The Minnesota Vikings are hurting for draft capital in this year’s NFL Draft. Only having five picks, and a lot of holes need to be filled on their roster. Many people speculate that the Vikings could look to move back in the first round of the draft in an attempt to accumulate more draft picks.
On Friday, Arif Hasan of the Pro Football Network did just that. Hasan had the Vikings trading back with the Buffalo Bills in his latest mock draft and selecting South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith.
In some mock drafts, Cam Smith goes much higher than no. 27, often landing in the middle of the round. Here, because of the late nature of the cornerback run, the Vikings scoop up good value with a player like Smith, who is comfortable running the man coverage demanded in Brian Flores’ system and can play off-ball or in press.
Smith weighed in light at the combine but at least had great athletic testing to make up for it. That will be a concern for Minnesota, whose remaining cornerback group isn’t the heaviest in the world but still gives them a foundation to work from as they rebuild their defense.
Smith would be a solid player for the Vikings to draft in the first round. His makeup and skills align perfectly with what new defensive coordinator Brian Flores wants out of his cornerbacks. Adding Smith in the first round would ensure the Vikings have four young corners on their roster with good potential, and you’d hope that at least one of them pans out.
