The Vikings Ideal Top 2 Picks
Adam New
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Everyone has an opinion on what the Minnesota Vikings should do in this year’s draft.
The popular choices are cornerback, wide receiver, and quarterback, with the occasional defensive lineman thrown in. Chad Reuter, a draft analyst at NFL.com, was tasked with making the ideal top two picks for every team. Unsurprisingly, the Vikings ideal top 2 picks were a quarterback and a cornerback.
The Vikings Ideal Top 2 picks
Reuter has the Vikings looking for an immediate answer for life after Kirk Cousins quandary. That leaves Minnesota waiting until the 87th pick for their second player. Therein lies the issue with the Vikings taking a QB in the first round this year, with so much else on the roster that needs addressing. However, if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell think they can get “their guy,” then make a move.
Here is what Reuter had to say;
Round 1: No. 23 overall — Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Round 3: No. 87 overall — Kei’Trel Clark, CB, Louisville
Kirk Cousins is a free agent after this season, so the Vikings might decide to move up for the strong-armed, strong-willed Levis, then give him a year to hone his craft and learn from a veteran. The team sent its second-round pick to Detroit for tight end T.J. Hockenson, but finding a talented, feisty slot corner in Clark in Round 3 would be ideal
Chad Reuter | NFL.com
QB in the 1st
It’s Will Levis at quarterback. Is trading up for Levis the ideal pick for the Vikings? The first question is how far and at what price? I’m unsure if it’s the right time or if Levis is the right guy for the Vikings to trade the house for. However, if Levis slides down the board and the Vikings can get him just moving up a few spots for miniature cost. Then, he is potentially worth the gamble.
Every draft pick is a gamble; even the most highly-rated players don’t come with a guarantee. Opinions on Levis vary, and like all rookie quarterbacks, where he lands will be vitally important.
As I wrote in my QB prospects article, I believe Minnesota would be an excellent landing spot for Levis. He won’t have the pressure of being an immediate starter and can learn behind Kirk Cousins for a year under a QB-friendly head coach. Levis can do everything O’Connell wants from his quarterback, and I’m sure there is interest from the Vikings. It’s a question of the price.
CB in the 3rd
In the third round, it’s slot corner Kei’Trel Clark with the 87th overall pick. I wrote of Clark in my slot CB prospects article believing he would be an excellent pickup in the fourth round. There are better Day 2 options, but they might only come into play if the Vikings trade back from 23 and bolster the Day 2 draft picks.
Clark would be a good addition to the Vikings roster, but I’m not sure about ideal with the 87th pick. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Vikings do make a trade, and the second pick comes earlier than that. That will bring some better players into play. If the Vikings are looking at slot cornerback, a player like DJ Turner could be available in the second round — alternatively, a wide receiver like Josh Downs or Cedric Tillman.
My Ideal Top 2 picks
When I’m thinking about the ideal top two picks for the Vikings, I’m just not thinking of quarterback. The Vikings main focus should be defense, with almost every position needing improvement. On offense, a WR2 and the interior offensive line are the areas to look at.
The perfect scenario for me would be either WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba or CB Joey Porter falling into the Vikings grasp at 23. That might be wishful thinking, but you can never be sure what will happen on draft day. Brian Branch is another player I really like as a versatile slot cornerback.
The ideal scenario for the second pick is the Vikings get into the second round, where I’d like one of the defensive linemen like Mazi Smith, Siaki Ika, or Keanu Benton. If the Vikings second selection is to be the 87th overall pick, then the choice becomes difficult to narrow. If a CB or WR is taken in the first, you can go for the other position in the third. However, I believe it’s a good range to find an interior offensive lineman like Emil Ekiyor and Juice Scruggs.
There are many different ways the Vikings could attack this draft that all make sense. It is difficult to predict what they will do — the good news is it’s now less than two weeks until we find out.
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