In somewhat of a surprise, Pro Football Network’s Cam Mellor is going against the grain with his selection for the Minnesota Vikings and sending them some help in the secondary rather than at quarterback. In his latest mock draft, Mellor has the Vikings selecting former Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback Cooper DeJean with the 11th pick.
Here’s what Mellor has to say about the selection:
Iowa cornerbacks are always going to be pro-ready, and that’s just what Cooper DeJean presents for the Minnesota Vikings. A late-season injury forced him out of the Big Ten Championship, but DeJean should be ready to go by minicamp.
He’s a speedster on the outside with plenty of length and burst. DeJean comes fully equipped with elite ball skills and a special teams ability that rivals everyone in this class.
DeJean is an interesting pick for the Vikings here, especially with how the board fell in this scenario. While the Vikings could certainly benefit from help in their secondary, conventional wisdom would say that quarterback is the more pressing need — especially if Kirk Cousins isn’t going to be back healthy next season.
Mellor continued on after the first round and projected the entirety of the 2024 NFL Draft. Here’s who he tabbed for the Vikings in rounds 2 through 7:
Round 1: Iowa CB Cooper DeJean
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 203 lbs
College stats: 120 tackles, 85 solo tackles, 5.0 TFLs, 7 interceptions, 3 touchdowns, 13 passes defended, 31 punt returns, 406 yards, 1 touchdown
Round 2: Michigan S Rod Moore
Height: 6′
Weight: 173 lbs
College stats: 142 tackles, 91 solo tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks, 6 INTs, 7 passes defended
Round 4: Washington State QB Cam Ward
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 223 lbs
College stats: 1,210 completions, 1,875 attempts, 64.5% completion percentage, 13,874 yards, 119 TDs, 30 INTs (stats include two seasons at FCS level with Incarnate Word)
In the days since Mellor published his mock draft, Ward has withdrawn his name from the NFL draft and opted to return to school, transferring to Miami.
Round 4: North Carolina LB Cedric Gray
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 225 lbs
College stats: 368 tackles, 198 solo tackles, 29 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, 5 INTs, 13 passes defended, 5 fumble recoveries, 5 forced fumbles
Round 5: Pittsburgh CB M.J. Devonshire
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 185 lbs
College stats: 89 tackles, 57 solo tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 8 INTs, 3 TDs, 23 passed defended
Round 5: Michigan RB Blake Corum
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 200 lbs
College stats: 675 attempts, 3737 yards, 58 TDs, 56 receptions, 411 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDs
Round 6: Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 190 lbs
College stats: 180 receptions, 2407 yards, 19 TDs, 72 rushing attempts, 405 rushing yards, 4 rushing TDs
Round 7: California S Patrick McMorris
Height: 6′
Weight: 210 lbs
College stats: 252 tackles, 137 solo tackles, 11 TFLs, 1 sack, 6 INTs, 23 passes defended, 4 fumble recoveries, 1 TD, 2 forced fumbles
