The Official Draft Prediction for Vikings | VT Writers’ Edition
The Minnesota Vikings embark on general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s second draft on Thursday, equipped with five picks — from the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th rounds.
Last year, Adofo-Mensah pulled off a plethora of trades during the event, leaving fans’ heads spinning, as the franchise traded more than any team in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Official Draft Prediction for Vikings | VT Writers’ Edition
And while Adofo-Mensah might be up to the same tricks — trading all over the place — VikingsTerritory’s writers were asked to rank the Top-20 Round 1 prospects in order of landing with the Vikings via the team’s first pick of the draft. Seven contributors opined, and one man fetched the most collective predictive juice — WR Quentin Johnston of TCU.
Interestingly, not a single VikingsTerritory writer pegged Johnston at the top of their predictive list, but he did not fall out of anybody’s Top 7. So, you know, math.
Accordingly, he earns the 2023 title of rookie most likely to be drafted by Minnesota.
Before the NFL Combine in February, some theorized Johnston as a Top 15-ish talent because of his size and skillset. But he measured at 6 feet and 2 inches in Indianapolis, which is certainly not bad, but not the 6’4″ that was evidently falsely advertised in January. Accordingly, as Johnston isn’t quite as large as expected, the TCU product has slipped down draftboards a smidgen.
Johnston fired up a terrific junior season at TCU, registering 60 receptions for 1,069 yards and 6 touchdowns. All told in three years at the school, he tabulated a marvelous 19.0 yards per reception — just what the doctor ordered in an offense looking for solutions opposite Justin Jefferson.
The TCU alumnus is known for size and speed, while a couple of weaknesses include an inability, at times, to defeat press coverage, along with some contested-catch concerns.
Minnesota arguably needs a WR2 to replace Adam Thielen, who left after 10 years of service in March. Head coach Kevin O’Connell could also promote K.J. Osborn or Jalen Nailor to WR2. Adofo-Mensah has not signed a D.J. Chark, Allen Lazard, Odell Beckham, or WR2-type in free agency, so it’s either Osborn, a rookie like Johnston, or bust this autumn.
These are our writers’ predictive draftboards regarding the Vikings first pick. Remember — these are not the prospects our writers like for Minnesota’s roster but who they predict will be drafted by the club.
- Mazi Smith
- Hendon Hooker
- Deonte Banks
- Quentin Johnston
- Kelee Ringo
- Keion White
- Brian Branch
- Bryan Bresee
- Zay Flowers
- Calijah Kancey
- Joey Porter Jr.
- Jack Campbell
- Myles Murphy
- Emmanuel Forbes
- Trenton Simpson
- Jordan Addison
- Cam Smith
- Drew Sanders
- Will Levis
- Anthony Richardson
- Deonte Banks
- Emmanuel Forbes
- Brian Branch
- Jordan Addison
- Kelee Ringo
- Quentin Johnston
- Cam Smith
- Zay Flowers
- Drew Sanders
- Calijah Kancey
- Joey Porter Jr.
- Bryan Bresee
- Keion White
- Trenton Simpson
- Myles Murphy
- Hendon Hooker
- Mazi Smith
- Will Levis
- Jack Campbell
- Anthony Richardson
- Mazi Smith
- Bryan Bresee
- Quentin Johnston
- Kelee Ringo
- Trenton Simpson
- Cam Smith
- Emmanuel Forbes
- Drew Sanders
- Myles Murphy
- Jordan Addison
- Deonte Banks
- Joey Porter Jr.
- Zay Flowers
- Calijah Kancey
- Keion White
- Will Levis
- Brian Branch
- Hendon Hooker
- Anthony Richardson
- Jack Campbell
- Jordan Addison
- Brian Branch
- Bryan Bresee
- Deonte Banks
- Joey Porter Jr.
- Quentin Johnston
- Zay Flowers
- Hendon Hooker
- Will Levis
- Mazi Smith
- Keion White
- Cam Smith
- Myles Murphy
- Drew Sanders
- Calijah Kancey
- Kelee Ringo
- Anthony Richardson
- Jack Campbell
- Emmanuel Forbes
- Trenton Simpson
- Joey Porter Jr.
- Myles Murphy
- Deonte Banks
- Anthony Richardson
- Will Levis
- Calijah Kancey
- Quentin Johnston
- Brian Branch
- Jordan Addison
- Mazi Smith
- Drew Sanders
- Bryan Bresee
- Cam Smith
- Emmanuel Forbes
- Zay Flowers
- Trenton Simpson
- Jack Campbell
- Kelee Ringo
- Keion White
- Hendon Hooker
Dustin Baker
- Bryan Bresee
- Deonte Banks
- Brian Branch
- Jordan Addison
- Kelee Ringo
- Quentin Johnston
- Cam Smith
- Zay Flowers
- Mazi Smith
- Calijah Kancey
- Joey Porter Jr.
- Emmanuel Forbes
- Keion White
- Trenton Simpson
- Myles Murphy
- Hendon Hooker
- Drew Sanders
- Will Levis
- Jack Campbell
- Anthony Richardson
The 2023 NFL Draft starts at 7:00 pm CST on Thursday night in Kansas City.
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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