With their second pick in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Michigan linebacker Ben Gedeon. The former Wolverine was a tackling machine last season, finishing the year with 106 tackles (15.5 for loss).
Like Kentrell Brothers before him, Gedeon projects as a middle linebacker with run-stuffing tendencies. Darren Wolfson reports Gedeon will “surely make an immediate impact on special teams,” which is something the Vikings seem to value in mid-round picks.
Lance Zierlein projected Gedeon in the fourth or fifth round, saying he has “ample size and athleticism” to become a backup middle linebacker in the NFL. One regional NFC Scout, according to Zierlein, thinks Gedeon could be given the opportunity to start with a team. If the Vikings did go that route, it’d open the possibility of Eric Kendricks sliding outside to replace Chad Greenway.
Our consensus big board had Gedeon at 238, making this a major reach for Mike Zimmer and the Vikings front office. Dane Brugler agrees, as he projected Gedeon to fall somewhere in the fifth or sixth round this afternoon.
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