NFLDG Mock 1.0
1 (18) - Jeffery Simmons (DT / Mississippi State) : There is a select group of fans who are going to be disappointed if the Vikings pick is not O-line in round one. It's a delicate balance. As the draft nears its becoming more unlikely that Taylor, Dillard, or Williams make it to #18. Either of those three should be the pick otherwise. If not, Jeffery Simmons should become a dark horse consideration. Aside from an ACL injury during the pre-draft process he is easily a top 5 player in this class and would become a game wrecker at 3-tech in MN's D-line. As a true junior and a 1st round selection which comes with a 5th round option, there is still tremendous value if he does not play at all in 2019. More likely he is back in a rotation in early December. Additional questions surrounded Jeffery due to an off-field incident in high school but was told most teams passed him due to owning up to the incident, no additional incidents, and the trust he's earned from the coaching staff at Miss St.
2 (34) via IND - Chris Lindstrom (OG / Boston College) : Although a trade has not made to date and I still find it somewhat unlikely the Vikings deal Trae Waynes they find a trade partner in the Colts in this mock after the first day of the draft. The Vikings trade up from 2(50) to 2(34) and also receive 4(129). Netted out this is roughly the equivalent of a high 3rd round selection. The Vikings then opt to choose a day one starter at LG in Chris Lindstrom. Lindstrom is one of the most athletic interior lineman in the class and has no immediate holes in his game that would prevent him from sliding in at LG. As a player he is a glass eater and wants to bully the opposition. The mentality is clearly something the Vikings need after a passive group sleep walked through the 2018 season.
2 (50) - Traded 2(50) to IND for 2(34) & 4(129)
3 (81) - Isaiah Johnson (CB / Houston) : If the Vikings opt to move Trae Waynes during the draft the team will need to prepare a fallback option. Although early, Isaiah Johnson could be a steal at this juncture under the toolage of Zimmer. Johnson is a WR convert who is new to the CB position. Although he picked it up rather quickly due to his supreme athleticism he is not nearly instinctual enough and needs to continue learning the nuances of the CB position. Basically, he gets by with his physical skill-set rather than having a gameplan on how he wants to attack a receiver. The Vikings have had some luck drafting traits overproduction in the past (Danielle Hunter) and could reap the benefits once again with Johnson. If he can't put it all together under Mike Zimmer, he couldn't under anyone else. With Zimmer on the Vikings roster it tips the risk v. reward in their favor.
4 (120) - Drew Sample (TE / Washington) : On draft weekends I wouldn't be shocked to see the Vikings select a TE as early as round one. If I were to put my money on it I actually would bet they are walking out with one on the 2nd day of the draft and don't wait until early day 3. None the less they do in this mock and opt for Drew Sample. Sample is more of a project as a receiver but should excel in the NFL if given the chance to develop as a route runner. The Washing offense limited his ability to attack down the field but his athletic profile would suggest he is capable if put in the appropriate role. With Kyle Rudolph and David Morgan both in the final years of their current contracts this buys them some time. The good news is that Sample likely can play some rotational snaps and offer upside on special teams in year one.
4 (129) via IND - Terrill Hanks (OLB / New Mexico St.) : There is no doubt the Vikings were happy with their depth at LB in 2018, Zimmer even suggested so multiple times during the season. Terrill Hanks is a scheme fit that offers upside as a pass rusher unlike some of their current depth options. Although there would be no pressure to start in the near future, Hanks would be an elite ST prospect and could push Ben Gedeon if all goes to plan. If not, he would be one of the only players on the roster who could replace Anthony Barr in a pinch due to his ability to take on blocks on the edge, something Eric Wilson struggled with when pushed onto the field last season.
6 (190) - Trey Pipkins (OT / Sioux Falls) : With a day one starter in Chris Lindstrom added in early round 2 the Vikings have the flexibility to wait a bit to select another O-lineman barring a surprising fall. Trey Pipkins may go higher than this due to his quick feet and projection at OT. The flip-side is that he is also extremely raw and teams could question the level of competition he played against. As aforementioned, Pipkins has quick feet and projects nicely in a zone blocking scheme. The drawback is that he is not strong and will need time in a strength and conditioning program before he can hold up against NFL edge rushers. Fully put together he could play on the blind side which is a rare commodity later in any draft. More likely he projects a future RT or upper end swing tackle which benefits MN with Rashod HIll in the final year of his contract.
6 (209) - L.J. Scott (RB / Michigan State) : In the past the Vikings have had some luck drafting late round skill-players with pedigree (Stefon Diggs). Scott was the 6th best RB coming out of HS in 2015 and had an up & down time at Michigan State. The question many teams have to answer for Scott is why he wasn't more productive given the skill-set and if he will ever develop as a pass blocker. With Dalvin Cook the clear bell-cow Scott would offer a nice power compliment who also has an ability to catch passes out of the backfield. In a power/speed timeshare I believe Scott can be a productive NFL back. With that said the Vikings may surprise and take a back in the 3rd/4th due to Dalvin Cook's past injury woes.
7 (247) - Diontae Johnson (WR / Toledo) : Although listed as a WR the Vikings would be drafting Johnson as a return specialist. Throughout his career at Toledo, Johnson was one of the best punt and kick returners in the nation. As a receiver he is more of a manufactured touch type of guy. That isn't necessarily a bad thing for the Vikings who already have two elite outside threats. Being able to test the defense horizontally is something the offense lacked in 2018 and you don't need to spend a high round selection to do that. At the end of the day if Johnson can win the return job (both PR & KR) in camp this is more than worth a 7th round selection.
7 (250) - Robbie Grimsley (S / NDSU) : Ideally you would like to grab Grimsley as a local UDFA but his name has been starting to creep up over the past month or so. As a player Grimsley is an enforcer on the back-end and profiles as a developmental box safety. He really has no business seeing the field on defense in 2019 but with Jayron Kearse in the final year of his current deal the Vikings could look for a potential replacement and some additional depth due to the off-season loss of Andrew Sendejo.
thanks. geoff. i know. simmons. isa very talented player but. waiting. till. december for. him. to. play. at. best is a. hard pill to swallow. for. are. first pick. with. the oline. concerens. and. with. the. ped. suspension. for. hill. i have a. hard. time. seeing waynes being. traded
Like a lot of what you came up with. Personally I wouldn’t trade Waynes without a top draft pick or top player brought over. The guy is a good player and good tackler. He would be an instant upgrade for a lot of teams. I also have concern with already losing a guy for four games. One or two injuries and we’d regret it. It’s such a vital position if you want to make the playoffs. He should also bring a good compensatory pick next year.
I wouldn't be thrilled with this draft. Simmons is a top 5 talent, but he's coming off of a torn ACL and there's no guarantee that we get any return from him in the 1st year. That's a risky move to make when both the coach and GM are on 1-year contracts. If they were coming off of a strong season and had money to work FA, then they could afford to take that risk, but I don't think they're in a good spot to make this. Also, Simmon's off the field issue was punching a woman several times who was fighting his sister. Contextually that's better than other athletes & it's not a domestic situation at all, but there's still video of it and it will not play well with some fans.
I don't really like the idea of trading Waynes, then packaging picks to move up, and then speeding a day 2 pick on another corner. It just feels like a messy way to address needs. I get that it would free up cap room and at least give them a long term body at corner, but with Hughes coming off of an ACL and Hill being suspended for the first 4-games, it makes hard to move Waynes right now.
I'm also concerned about WR not being addressed until the 7th round. Adding another TE helps some, but it was pretty clear that the Vikings need a 3rd WR to take advantage of mismatches created by teams focusing on Diggs and Thielen and in this scenario we go into next season with the same problem. I liked the Treadwell pick at the time, but we can't go into next season with him as the 3rd WR and I think that Beebe is more of a 4th/5th WR.
I'm also concerned about only one early pick on the OL. I'd ideally like to bring in a LG and an OT. Kline will start, but I wouldn't expect Dozier or Jones to be anything more than depth.
I may be more concerned about immediate needs & maybe your draft looks better 2-3 years down the road, but if we miss the playoffs again, then there could be different people making the decisions next year and I don't want that outcome.
I just feel like we have some major holes at LG, WR3, OT, and TE. We have a hole at DT too, but there's at least some workable options. It just feels hard to justify a 1st rounder on a DT, especially if he may miss most or all of this season. Maybe his talent makes up for it long term, but our roster is a mess at the moment & the lack of money in FA means that we need to rely on the draft heavily for improvement.
Edit: I've seen Isaiah Johnson linked to the Vikings a lot. He's doing a top 30 visit and presumably is a physical profile fit. That being said there's also part of me that has CB fatigue after they've spent so many high picks on CBs the past few years while neglecting other spots like the OL. Drafting a corner after moving Waynes would make sense and at least it's only a 3rd rounder this time, but I'll admit that there's part of me that doesn't want them to even look at CB until day 3. Probably not rational just a frustration with their prioritization or over prioritization of CB and I'd like to see Zimmer start getting production out of lower picks at CB. We had that some with Hill last season, but that was due to off the field concerns and not talent.
My guess is that this upcoming draft for the Vikings is not going to satisfy most of Viking Nation. Its just too difficult to bypass a BPA like Simmons or someone else if some OTs are taken before 18.
Simmons would be a great pick for the future. Following it up with Lines from definitely takes the sting off of not grabbing an OL in the first. I'd want to grab a RB before the end of Day 3.
I'd be pretty happy about that. Simmons is a tough one. Not because he's a DT but because he's hurt. Top 5 talent, but we would come out of that draft with only a starting LG helping us in 2019, but that might be the case no matter which way we go.
I sorta wonder if the Vikings could swing a trade down with New England who just might be looking at one of the TEs if he's there. 18 to 32 would net the Vikings the Pats' 2nd and 4th rounders and the Vikings would find better value there among players like Risner, Lindstrom, McGary...
@"BarrNone55" said: Simmons would be a great pick for the future. Following it up with Lines from definitely takes the sting off of not grabbing an OL in the first. I'd want to grab a RB before the end of Day 3.I really wanted to go RB earlier but just couldn't get it to work unless I pushed CB down, which I could see being more likely. Something to play around with in another mock for sure.
@"MaroonBells" said: I'd be pretty happy about that. Simmons is a tough one. Not because he's a DT but because he's hurt. Top 5 talent, but we would come out of that draft with only a starting LG helping us in 2019, but that might be the case no matter which way we go.I sorta wonder if the Vikings could swing a trade down with New England who just might be looking at one of the TEs if he's there. 18 to 32 would net the Vikings the Pats' 2nd and 4th rounders and the Vikings would find better value there among players like Risner, Lindstrom, McGary...
I agree that Simmons is a tough one, I wanted to play around with the idea more than anything else. The injury doesn't scare me a ton since ACL recovery has become so streamlined over the past few years. It also happened early enough in the process that he would at worst get some live reps near the end of the season to prepare for 2020. in the most ideal situations if the top 3 OL are off the board Hockenson, Oliver, Gary, or Sweat make it down to #18.
NE makes a lot of sense as a trade partner since they have more picks than they can practically use and have a huge need at TE. I'd also put the Chargers in the conversation if one of the QB's make it down the board. The question I still don't have a great feel for is if they'd pass on a stud defensive player or TE for Bradbury or Lindstrom. Draft tendencies would suggest they wait on OL but practicality says that the former isn't making it to #50 and the latter likely isn't either.
@"StickyBun" said: My guess is that this upcoming draft for the Vikings is not going to satisfy most of Viking Nation. Its just too difficult to bypass a BPA like Simmons or someone else if some OTs are taken before 18.I think this is the case every year lol. Everyone went off the deep end when the Vikings took Mike Hughes but eventually warmed up to it. The scary part is I mocked Hughes to the Vikings early on last year before moving off of it. So I guess if they take Simmons you shouldn't read any mocks besides my first 1 or 2 of the season...
Nobody is denying that OL is a need you just can't reach since it undermines the entire process. You evaluate players for a reason and O-line will not always be the sole need on this team. Interior D-line or DE move up the list if Linval or Everson are not here in 2020. Same could be said for TE if they don't resign Rudolph. CB also becomes a topic for conversation if they can't retain Waynes and Mac. Point being, your needs are greater than what you need right now. The Patriots have had plenty of success drafting this way in the past.
@"Tyr" said: I wouldn't be thrilled with this draft. Simmons is a top 5 talent, but he's coming off of a torn ACL and there's no guarantee that we get any return from him in the 1st year. That's a risky move to make when both the coach and GM are on 1-year contracts. If they were coming off of a strong season and had money to work FA, then they could afford to take that risk, but I don't think they're in a good spot to make this. Also, Simmon's off the field issue was punching a woman several times who was fighting his sister. Contextually that's better than other athletes & it's not a domestic situation at all, but there's still video of it and it will not play well with some fans.I don't really like the idea of trading Waynes, then packaging picks to move up, and then speeding a day 2 pick on another corner. It just feels like a messy way to address needs. I get that it would free up cap room and at least give them a long term body at corner, but with Hughes coming off of an ACL and Hill being suspended for the first 4-games, it makes hard to move Waynes right now.
I'm also concerned about WR not being addressed until the 7th round. Adding another TE helps some, but it was pretty clear that the Vikings need a 3rd WR to take advantage of mismatches created by teams focusing on Diggs and Thielen and in this scenario we go into next season with the same problem. I liked the Treadwell pick at the time, but we can't go into next season with him as the 3rd WR and I think that Beebe is more of a 4th/5th WR.
I'm also concerned about only one early pick on the OL. I'd ideally like to bring in a LG and an OT. Kline will start, but I wouldn't expect Dozier or Jones to be anything more than depth.
I may be more concerned about immediate needs & maybe your draft looks better 2-3 years down the road, but if we miss the playoffs again, then there could be different people making the decisions next year and I don't want that outcome.
I don't disagree with any of your points but the point of trading Trae would be to get his $9M cap hit off the books. So although you're spending another high pick at CB you are allowing yourself to function financially. If they can't get the equivalent to at least a 3rd round pick in trade they are probably better off holding Trae and using their pick on another need like you suggested.
We've got to make some salary cap changes prior to the season. Where does everyone see those dollars coming from? Some starter/bigger name is getting cut or traded.
I've been looking forward to seeing your mocks again. I've been pounding the table for 4 years wanting OL help in the first round. I can't say that is going to change this year. But if Simmons is the pick, even I would find it hard to get overly pissy about the selection. I'm worried that pick 18 kind of falls in "no mans land" for OL help this year. I'd guess the top 3 guys all go in the top 15 picks and a guy like Ford, who I also feel is 1st round worthy, probably shouldn't be selected until until the mid 20s or so. It's hard to reach, when you have talent sitting there, that most years would probably/most definitely be a top 10 pick. There's a lot of ways to "skin the cat" this year. Do you play the trade back game and add another layer of risk or do reach a bit for a guy like Ford? Do you go DL in the first hoping an OL guy you like is still there at 50? Do you go OL and then TE, bypassing the D guys altogether? Do you toss in a 3rd to move up to get THE guy you want? I don't know what the right answer is this year.
@"AGRforever" said:We've got to make some salary cap changes prior to the season. Where does everyone see those dollars coming from? Some starter/bigger name is getting cut or traded.
Keeping Barr keeps the heat on the front office cap wise. I am still surprised they kept EG at the #'s they did.
With Hill making juvenile decisions regarding PED's and Hughes a huge question mark to start the season, I am not convinced Waynes is on the trading block this season.
Not sure where the cap relief will come - maybe a surprise or 2 Training Camp release?
@"purplefaithful" said:@"AGRforever" said:We've got to make some salary cap changes prior to the season. Where does everyone see those dollars coming from? Some starter/bigger name is getting cut or traded.
Keeping Barr keeps the heat on the front office cap wise. I am still surprised they kept EG at the #'s they did.With Hill making juvenile decisions regarding PED's and Hughes a huge question mark to start the season, I am not convinced Waynes is on the trading block this season.
Not sure where the cap relief will come - maybe a surprise or 2 Training Camp release?
skip the gimp in the first round, grab Hockenson or Fant if they are available and then move Rudy for a late day 2 early day 3 draft pick if he wont restructure for a lot less without having to add a bunch of guaranteed money to the back end of his deal. That should free up enough cap to cover what they need for now.
I really want OL in the first but I wouldn't be THAT mad about Simmons. NFLDG makes a good case but I agree with Tyr, I don't think Spielman and Zimmer are comfortable enough in their seats to take a guy who won't play much in 2019. Nor should they be.
I like the positions and explanations for the other picks in this mock. Thanks Guru
@"Geoff Nichols" said:@"MaroonBells" said: I'd be pretty happy about that. Simmons is a tough one. Not because he's a DT but because he's hurt. Top 5 talent, but we would come out of that draft with only a starting LG helping us in 2019, but that might be the case no matter which way we go.I sorta wonder if the Vikings could swing a trade down with New England who just might be looking at one of the TEs if he's there. 18 to 32 would net the Vikings the Pats' 2nd and 4th rounders and the Vikings would find better value there among players like Risner, Lindstrom, McGary...
I agree that Simmons is a tough one, I wanted to play around with the idea more than anything else. The injury doesn't scare me a ton since ACL recovery has become so streamlined over the past few years. It also happened early enough in the process that he would at worst get some live reps near the end of the season to prepare for 2020. in the most ideal situations if the top 3 OL are off the board Hockenson, Oliver, Gary, or Sweat make it down to #18.NE makes a lot of sense as a trade partner since they have more picks than they can practically use and have a huge need at TE. I'd also put the Chargers in the conversation if one of the QB's make it down the board. The question I still don't have a great feel for is if they'd pass on a stud defensive player or TE for Bradbury or Lindstrom. Draft tendencies would suggest they wait on OL but practicality says that the former isn't making it to #50 and the latter likely isn't either.
Why wouldn't the Vikes try to trade up for one of the top 3 OLs? That is clearly our weak position and has been for a few years. If they are sold on those 3 and not as much on the rest, why not go for it rather than use a subjective value measure such as - Lindstrom is good for the 2nd round but not the 1st - and then miss out on him as another team grabs him ahead of us? Let's go after a top notch O lineman rather than take a chance that a lesser one falls into our lap later?
@"PurplePastor" said:@"Geoff Nichols" said:@"MaroonBells" said: I'd be pretty happy about that. Simmons is a tough one. Not because he's a DT but because he's hurt. Top 5 talent, but we would come out of that draft with only a starting LG helping us in 2019, but that might be the case no matter which way we go.I sorta wonder if the Vikings could swing a trade down with New England who just might be looking at one of the TEs if he's there. 18 to 32 would net the Vikings the Pats' 2nd and 4th rounders and the Vikings would find better value there among players like Risner, Lindstrom, McGary...
I agree that Simmons is a tough one, I wanted to play around with the idea more than anything else. The injury doesn't scare me a ton since ACL recovery has become so streamlined over the past few years. It also happened early enough in the process that he would at worst get some live reps near the end of the season to prepare for 2020. in the most ideal situations if the top 3 OL are off the board Hockenson, Oliver, Gary, or Sweat make it down to #18.NE makes a lot of sense as a trade partner since they have more picks than they can practically use and have a huge need at TE. I'd also put the Chargers in the conversation if one of the QB's make it down the board. The question I still don't have a great feel for is if they'd pass on a stud defensive player or TE for Bradbury or Lindstrom. Draft tendencies would suggest they wait on OL but practicality says that the former isn't making it to #50 and the latter likely isn't either.
Why wouldn't the Vikes try to trade up for one of the top 3 OLs? That is clearly our weak position and has been for a few years. If they are sold on those 3 and not as much on the rest, why not go for it rather than use a subjective value measure such as - Lindstrom is good for the 2nd round but not the 1st - and then miss out on him as another team grabs him ahead of us? Let's go after a top notch O lineman rather than take a chance that a lesser one falls into our lap later?
the team is to weak at to many other positions to be trading away mid round picks (which is what it would take to move up 5-6 spots (or more) in the first. There are enough players that can make an impact at 18 or trade options to move down a few spots and still get a quality player at a position of need. I dont think any of the OL in this draft are the kind of guys you trade away picks to move up to get ( all pro type guys) there appears to be plenty of guys though that will be upgrades and should be day 1 starters on our OL.
@"purplefaithful" said:@"AGRforever" said:We've got to make some salary cap changes prior to the season. Where does everyone see those dollars coming from? Some starter/bigger name is getting cut or traded.
Keeping Barr keeps the heat on the front office cap wise. I am still surprised they kept EG at the #'s they did.With Hill making juvenile decisions regarding PED's and Hughes a huge question mark to start the season, I am not convinced Waynes is on the trading block this season.
Not sure where the cap relief will come - maybe a surprise or 2 Training Camp release?
I'm not surprised they could fit Barr into the cap although it would have been better to not let him test the market since they basically handed him an additional $12M in guarantees on his 5th year option that don't offset in his new deal.Griffen I am surprised on, I thought the Vikings would ask for more. The issue was that the way Griffen's deal was designed it made it very tough for the Vikings to push money from this season into the future without making the cap numbers unpalatable. It also would have decreased the benefit of moving on in future years. In other words they could have take more off his salary this year but would have been guaranteeing another restructure or cut in 2020. The deal they came to is at its core a 1 year deal worth $8.5M with options for both sides. There is some upside in that deal for MN I'd say.
@"PurplePastor" said:@"Geoff Nichols" said:@"MaroonBells" said: I'd be pretty happy about that. Simmons is a tough one. Not because he's a DT but because he's hurt. Top 5 talent, but we would come out of that draft with only a starting LG helping us in 2019, but that might be the case no matter which way we go.I sorta wonder if the Vikings could swing a trade down with New England who just might be looking at one of the TEs if he's there. 18 to 32 would net the Vikings the Pats' 2nd and 4th rounders and the Vikings would find better value there among players like Risner, Lindstrom, McGary...
I agree that Simmons is a tough one, I wanted to play around with the idea more than anything else. The injury doesn't scare me a ton since ACL recovery has become so streamlined over the past few years. It also happened early enough in the process that he would at worst get some live reps near the end of the season to prepare for 2020. in the most ideal situations if the top 3 OL are off the board Hockenson, Oliver, Gary, or Sweat make it down to #18.NE makes a lot of sense as a trade partner since they have more picks than they can practically use and have a huge need at TE. I'd also put the Chargers in the conversation if one of the QB's make it down the board. The question I still don't have a great feel for is if they'd pass on a stud defensive player or TE for Bradbury or Lindstrom. Draft tendencies would suggest they wait on OL but practicality says that the former isn't making it to #50 and the latter likely isn't either.
Why wouldn't the Vikes try to trade up for one of the top 3 OLs? That is clearly our weak position and has been for a few years. If they are sold on those 3 and not as much on the rest, why not go for it rather than use a subjective value measure such as - Lindstrom is good for the 2nd round but not the 1st - and then miss out on him as another team grabs him ahead of us? Let's go after a top notch O lineman rather than take a chance that a lesser one falls into our lap later?
I think it is a real possibility depending on how the board falls. If all three lineman go in the top 10, they aren't moving up. If one of the three are still on the board at #13 you would have to at least consider the idea. Miami is playing for the future and they could opt to leverage their comp pick for Richardson to move up in this years draft. If two of the three make it to #13 you wait for the other to go before deciding on a move up the board.
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