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
Utah CB Clark Phillips III
Who:
Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling
Pro Football Network’s James Fragoza
Cornerback is going to be a common theme with these mock draft roundups. Phillips III is a smaller cornerback who can do a little bit of everything. He can play outside, in the slot and matchup well with receivers who are bigger than him. With the Vikings having a need both on the outside and in the slot, Phillips III would be a great addition.
Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez
Who:
NFL Draft Bible Staff
Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar
The smoothest cover corner in the class, Gonzalez is both athletic and large at 6’2″ and 200 lbs. Teams that prioritize man coverage will love his ability to attack the ball and stay with a receiver throughout the route.
Stanford QB Tanner McKee
Who:
Pro Football Focus’ Mike Renner
This one makes no sense in my opinion. Yes, the Vikings do need to decide on a quarterback of the future and taking one here is in theory a good idea. With all that said, taking McKee, who won’t have a grade above round three for me, didn’t show anything that should have him in the conversation to be a first-round quarterback. Throughout the industry, PFF are the only ones that high on McKee.
Clemson LB Trenton Simpson
Who:
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson
Bleacher Report Scouting Department
This pick makes a little bit of sense if the Vikings end up moving on from Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks, but I also struggle to see it becoming a reality. With Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s background, taking a non-premium position in the first round for a second-straight season doesn’t add up for me. The player is very good in both the run and the pass games, but in the first round is not quite something I’m comfortable with yet.
Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon
Who:
The 33rd Team Scouting Department
Sports Illustrated’s Richie Bradshaw
CBS Sports’ Kyle Stackpole
This is going to be extremely popular for both fans and analysts this cycle. Witherspoon is a very talented and aggressive player that can do a little bit of everything. Analysts are starting to catch on to Witherspoon which likely is reflective of what the league thinks of him. Don’t be surprised if he starts appearing higher in mocks, with 10 being the likely ceiling.
LSU EDGE B.J. Ojulari
Who:
SB Nation’s J.P. Acosta
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso
Ojulari feels like a great option for a 3-4 team. A smaller, quick edge rusher, Ojulari will thrive in standing up on the edge with his quick first step and ability to bend. I think he is more likely to go on day two than in round one, but the player is a good fit for the Vikings.
Texas A&M CB Jaylon Jones
Who:
USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz
The fifth cornerback that the Vikings have selected in mock drafts this season, Jones is a bigger corner who has a lot of length that thrives in zone. Putting him in the Vic Fangio-style defense would be a great fit for him.
Michigan DL Mazi Smith
Who:
Yahoo! Sports’ Charles McDonald
As of right now, the Vikings will need to replace two starters on the defensive line, as both Dalvin Tomlinson and Jonathan Bullard will be free agents. Smith was the top freak on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List and is an incredible athlete on the interior for the Wolverines.
SMU WR Rashee Rice
Who:
The Vikings need to fortify their offensive weapons and the best way to do that is by getting another wide receiver. Adam Thielen will be 33 next season and K.J. Osborn will be a free agent after 2023. Rice has the prototypical size and elite speed to win at the catch point and race by defenders. With Jefferson being so dominant in the intermediate levels of the field, this is the perfect type of player to put with him.
Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Who:
This is a player that I struggle with. While Smith-Njigba is an incredibly savvy and technically sound player, he looks very slow on tape and I expect him to run somewhere around a 4.62-second 40-yard dash. He gets separation, but 89% of his snaps in 2021 were from the slot with an easy and open release. Should he be valued there when there are faster and better receivers available by my board? It’s something that will be a major topic of discussion.
Baylor DT Siaki Ika
Who:
Pro Football Network’s Oliver Hodgkinson
The idea behind drafting Ika is that he would be a great two-gap nose tackle. The Vikings currently have that with Harrison Phillips, so unless you want to move him to defensive end, I don’t think the selection makes much sense. The player is excellent and an athletic freak that can be a three-down player on the defensive line.
USC WR Jordan Addison
Selection breakdown
Through two weeks and 32 mock drafts, here is who the Vikings have been mocked so far. Cornerback is the heavy favorite thus far with 13 total selections.
| CB Devon Witherspoon | 5 |
| CB Clark Phillips III | 3 |
| CB Christian Gonzalez | 3 |
| S Antonio Johnson | 2 |
| WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 2 |
| WR Rashee Rice | 2 |
| LB Trenton Simpson | 2 |
| EDGE B.J. Ojulari | 2 |
| OT Peter Skoronski | 1 |
| OT Blake Freeland | 1 |
| CB Cam Smith | 1 |
| EDGE/LB Drew Sanders | 1 |
| OT Anton Harrison | 1 |
| WR Zay Flowers | 1 |
| QB Tanner McKee | 1 |
| NT Siaki Ika | 1 |
| WR Jordan Addison | 1 |
| DL Mazi Smith | 1 |
| CB Jaylon Jones | 1 |
