What Position Should Vikings Draft in Round 1?

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Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

It’s draft season, and speculation surrounds what each team will do with their first draft pick. This year, the Minnesota Vikings are the 23rd team to draft in the first round — assuming they don’t move position via trade.

What position should the Vikings draft in Round 1? That’s the humongous question.

What Position Should Vikings Draft in Round 1?

Position Should Vikings
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

Before we even get to the draft, free agency opens on March 15 with the start of the new season. The Vikings approach to free agency will certainly shape what they do in the draft. Any number of players could be re-signed, cut, traded, or new faces brought in. 

The two positions gathering the most steam and appearing in Vikings mock drafts for Round 1 — cornerback and wide receiver. They’re two premium positions where the Vikings are short and will require big contracts to fill with a quality starting veteran — something essential to factor into a first-round selection.

Shaky History Drafting Cornerbacks

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Minnesota seems to be continuously drafting first-round corners. Four since 2013 is more than any other position. They also drafted a defensive back as Kevin O’Connell’s first draft pick as head coach, safety Lewis Cine. The results have been disappointing, with only Xavier Rhodes ever playing at an elite level before a sharp decline after the 2017 season.

Trae Waynes was a solid cornerback whose career has been completely derailed by injuries. Injuries marred Mike Hughes’ time in Minnesota from the start, plus the unfortunate case of Jeff Gladney, whose career never went past his rookie season, all amounts to a team struggling in the secondary.

A horrible injury to Cine and injury problems for second-round rookie Andrew Booth continued the problems for rookie defensive backs. With Patrick Peterson and Duke Shelley, who finished the season as the second starting corner, both free agents, the Vikings not only lack proven starting quality at cornerback, but there’s also a lack of depth. So, there’s no surprise that cornerback is at the top of the thought process for most people when thinking about the Vikings draft.

CB in Round 1 for the New DC?

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores chatting with Tatum Everett on February 15th, 2023. The Vikings hired Flores from the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was a linebackers coach for one season.

New defensive coordinator Brian Flores will cast his eye over the CBs currently on the roster and will have to decide if they fit his plans. Booth, Cameron Dantzler, and Akayleb Evans have potential, but all three have a history of injuries.

Flores has already name-dropped Booth, who has the skillset Flores desires, and could see him as a starting CB. Booth was seen as a player with first-round potential going into last year’s draft. An injury history in college saw him fall to the Vikings in Round 2, and injuries reared their ugly head again in his rookie season.

Do the Vikings trust Booth’s health enough to pencil him in as a starter?

The Vikings must bring in a veteran starter. Peterson is an option, but he will be 33 when the season starts. He’s not a long-term solution. Spending bigger on a more permanent alternative seems wisest. There are several free-agent options, including Cameron Sutton, who played under Flores last year in Pittsburgh, and Jamel Dean, who has spent four years in Tampa Bay.

If the Vikings trust Booth, sign a starting caliber free agent, and have Evans and Dantzler for depth, the need for a corner in Round 1 is reduced. They are likely to draft a corner at some point, but there is room to be flexible and not get pigeonholed into having to draft a certain position — a spot a team doesn’t want to find itself in.

Wide Receiver

Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports.

The wide receiver market has boomed, and Minnesota will likely make Justin Jefferson the highest-paid of all time soon. With Adam Thielen declining, everyone is looking at the Vikings to do something at WR2 to take the pressure off Jefferson. The Vikings star constantly finds himself double and triple-teamed in coverage. The Vikings didn’t take enough advantage of that in 2022, which is why putting another potential star opposite Jefferson is a hot topic.

K.J. Osborn is the next man up and has shown potential as the Vikings WR3. However, I’ve seen nothing suggesting he is more than a very good WR3.

Then there’s Jalen Nailor, who showed he was a viable deep threat in glimpses during his rookie season, but that’s all we’ve seen — glimpses.

T.J. Hockenson has already become the defacto second receiving option, opening the game up for Jefferson. He’d also benefit from another star receiver on the outside.

With the booming receiver market, going out and signing another star wide receiver to a big contract isn’t feasible for the Vikings. There are a couple of cheaper options whose names have come up — D.J. Chark and Allen Lazard. A healthy Chark would be a smart signing, but he’s missed a lot of football over the last three seasons, which would be a concern.

The solution then is to draft a rookie and hope to find another superstar on a cheap rookie deal for four years. If one of this years best is on the board at 23 — Jordan Addison, Quentin Johnston, Jaxson Smith-Njigba — then the Vikings should pounce. If those three are off the board, then trading back and picking one from the next group might be the plan.

Quarterback

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Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

Sooner or later, the Vikings need to find Kirk Cousins’ successor. Should they look to draft “the guy” this year? I’m on the fence. I don’t hate the idea, but a lot about the roster needs fixing first. In my opinion, a team is best served by creating a strong roster for a rookie QB to enter, rather than drafting the QB and then trying to fix the roster. 

Can Kwesi Adofo-Mensah work enough magic in free agency to fill the holes before the draft? Maybe. After all, this is a team that just won 13 games. If the Vikings decide to draft a quarterback, they should decide who they want, be aggressive, and get their guy. It’s not a move to tip-toe around.

Defensive Line/Linebacker

Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee (11) warms up before the game with Wake Forest at Truist Field in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Saturday, September 24, 2022. © Ken Ruinard / USA TODAY NETWORK.

Another critical piece missing from the Vikings roster is a destructive interior pass rusher. Players like Bryan Bresee, Lukas Van Ness, Calijah Kancey, and Keion White could be options.

The Vikings may even look at outside linebackers, depending on the future of Za’Darius Smith — or inside linebacker, hinging on the futures of Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks.

Two other positions possibly high on the agenda are center and guard, as I believe the Vikings interior offensive line is in need of a revamp. However, I would address those positions on Day 2/3 of the draft.

Things will become clearer as free agency starts, players leave Minnesota, and new faces come in. The more the Vikings can solve in free agency, the better. When draft day comes around Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell want to be in a position where they don’t have to worry too much about positions and have all options open.


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