The Vikings Have a Fancy New Draft Spot
What does an NFL franchise get as fruit from losing to the worst football team in the league?
A fancy new draft spot.
That’s right, the Minnesota Vikings lost to the winless Detroit Lions in Week 13, effectively ending the team’s playoff hopes unless winning four out of the next five games occurs for Mike Zimmer’s squad. By all indications amid the last two weeks, Minnesota does not look capable of winning 80% of its remaining games.
Even now with a 5-7 record through 13 weeks, the Vikings would hold the 10th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft if the season ended today. Losing more games than they win in the next five weeks would mean the Vikings ascend the draft order. So, silver linings, right?
Here’s the Top 15 draft order, per Tankathon.com.
And, my, oh my – could this pick for the Vikings go in so many directions. There are roster needs, indubitably. Danielle Hunter’s future contractual status is mysterious – will he or won’t he remain with the team? Nobody knows. With Everson Griffen aging, the Vikings probably need a cornerstone EDGE rusher – even if Hunter stays in Minnesota.
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Also, a significant sliver of the fanbase doesn’t like quarterback Kirk Cousins, so the Vikings could reasonably draft the quarterback of the future at the #10 hole as well. Interestingly, the 2022 NFL Draft is not acclaimed for good quarterbacks, meaning the Vikings would likely be “reaching” for the young prince to replace Cousins. At quarterback, though, that seems like a very Vikingsian thing to do – swap the dude with Pro Football Focus’ second-highest grade in 2021 (Cousins) for a rookie passer in a weak quarterback draft. But leave some fans to decide – they’d do exactly that.
Cornerbacks would be welcomed, too. The Vikings drafted oodles of corners amid the last decade – you remember the Zimmer CB joke – but the CB room remains thin with only Cameron Dantzler under contract for 2022.
Otherwise, linebacker is intriguing in preparation for Anthony Barr’s probably exodus this offseason. After all, Micah Parsons is thriving in Dallas. And what competent Vikings fan would say no to a sure-fire offensive line stalwart at #10? Minnesota spent a lot of draft capital on offensive linemen in the last half-decade, but the team still struggles with pass protection. The Vikings cannot become a Super Bowl-contending team without a Top 15 offensive line – remember that. History mandates it.
The options are abundant. On Monday, CBS Sports sent Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth to Minnesota in its latest mock draft. Ryan Wilson from CBS Sports wrote:
“The team has already parted ways with 2020 first-rounder Jeff Gladney, and Patrick Peterson is on a one-year deal. Wide receiver could also be an option here but stockpiling defensive backs is never a bad strategy. Booth has all the athleticism and tools to be special, and he balled out for Clemson this season.”
PFF fired up a mock draft too after Week 13, sliding EDGE rusher Travon Walker from Georgia to the Vikings. Michael Renner opined:
“The Vikings love themselves some physical freaks on the edge, and Walker qualifies as such. At 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, Walker has a rare get-off at that size. He’s still figuring out how to rush the passer, as evidenced by his 65.1 pass-rushing grade, but that’s a nice place to start.”
‘Tis the season for Christmas. And because the Vikings lost to the Lions, ’tis the season for mock-draft speculation.
For now, the Vikings have a Top 10 choice.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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