Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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The predicted pick at No. 14: Kwity Paye, Edge Rusher, Michigan
The Vikings need to find a dominant edge rusher to pair with (or replace) Danielle Hunter and help Mike Zimmer generate more pressure at the point of attack.
Click here for Brooks' full mock draft.
Austin Gayle of Pro Football Focus
March 29, 2021
The predicted pick at No. 14: Kwity Paye, Edge Rusher, Michigan
Paye is a rare athlete who won't last deep into the first round if he tests as well as expected at [his pro day]. He also produced the fourth-best PFF pass-rush win rate (26 percent) of any Power Five edge defender in the country in 2020.
Click here for Gayle's full mock draft.
Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus
March 22, 2021
The predicted pick at No. 14: Christian Darrisaw, Tackle, Virginia Tech
It's unclear what the plan is with tackle-turned-guard Ezra Cleveland going forward, but adding offensive tackles is never a bad thing. Darrisaw dominated a season ago, earning the highest grade in the Power 5.
Click here for Renner's full mock draft.
Chad Graff and Arif Hasan of The Athletic (three rounds)
March 29, 2021
Graff's predicted pick at No. 14: Alijah Vera-Tucker, Guard/Tackle, Southern California
[Vikings GM Rick] Spielman was at Vera-Tucker's pro day last week and got a firsthand look at one of the top offensive linemen available in this draft. Scouts are still undecided as to whether he projects more as a tackle or guard after playing both positions in college. But that's not terribly important to the Vikings, who have needs at both guard and tackle. They could pretty much pencil in Vera-Tucker as a Day 1 starter. The real dream might be Northwestern's Rashawn Slater falling to No. 14, but it doesn't help the Vikings that the Chargers, another team with offensive line needs, pick right before them.
Hasan's predicted pick at No. 14: Samuel Cosmi, Tackle, Texas
I can't really make a positional value argument here because drafting a tackle is the same as drafting a guard if the Vikings are going to move the loser of the left tackle competition to guard. Still, I'd rather make sure that whoever wins that job is the best possible player given the importance of tackle relative to guard. Cosmi is one of the best athletic testers we've seen at the position, comparable to Tristan Wirfs from last year, and was one of the best tackles in college football last year. He has technical work he needs to do, but that sounds a lot like Ezra Cleveland and Brian O'Neill anyway.
Graff's predicted pick at No. 78: Paris Ford, Safety, Pittsburgh
If there were high-end safeties available, I think the Vikings would consider them at No. 14. But since there may not be anyone at the position taken in the first round, I expect safety to be a top target for the Vikings in the third round — or potentially even as a second-round option if they trade up. In Ford, the Vikings would get a safety who can cover a lot of ground and ball-hawk in a zone defense. And given the Vikings current depth chart at the position, he'd have a chance to start right away.
Hasan's predicted pick at No. 78: Ben Cleveland, Guard, Georgia
I can't think of a better way to make Vikings fans happier than double-dipping on the offensive line. Cleveland, like Cosmi, was a remarkable athletic tester. That testing didn't always show up on the field, and he won more with (a lot of) power than speed, but he was nevertheless an effective zone blocker and pass protector with more potential to unlock. Aside from the confusion of having a pair of guards named "Cleveland," I think Vikings fans might be relieved to see their team taking a big player and having him shed some pounds for movement capability rather than taking an undersized athlete and hoping he adds strength.
Graff's predicted pick at No. 90: Dayo Odeyingbo, Edge Rusher, Vanderbilt
After declining to tender Ifeadi Odenigbo, the Vikings could badly use another defensive end to compete with Stephen Weatherly and D.J. Wonnum for the starting job opposite Danielle Hunter. While it's unclear whether Odeyingbo is a better fit for defensive tackle or defensive end, the Vikings like prospects like that and can trust Andre Patterson to bring out the best in the 6-foot-6 lineman.
Hasan's predicted pick at No. 90: Rashad Weaver, Edge Rusher, Pittsburgh
It's a good idea to take a look at lengthy edge rushers given their history, and though Weaver doesn't quite have the length of Odeyingbo, he's got some reach to him and he knows how to use it. A bigger player with good numbers and considered one of the best run-defending edge defenders in the draft, Weaver has a lot of pass-rush potential, especially with his eye-popping three-cone of 6.97 seconds.
Click here for The Athletic's full mock draft.