The 4 Most Mock-Drafted Players to the Vikings
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings are scheduled to pick 23rd on April 27th in the 2023 NFL Draft, and the identity of their pick is a gigantic mystery.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could pretty much take any player who’s not a tight end, offensive tackle, kicker, or punter.
The 4 Most Mock-Drafted Players to the Vikings
But based on what the NFL draft community believes, these are the four most mock-drafted players to the Vikings as of March 31st, ranked in ascending order (No. 4 = least mocked).
4. Kelee Ringo (CB, Georgia)
Finishing ultra-close in this spot with Clemson’s Bryan Bresee (DT) and Alabama’s Brian Branch (S), Ringo is the fourth-most mock-drafted player to the Vikings as of late.
Ringo is a big corner, 6’2″ and 210 pounds. He also has 4.36 speed, which should tantalize inside a Brian Flores defense. The Vikings need a cornerback as of early April, so it checks out that Ringo is all the rage for some mock-draft heads.
The Georgia alumnus should be able to start as an outside cornerback sooner than later, and some draft pundits label his comp as a familiar name — Xavier Rhodes.
3. Jordan Addison (WR, USC)
Addison is probably the most realistic wide receiver to be available at the Vikings No. 23 pick, and Minnesota needs a WR if it doesn’t have K.J. Osborn penciled in for WR2 duty. That’s one of the great Vikings mysteries with less than four weeks to go before the draft — does head coach Kevin O’Connell have faith in Osborn as the unabashed WR2?
If he does not, the Vikings must draft a WR early in the draft, likely Addison, Quentin Johnston, Zay Flowers, Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the 1st Round, or a Jalin Hyatt-type in Rounds 2 or 3.
Addison was beset by some drops at USC and Pittsburgh, and he isn’t the most physical pass-catcher ever created. But he’d complement Justin Jefferson nicely.
2. Cam Smith (CB, South Carolina)
If this article published six weeks ago, Smith would rank No. 1.
When draft season began after the playoffs, South Carolina’s Smith was the fashionable pick for the Vikings by pretty much everybody. But then Minnesota hired a new defensive coordinator, and the guy below took the mantle.
Perhaps mock drafters had it right originally, and Smith will throw a purple helmet on this September. The Vikings desperately need cornerbacks, so a CB early is a very safe bet.
Smith is tough, and his pass coverage is phenomenal.
1. Deonte Banks (CB, Maryland)
Banks would already be a Viking if mock drafts decided the NFL draft. That’s how often draft brains have linked the Terrapin to Minnesota.
And it’s across the board. Before a quarterback in Round 1 became the darling sentiment for Minnesota in the last two weeks, Banks was almost a foregone conclusion to join the Vikings, per the mock-draft community.
His size and physicality fit like a glove with Brian Flores’ aggressive mantra. Minnesota needs a Week-1-ready CB. Banks checks all the boxes.
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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