlook on football has changed. Its a game he loves and is certainly one he is good at. He will provide a day 1 running mate to Danielle Hunter and boy has the Vikings D-line gone from a weakness to a strength in one off-season. Phillips - Pierce - Tomlinson - Hunter. Watch out.
2(61) via BUF: Trade. Wyatt Davis OG/Ohio State - The Vikings trade 3(78) and 4(119) for 2(61). By trading back in round 1 the Vikings can watch the board fall early on day two before pouncing on a lineman of their choice. Davis' name has cooled in recent weeks, mainly because he was overhyped to begin with. On the field he is a scheme versatile guard who can play on either the right or left side. Although a knee injury (not serious) derailed his 2020 season he should be a plug & play starter. If not we competes with Mason Cole initially.
3(81) via MIA: Brady Christensen OT/BYU - Fans rejoice as the Vikings spend back-to-back picks on the O-line. Literally people are shooting off confetti in front of TCO Performance Center. Jokes aside, Christensen would prove to be a great value in round 3 as he'll slide a bit due to his age and tweener status. With his arms is he a guard or tackle? Good question. Fortunately the Vikings can slot him into the "right side" of the line and go from there. Moving Brian O'Neill to the blind-side is somewhat of a formality outside of a trade up for Sewell or Slater. Christensen & Ezra Cleveland work together in camp to see who is the better RG and the better RT. A line of O'Neill - Davis - Bradbury - Christensen - Cleveland like the D-line is much improved.
3(90): Pete Werner LB/Ohio State - With their final selection on day 2 the Vikings dip into the extremely talented pool of LBs this draft class offers. Werner is a day one starter at the WILL and has the ability to continue developing to the point he could replace Anthony Barr a season from now. I would expect the Vikings to prioritize a LB earlier than most think. They lack depth and can use a day-1 starter to replace the loss of Eric Wilson. Finding a player who has the flexibility to continue growing into a larger role is icing on the cake. Outside of being a stellar LB prospect some scouts believe Werner has the potential to become one of the best special team players in the league.
4(125): Caden Stearns S/Texas - Ironically if there is a single player I believe the Vikings will try their hardest to walk away with during the draft, its Stearns. They've met with him on multiple occasions and he has the athletic attributes/tape tendencies the Vikings look for in safeties. At Texas, Stearns was strong in coverage but needs improvement attacking the running game. The coaching staff has proven they can fix the latter. Stearns ideally sits behind Xavier Woods for a season before getting a shot to compete for the FS spot in 2022.
4(134): Jaelon Darden WR/Northern Texas - It is very possible the teams addresses their need at WR earlier than the 4th round but in this mock the value just wasn't there. Darden is an undersized but unbelievably shifty player. He likely isn't refined enough to push Chad Beebe out of the slot in training camp but should be able to develop at worst into a WR4 type. Based on his shiftiness he should be one of the leagues better punt returners from day one, which is also a need for the team.
5(157): Jaime Newman QB/Wake Forest - Similar to WR its very possible the FO draft a QB in the early rounds if the right value presents itself. In this mock the Vikings take a athletic yet raw passer in Newman who wasn't able to compete at Georgia this past season. As a QB Newman has proven he can run the ball and protect the football when needed. He needs to continue to address his footwork in the pocket and anticipation skills. With a year in the SEC his draft stock could have exploded so he's a bit of a mystery. Ultimately the risk is worth the reward for MN who can let Newman compete for a QB 2/3 role.
5(168): Darius Stills DT/West Virginia - This DT class is awful, lets just clarify that right off the bat. With that said it made sense the Vikings signed Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency to address the need before encountering the bottleneck. Currently the teams depth chart lacks true gap shooters and this class does offer a few talents who excel with that skill. As a player Stills is incredibly undersized and needs to develop better fundamentals. But he is quick and can get pressure on the QB, he's work a late round shot.
6(199): Jose Borregales K/Miami - If not with a draft pick the Vikings will bring in competition for Greg Joseph. Borregales had a nice 2020 season with improved accuracy. He's alway had a big leg and can easily hit 50+ yard FGs. A 6th round pick is worth the flier to ensure you get strong competition into camp. The Vikings finding a kicker is no shorter than the Odyssey and adding talent any way possible likely moves us closer to a conclusion.
1(14): TRADE. Vikings trade 1(14) and 4(143) to Miami for 1(18) and 3(81). Come tomorrow evening I don't think the Vikings will end up deviating much from their original draft slot. There are 16 or so 1st round players in this draft class and you don't want to pass up one of those players. The big choice the Vikings will need to make in the 14 hole is whether they want to draft the 3rd or 4th best offensive lineman or one of the best pass rushers. They drop back 4 slots to see how the board shapes up. In an alternative universe I can see them trading up for Sewell/Slater so be on the lookout.
1(18) via Miami: Jaelan Phillips DE/Miami - Instead of going offensive line in round one the Vikings end up taking the most talented edge rusher in this years class. Although Phillips has struggled with a multitude of injuries and has interests in music, he's ended up on plenty of teams draft boards. Since transferring to Miami he's outlook on football has changed. Its a game he loves and is certainly one he is good at. He will provide a day 1 running mate to Danielle Hunter and boy has the Vikings D-line gone from a weakness to a strength in one off-season. Phillips - Pierce - Tomlinson - Hunter. Watch out.
2(61) via BUF: Trade. Wyatt Davis OG/Ohio State - The Vikings trade 3(78) and 4(119) for 2(61). By trading back in round 1 the Vikings can watch the board fall early on day two before pouncing on a lineman of their choice. Davis' name has cooled in recent weeks, mainly because he was overhyped to begin with. On the field he is a scheme versatile guard who can play on either the right or left side. Although a knee injury (not serious) derailed his 2020 season he should be a plug & play starter. If not we competes with Mason Cole initially.
3(81) via MIA: Brady Christensen OT/BYU - Fans rejoice as the Vikings spend back-to-back picks on the O-line. Literally people are shooting off confetti in front of TCO Performance Center. Jokes aside, Christensen would prove to be a great value in round 3 as he'll slide a bit due to his age and tweener status. With his arms is he a guard or tackle? Good question. Fortunately the Vikings can slot him into the "right side" of the line and go from there. Moving Brian O'Neill to the blind-side is somewhat of a formality outside of a trade up for Sewell or Slater. Christensen & Ezra Cleveland work together in camp to see who is the better RG and the better RT. A line of O'Neill - Davis - Bradbury - Christensen - Cleveland like the D-line is much improved.
3(90): Pete Werner LB/Ohio State - With their final selection on day 2 the Vikings dip into the extremely talented pool of LBs this draft class offers. Werner is a day one starter at the WILL and has the ability to continue developing to the point he could replace Anthony Barr a season from now. I would expect the Vikings to prioritize a LB earlier than most think. They lack depth and can use a day-1 starter to replace the loss of Eric Wilson. Finding a player who has the flexibility to continue growing into a larger role is icing on the cake. Outside of being a stellar LB prospect some scouts believe Werner has the potential to become one of the best special team players in the league.
4(125): Caden Stearns S/Texas - Ironically if there is a single player I believe the Vikings will try their hardest to walk away with during the draft, its Stearns. They've met with him on multiple occasions and he has the athletic attributes/tape tendencies the Vikings look for in safeties. At Texas, Stearns was strong in coverage but needs improvement attacking the running game. The coaching staff has proven they can fix the latter. Stearns ideally sits behind Xavier Woods for a season before getting a shot to compete for the FS spot in 2022.
4(134): Jaelon Darden WR/Northern Texas - It is very possible the teams addresses their need at WR earlier than the 4th round but in this mock the value just wasn't there. Darden is an undersized but unbelievably shifty player. He likely isn't refined enough to push Chad Beebe out of the slot in training camp but should be able to develop at worst into a WR4 type. Based on his shiftiness he should be one of the leagues better punt returners from day one, which is also a need for the team.
5(157): Jaime Newman QB/Wake Forest - Similar to WR its very possible the FO draft a QB in the early rounds if the right value presents itself. In this mock the Vikings take a athletic yet raw passer in Newman who wasn't able to compete at Georgia this past season. As a QB Newman has proven he can run the ball and protect the football when needed. He needs to continue to address his footwork in the pocket and anticipation skills. With a year in the SEC his draft stock could have exploded so he's a bit of a mystery. Ultimately the risk is worth the reward for MN who can let Newman compete for a QB 2/3 role.
5(168): Darius Stills DT/West Virginia - This DT class is awful, lets just clarify that right off the bat. With that said it made sense the Vikings signed Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency to address the need before encountering the bottleneck. Currently the teams depth chart lacks true gap shooters and this class does offer a few talents who excel with that skill. As a player Stills is incredibly undersized and needs to develop better fundamentals. But he is quick and can get pressure on the QB, he's work a late round shot.
6(199): Jose Borregales K/Miami - If not with a draft pick the Vikings will bring in competition for Greg Joseph. Borregales had a nice 2020 season with improved accuracy. He's alway had a big leg and can easily hit 50+ yard FGs. A 6th round pick is worth the flier to ensure you get strong competition into camp. The Vikings finding a kicker is no shorter than the Odyssey and adding talent any way possible likely moves us closer to a conclusion.