With just two weeks of real football weekend left and the NFL combine just over a month away, publications across the country have begun churning out mock drafts.
Welcome to Mock Draft Season!
So who do these mock drafters think the Vikings will get with the 23rd pick?
Vikings are predicted to get a defensive player in the first round, according to nearly every mock draft we’ve encountered. Shocker, eh?
Both Mel Kuiper and the 33rd team landed Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes in Minnesota.
In the other four mock drafts, the Vikings also took first-round cornerbacks.
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The Vikings’ cornerback room is very thin for the offseason. Both Patrick Peterson and Duke Shelley are free agents. Kam Danzer was in the final year of his rookie deal and appeared jobless to Sherri by the end of the season.Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr. have returned from injuries that ended their respective rookie seasons early. increase.
Two other recent mock drafts had CBS Sports Network draft analyst duo Chris Trapasso and Ryan Wilson targeting the Vikings for a defensive lineman.
Minnesota also has pending questions along the defensive side. Daniel Hunter says he could make a lot of money on the trading market if the Vikings decided he didn’t want to pay the 28-year-old top dollar. If the Vikings keep his 30-year-old edge rusher, Zadarius-Smith could be a victim of his $16.9 million cap next season, making Salary his cap hit .
The quarterback absence is certainly an interesting early trend given his future at the Vikings position. Kirk Cousins will next snap the ball in an official game at his 35, with Nick Mullens as a career backup.
Dan Brugler of The Athletic said in his latest mock draft, “I’m sure you’ll hear a lot of quarterback stories surrounding the Vikings between now and the draft. We also need help on defense.”
RELATED: Mel Kipper Jr.’s First Mock Has Vikings’ Draft ‘Intercept Magnet’ Emmanuel Forbes
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