Some draft talk...

Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSUThe most common player I'm seeing mocked to the Vikings lately is Stingley, who would be a fascinating selection. A former elite recruit, he was the best cornerback in the nation as a true freshman on LSU's 2019 championship team. Stingley had six interceptions and 15 total passes defended that year, and would likely have been a top-five pick if he were draft-eligible in 2020. But he has only played in 10 games (with no INTs) over the past two seasons due to illness, COVID protocols, and multiple lower-body injuries. If that causes Stingley to fall to 12, the Vikings might not be able to resist taking a chance on his physical tools, ball skills, and overall upside. Pairing Stingley and Cameron Dantzler would give the Vikings two young corners to build around, although Stingley's injury history is a possible cause for concern.

Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, CB, CincinnatiStingley's injuries and inconsistent performance over the past couple seasons opened the door for someone else to rise up as the CB1 in this draft class, and Gardner may have done exactly that. Sauce is a long, physical, ultra-athletic corner who shined in press-man coverage during his college career. According to PFF, he didn't allow a touchdown in over 1,000 coverage snaps during his three years at Cincinnati. There's a good chance Gardner won't make it to 12, but he could easily be the Vikings' selection if he does. The only concerns are his relatively thin frame and a big jump in competition from playing in the AAC (although he played quite well against Alabama and Notre Dame last season).

George Karlaftis, EDGE, PurdueThe Vikings haven't selected an edge rusher in the first round since 2005, but with Rick Spielman no longer running things, that possibility finally exists again in Minnesota. The Vikings need a boost to their pass rush, and adding someone like Karlaftis would provide it. The Athens, Greece native is an absurdly powerful athlete who also has plenty of burst and quickness. His size, heavy hands, and sheer power combine with a relentless motor that allows him to dominate offensive linemen with a straight bull rush or beat them with technique. Flexibility and discipline are the only question marks with Karlaftis, who will likely be the third pass rusher off the board after Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux. He can play in a 4-3 or a 3-4. Karlaftis might end up going much higher than this.
Mock: Mike Renner, PFF (and many others)

David Ojabo, EDGE, MichiganAn edge rusher I've already written a bit about is Ojabo, who has as much upside as anyone in this draft at his position. He was overshadowed by his teammate Hutchinson's Heisman-finalist season, but Ojabo was a monster in his own right on the Michigan defensive line, racking up 11 sacks and five forced fumbles in 2021. Ojabo just started playing football as a junior in high school and had minimal production prior to last season. You can look at that as risky because his performance may have been fluky — or encouraging because he's still learning and developing as a player. Ojabo's physical tools give him sky-high potential. He'd be an exciting fit as an outside linebacker if the Vikings move to a 3-4 defense.
Mock: Jordan Reid, ESPN

Trent McDuffie, CB, WashingtonStingley and Sauce aren't the only two corners to know in this year's draft. It's possible that both will be gone by 12, and it's also possible the Vikings will wind up liking someone else better than one of those big names. After all, it's a deep and talented CB class. At 5'11", McDuffie doesn't have the length of Stingley or Sauce, but he's got a compact build and a ton of toughness to make up for it. McDuffie has the quickness to shine in man coverage, make plays as a run defender, and be a weapon as a blitzer. He's got great instincts and ball skills, and simply wasn't challenged much by Pac-12 quarterbacks because of how good he is.
Mock: Lance Zierlein, NFL.com (and many others)

Andrew Booth Jr., CB, ClemsonAre you sensing a theme here? Even with Mike Zimmer gone, there's a strong chance the Vikings could wind up taking another first-round corner this year because of how important the position is and how big of a need it currently is on their roster. Outside of the inconsistent Dantzler, Minnesota doesn't have any long-term pieces at CB, and Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander are free agents. Booth is another guy who could enter the mix at 12; he's an aggressive, athletic corner with good size and ball skills. Booth is a fierce competitor who would be an asset against the run, but there are questions about his fluidity in man coverage against quick, shifty receivers.
Mock: Rob Rang, FOX Sports

Tyler Linderbaum, C, IowaThe Vikings have invested a ton of premier draft capital in their offensive line in recent years, and they've got three foundational pieces up front in RT Brian O'Neill, LG Ezra Cleveland, and LT Christian Darrisaw as a result. But your O-line is only as good as its weakest link, and Minnesota's center and right guard spots still need to be addressed. 2019 first-rounder Garrett Bradbury has been a major bust at center, as his athleticism in the run game doesn't make up for a complete inability to anchor in pass protection. Taking Linderbaum in the first round would likely be polarizing among Vikings fans because he comes with the same risks. On the one hand, he's a truly elite, well-rounded center prospect who has the potential to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player right away. Linderbaum's athleticism, footwork, and balance are incredible, and he's got a powerful upper body. But on the other hand, people said similar things about Bradbury. Linderbaum is a bit undersized and the positional value of centers might not be great enough to justify drafting one this high.
Mock: Thor Nystrom, NBC Sports Edge

Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE, Florida StateEvery year, players rise and fall during the pre-draft process. One of this year's biggest early risers is Johnson, who dominated at the Senior Bowl and saw his stock shoot upwards because of it. If he tests well at the combine, he could challenge Karlaftis and Ojabo for the EDGE3 spot. Adding to the intrigue for Vikings fans (not their decision-makers) is that he's a Minnesota native who starred at Eden Prairie in high school. After beginning his college career at the JUCO level, Johnson transferred from Georgia to Florida State and broke out in 2021 with 11.5 sacks, 17.5 total tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. He's a well-rounded edge rusher with length, burst, bend, and power. Johnson projects as an instant contributor with a high floor, but does he have the ceiling of some of the other edge rushers in his class? (He might).
Mock: Brentley Weissman, The Draft Network

Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio StateThe Vikings appear somewhat set at wide receiver with Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, K.J. Osborn, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette. But if Adofo-Mensah goes with a true best player available approach, no position is necessarily off limits in the first round (although running back, offensive tackle, tight end, and safety all seem unlikely for various reasons). The other way to look at the Vikings' receiver room is that Thielen is an expensive, aging luxury and Osborn and Smith-Marsette are recent fifth-round picks. If the Vikings view Osborn's ceiling as being a strong No. 3 receiver, maybe they'd consider pairing Jefferson with another potential young star at the position. This is yet another strong WR class, and Wilson might be at the very top of it. He's an electric athlete with elite body control, a big catch radius, and plenty of playmaking juice after the catch.
Mock: Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

Jordan Davis, IDL, GeorgiaWe won't have a perfect idea of the Vikings' main draft needs until after we see how Adofo-Mensah navigates the first part of the offseason. How the Vikings construct their roster via cuts, extensions, restructures, trades, and free agency will tell us a lot about how competitive they plan on being in 2022 and what they might do early in the draft. Nose tackle Michael Pierce, who has only played in eight of 33 games since signing with the Vikings in 2020, could be a cap casualty. Fellow defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson is only under contract for one more season. That could lead to the Vikings considering Davis, who is a massive human being who plays with power, leverage, and quickness. The 6'6", 340-pounder is going to be an elite run defender right away and has some upside as a pass rusher.
Mock: Kyle Yates, Fantasy Pros

Stingley scares the scrap out of me.

Davis is just a two down guy, but in a 3-4 he's pretty valuable.

Linderbaum would have me at Best Buy the following day.

Wilson would be a luxury pick depending on what we do in FA.

@"JustinTime18™" said: Stingley scares the scrap out of me.

Davis is just a two down guy, but in a 3-4 he's pretty valuable.

Linderbaum would have me at Best Buy the following day.

Wilson would be a luxury pick depending on what we do in FA.

Love my boy Linderbaum, but drafting a center at 12 is not something I want. Wilson and Jordan Davis are no for me as well. If there is no trade down and we pick at 12 I think it has to be best CB or DE available, although I really like Nakobe Dean. I'm going to say trade down every time I think about the draft so that if I say it enough to myself maybe it will actually happen.

Stingley- You never take a guy with descending numbers while in school.

Linderbaum- Rather have the Guard position nailed down who can help Bradbury than the other way around for the time being.

Wilson- Would be interesting if we unloaded Thielen, but realistically, at 12 we're going defense no matter how you slice it.

Davis- Tony Mandarich

@"Hawkvike25" said:

@"JustinTime18™" said: Stingley scares the scrap out of me.

Davis is just a two down guy, but in a 3-4 he's pretty valuable.

Linderbaum would have me at Best Buy the following day.

Wilson would be a luxury pick depending on what we do in FA.

Love my boy Linderbaum, but drafting a center at 12 is not something I want. Wilson and Jordan Davis are no for me as well. If there is no trade down and we pick at 12 I think it has to be best CB or DE available, although I really like Nakobe Dean. I'm going to say trade down every time I think about the draft so that if I say it enough to myself maybe it will actually happen.

We need CB so badly but taking possibly the 4th CB off the board at the 12th pick seems like the definition of “drafting for need”. Very risky. Maybe we get Justin Jefferson, maybe we get Ponder. Will trust the scouts and new regime but that’d have me a little worried. 

Sauce or Stingley would be home runs I think, if available. Still need to watch and learn about a lot of these other guys though. 

@"pattersaur" said: We need CB so badly but taking possibly the 4th CB off the board at the 12th pick seems like the definition of “drafting for need”. Very risky. Maybe we get Justin Jefferson, maybe we get Ponder. Will trust the scouts and new regime but that’d have me a little worried. 

Sauce or Stingley would be home runs I think, if available. Still need to watch and learn about a lot of these other guys though. 

I think Booth can be added as a homerun too, but we have bad luck with Clemson DB's. 

I remember all the hype around Stingley as a freshman when he was supposed to be the next elite corner, but he's missed a lot of time over the last two years. Is his freshman season reflective of who he'll be as a pro or are the last two season or is the foot injury he had last season something is going to linger? I'm not opposed to taking him, especially since we'll need good corners to pull off the Fangio style D, but if Sauce Gardner made it to 12, I'd feel more comfortable with him.

I just noticed that LSU has two defensive backs named Pig Cage and Major Burns. Those are incredible names.

Unless a premier DE drops down the board, go get the Sauce and retain PP.  

Maybe PP becomes Newman 2.0 and could slide inside to be more physical with TEs, Sauce with length and speed outside

Look for a DE/OLB pass rusher in the 2nd round.

Obligatory draft a OL (G/C) in 3rd

If we switch to 3-4 is it:
Richardson-Pierce-Tomlinson 
Hunter-????-Kendricks-2nd Round Rookie
Peterson-Smith-Bynum-Sauce/Dantzler

You wonder who will fill that ILB next to Kendricks, I was hoping it would be Surrat or Dye but haven't seen enough from either to make a judgement call.  Maybe a FA like Micah Kiser, Kenny Young, or Josey Jewell?  All guys from Denver, all relatively young and cheap

@"Skodin" said: Unless a premier DE drops down the board, go get the Sauce and retain PP.  

Maybe PP becomes Newman 2.0 and could slide inside to be more physical with TEs, Sauce with length and speed outside

Look for a DE/OLB pass rusher in the 2nd round.

Obligatory draft a OL (G/C) in 3rd

If we switch to 3-4 is it:
Richardson-Pierce-Tomlinson 
Hunter-????-Kendricks-2nd Round Rookie
Peterson-Smith-Bynum-Sauce/Dantzler

You wonder who will fill that ILB next to Kendricks, I was hoping it would be Surrat or Dye but haven't seen enough from either to make a judgement call.  Maybe a FA like Micah Kiser, Kenny Young, or Josey Jewell?  All guys from Denver, all relatively young and cheap

I agree with all of this. Overthecap, if I'm reading it correctly, has Josey getting a contract average $3MM per year and PP at about $6MM per year (That portion of the site is hard to understand). Lock PP in for 2-3 years, draft the corner you love and get what you mentioned in 2nd and 3rd round. I would be happy with that outcome.

@"JustinTime18™" said: Stingley scares the scrap out of me.

Davis is just a two down guy, but in a 3-4 he's pretty valuable.

Linderbaum would have me at Best Buy the following day.

Wilson would be a luxury pick depending on what we do in FA.

Stingley scares me too, but he's such a homerun swing. The medical at the combine will probably end up writing the story. When he is "on" and playing up to his ability you could make a pretty good argument he is the best CB prospect since Jalen Ramsey. He'd be easy #1 pick if he had kept up his pace from 2019.