Keep an Eye on This Savvy Draft Analyst for 2023 Vikings Dealings
Dustin Baker
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The 2023 NFL Draft is 80 days away, and the Minnesota Vikings will enter the event slated to choose four times — with a fifth selection likely on the way after the NFL releases compensatory pick information.
For now, Minnesota has a 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th-Rounder to play with during general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s second draft. Last year, the young executive traded like a fiend — starting with the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, if that can be believed — and landing five defensive players with his first six picks.
Keep an Eye on This Savvy Draft Analyst for 2023 Vikings Dealings
And when the draft lead-up process gets hot and heavy, be sure to monitor the thoughts and opinions of NFL.com’s Chad Reuter.
Why? Well, the man was the only NFL draft pundit to accurately predict the Vikings first two draft selections last April. He didn’t predict the correct order — but who cares?
Indeed, Reuter authored one mock draft — which is probably all we need from each person despite thousands circulating the internet from January through April — and inside that publication, Reuter predicted the Vikings selecting Andrew Booth (CB) in the 1st Round, with Lewis Cine (S) on the menu in Round 2.
Reuter accurately forecasted about the Vikings and Booth, “Re-signing Patrick Peterson was a wise move, but the Vikings must still add youth to the secondary. Booth’s a physical player who has been unable to fully show off his athleticism during the pre-draft process due to nagging injuries. NFL offenses will see it soon enough, however.”
The Vikings ultimately traded with the Lions in Round 1 to land Cine and the Packers in Round 2 to grab Booth. But Reuter nailed the personnel, which is the important part. He forecasted a Vikings trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, not Detroit.
Reuter anticipated Minnesota drafting Cine in Round 2, and the franchise instead found the Georiga alumnus with the 32nd pick in the draft. James Cook to the Bills was also an accurate forecast by Reuter in his 2022 mock draft.
The prognostication was impressive as most Vikings fans believed the team would draft Kyle Hamilton from Notre Dame if he fell down the board to Minnesota. Hamilton did fall, but the Vikings traded out of the pick. Others surmised Derek Stingley would tumble to the Vikings. He did not and was snatched by the Houston Texans. Cornerback Trent McDuffie was also a popular purple theory.
Reuter’s 2023 mock draft should be released around the same time this year, in late April.
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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