The 5 Most Likely Players to Be Drafted by Vikings
Dustin Baker
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The 2023 NFL Draft is 26 days away, and the Minnesota Vikings will choose 23rd on that Thursday evening.
A few weeks of free agency remain before the event, so more players could join the roster before the draft.
The 5 Most Likely Players to Be Drafted by Vikings
Still, based on the Vikings draft position, adherence to the best player available philosophy, and team needs, these are the five most likely players to be picked by Minnesota if it does not trade out of the No. 23 pick. They’re ranked in ascending order (No. 5 = least likely).
5. Quentin Johnston (WR, TCU)
This gentleman was all the WR craze — before the NFL Combine kicked off. Then, the draft community decided he was a wee bit smaller than expected, and his draft stock fell accordingly.
It’s weird.
But it might just be glorious for the Vikings, who should be WR2 shopping after Adam Thielen’s adventure to the Carolina Panthers.
Johnston is a big, fast, and dynamic wide receiver and, if drafted by Minnesota, could line up as a WR2 early as Week 1. And the Vikings would have JJ, T.J., K.J., and QJ as the main offensive playmakers.
4. Jordan Addison (WR, USC)
Somebody will probably take Quentin Johnson before the Vikings 23rd pick, so Minnesota could pivot to a smaller-but-still-peppy-as-hell receiver in Jordan Addison.
He’s four inches shorter than Johnson, but who really cares in the modern NFL? Addison scored 17 touchdowns in a season at Pittsburgh in 2021, later transferring to USC for a grander stage.
Like Johnson, if the Vikings choose Addison on April 27th, he should be trusted as WR2 right away.
3. Cam Smith (CB, South Carolina)
Sure, the Vikings need a wide receiver, but they need a cornerback back more imminently.
For now, Minnesota employs Byron Murphy, Andrew Booth, and Akayleb Evans as [possibly] startable corners, meaning at least one to three more CBs are needed before summer. Cam Smith was the Vikings mock-draft darling until Brian Flores was hired as defensive coordinator, and then the guy two names down this list took over.
Still, there is a reasonable chance Smith becomes a Viking because, well, the team needs starting-caliber corners. He’s known for physicality and toughness.
2. Emmanuel Forbes (CB, Mississippi State)
Forbes edges Smith only because of this: the Vikings could trade down on April 27th, and he may be available early in Round 2, enhancing his chances of joining the Vikings in a couple of different ways.
He’s slender as hell — he makes Cameron Dantzler look chunky — weighing 166 pounds on a 6’1″ frame. But his versatility and intelligence are considered extraordinary.
Forbes is a true outside cornerback. The Vikings need those.
1. Deonte Banks (CB, Maryland)
The pick with Brian Flores written all over him, Banks is arguably the most physical corner in the draft, and Minnesota will need that skillset in Flores’ scheme.
His draft stock fits beautifully with the Vikings 23rd pick, he should be the best player available at the Vikings spot, and has 4.35 speed.
Banks is 23 and also the most mock-drafted player to the Vikings during this cycle. He should be classified as the tentative frontrunner to end up in Minnesota.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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