All Mock Drafts Say One Man for Vikings
For months, NFL analysts and Minnesota Vikings fans have speculated how the team might draft in Round 1 this month, holding the 24th pick after a 14-3 season in 2024.
All Mock Drafts Say One Man for Vikings
Because general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took care of most major roster holes in free agency, he has the option to be flexible this Thursday night in Eagan’s war room.
And with the draft just two days away, national mock drafts all point to the same player: South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori.
Week-Of Mock Drafts Say Nick Emmanwori for Vikings
Until the last couple of weeks, the consensus varied on Minnesota’s plan with the 24th overall pick. Many, of course, predicted a safety, but the selection wasn’t as widespread as it is now.
Week-of mock drafts have not been shy about the Emmanwori forecast; it’s all over the place.
SI.com‘s latest mock picked Emmanwori for Minnesota, and Conor Orr explained, “I initially had Jahdae Barron from Texas in this spot but decided on Emmanwori. I keep going back to what I was told about Brian Flores’s defense this past year: The most important tenet is exploring the rules of the offense and forcing them into uncomfortable decisions that go against those rules.”
“While players like Emmanwori can sometimes get lost in a defense without imagination, Flores can turn him into an everything player who eventually takes the baton at safety from Harrison Smith.”
ESPN’s Jordan Reid agrees. He chose Emmanwori for Minnesota and noted, “At the combine, Emmanwori ran a 4.38 40 and leaped 43 inches in the vertical and 11 feet, 6 inches in the broad jump. Those were all records at safety dating back to at least 2003. But Emmanwori is more than a combine warrior. He picked off four passes last season, including two pick-sixes, and didn’t allow a touchdown in 392 coverage snaps.”
“He can play multiple safety spots, which fits well in a Brian Flores-led defense that emphasizes versatility and complex defensive structures. With the departure of Camryn Bynum this offseason and Harrison Smith turning 36, the Vikings need a younger player in the back end of the secondary.”
Chad Reuter of NFL.com? Emmanwori, too.
And those are just three examples of dozens.
Nick Emmanwori’s Bio
Emmanwori is a safety with perfect size: 6’3″ and 230 pounds. He’s a beast and physical freak, the type of player who fans will warm up to — even if they don’t necessarily want Minnesota to pick a safety in Round 1.
The 33rd Team‘s Kyle Crabbs on Emmanwori: “Emmanwori projects best as a traditional strong safety or a third safety for teams that covet the personnel flexibility to play big nickel. Emmanwori’s role as a base safety would be best unlocked in a safety role that rolls down into the box from split half shells and is more responsible for playing forward than working in a pedal.”
“Although he becomes a probable coverage tell unless you’re willing to let him live in some tight half responsibilities. Those opportunities are likely best supplemented with strong perimeter cornerback play to allow him to stay tight to the hash and potentially hunt routes to cut across the middle of the field. Emmanwori is a developmental starter.”
Emmanwori just turned 21 in February, so he has extreme youth on his side as a rookie.
Crabbs added: “Emmanwori is a hilariously supersized safety that, despite his stature, has a number of winning traits and can be a unique identity piece to a successful NFL defense. His ceiling will be predicated on how often he’s isolated in space and what teammates are around him to help keep him in optimal roles. As a tall safety, his transitions are limited by foot speed and hip tightness and that is an element of his game that is unlikely to change just based on his biomechanics as a mover.”
Local Vikings Media Disagrees
Oddly, there’s a sharp opinion difference between the local Vikings media’s draft predictions and the national perspective.
We polled a dozen of our writers at VikingsTerritory last weekend, and not a single person selected Emmanwori or any safeties for Minnesota.
In fact, local writers and podcasters predict a defensive tackle for the purple team, such as Derrick Harmon (defensive tackle) or Kenneth Grant (Michigan), or an offensive lineman, like North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel. Some say cornerbacks, too.
Most folks who follow the Vikings intently or borderline obsessively agree that Minnesota has the safety room pretty locked down with Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, and Jay Ward. National draft heads, though, recognize that Smith will soon retire and evidently don’t trust Jackson or Ward.
Fans Say Defensive Tackle
Moreover, we polled Vikings fans on X, the website and app formerly known as Twitter, last week, and while Emmanwori and Georgia safety Malaki Starks reached the final field of eight, defensive tackle checked in as the almighty prediction.
Here’s the polling from the final round:
Therefore, somebody will be rather wrong — national pundits with the Emmanwori theories or local media + fans who believe a defensive tackle or an interior offensive lineman is on the way.
But make no mistake, with the draft just 60 hours away, most high-profile mock drafts from a national perspective believe Emmanwori will be the selection, and if not him, Georgia safety Malaki Starks.
Draft Wildcards?
It’s totally unlikely, but Minnesota has the luxury to draft a running back like Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) or TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State) if it’s in the mood. A tight end like Colston Loveland from Michigan could stun onlookers. Even a wide receiver like Ohio State’s Emeka Egubuka could theoretically be in play.
The Vikings are not mandated to draft one certain position, as has been the case, at times, in recent drafts because of roster needs.
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