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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Tyler Forness

Vikings take hyper athletic edge rusher in CBS Sports mock draft

Getting a premium position with the Minnesota Vikings first round pick is the most likely outcome. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah understands the value of the premium position and Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports agrees.

In his latest mock draft, Trapasso has the Vikings going in a slightly different direction by sending them Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith.

The Vikings jump at the opportunity to pick the ultra-athletic Smith as their long-term solution on the edge.

The line ultra-athletic is the perfect way to describe Smith. The 20th-ranked prospect of all-time per 247 Sports, Smith doesn’t have a huge production profile, but that’s relatively normal for a defensive lineman from Georgia.

The Bulldogs ask their defensive lineman to do singular tasks more often than not. It was one of the biggest knocks on first-overall pick Travon Walker was his lack of production and refined skill set. Smith is in the same boat, but he is an incredibly fluid athlete with excellent bend. He need to work on his power and hands, but that can be learned in an NFL program.

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