One Non-QB Keeps Popping Up in Vikings Mock Drafts
Dustin Baker
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In one week, the Minnesota Vikings will reveal their offseason draft plan at quarterback — if they do not, it will be quite the shock — and most believe the franchise will trade up for a passer.
One Non-QB Keeps Popping Up in Vikings Mock Drafts
Kirk Cousins left via free agency five weeks ago, and since, Minnesota has positioned itself via trade with the Houston Texans to trade up the board for a rookie quarterback. But after that would-be selection, one name keeps popping up in Vikings-themed mock drafts: defensive tackle DeWayne Carter.
The Duke alumnus is projected to fly off the board sometime around Round 4, conveniently when Minnesota is slated to pick for a second time in the draft. The purple team holds the 11th, 23rd, and 108th picks to begin the event, and Carter at No. 108 is evidently a natural fit.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler was the most recent for Carter-to-Minnesota in a full seven-round mock. Alec Lewis responded to the Vikings’ selection of Carter in Round 4, “The Vikings have drafted four late-round defensive tackles in the last five years: Jaquelin Roy, Esezi Otomewo, James Lynch and Armon Watts. While Roy may have some untapped upside, the others are/were mostly depth options at best. And while Carter has some likable traits — he was a three-time team captain and member of the NCAA’s Football Oversight Committee — he fits in that same developmental vein.”
If the 2024 regular season started today, a few players would vie for a starter’s job at Carter’s spot on the defensive line: Jonathan Bullard, Jerry Tillery, Jonah Williams, and the aforementioned Roy.
“This is the case for most fourth-round picks, but it would still leave a massive void in the spine of Brian Flores’ defense,” Lewis added.
At VikingsTerritory, Adam New has also uplifted Carter’s skillset: “DeWayne Carter is a versatile, smart, and consistent football player who projects as a rotational defender with the potential to develop into a starter. Carter has several pass-rush moves in his arsenal and is solid against the run. Carter is an intriguing prospect with a wide, stout, and well-leveraged frame with superb mass and proportional length. He might not make it to the fourth round, but if he does, he’s a player worth trading up a few places for.”
Carter is 6’2″ and 300 pounds. He’s a phenomenal run stuffer but needs refinement with pursuing quarterbacks — which is basically the Vikings’ modus operandi when drafting defensive tackles.
Because of the value, roster need, and fit, Carter as Minnesota’s first Day 3 pick truly adds up — especially after the purple team failed to sign a big-name DT from free agency like Christian Wilkins, Arik Armstead, Leonard Williams, or D.J. Reader, for example.
If Minnesota does not draft a defensive tackle next week, veteran Calais Campbell is the last remaining high-profile DT on the market.
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,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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