ESPN Has a Plan for Vikings to Crush the Draft
The Minnesota Vikings will reveal their draft strategy in eight days, scheduled to announce four draft picks over three days in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
ESPN Has a Plan for Vikings to Crush the Draft
Most onlookers expect general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to prioritize defense at the top of the event, mainly because the offense is in fine shape for the long term.
And according to ESPN, the Vikings should trade back from their 24th overall pick and nab a safety early.
Trade Down First, Says ESPN
ESPN’s Ben Solak offered recommendations for each NFL team to “crush the draft” this week, and for Minnesota, that involved a trade and a safety selection.
Solak explained, “I don’t think there’s a world in which the Vikings get an A without some substantial trading down. Minnesota has no second-, fourth- or seventh-round picks in this draft, and it is missing next year’s fourth and sixth as well. (Sam Darnold should return a nice compensatory selection, though.)”
“The good news about the lack of draft capital is the Vikings’ roster is really, really good, so they don’t have any immediate needs to fill.”
The trade suggestion is quite reasonable, and in fact, most fans expect Adofo-Mensah to do precisely that — trade back three to fifteen spots while stockpiling more picks in Rounds 2, 3, and 4. Adofo-Mensah offloaded most of his 2025 picks on a trade last April for Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner.
Now, according to ESPN and some fans, it’s time to reclaim those picks.
Get a Safety
Solak then dropped the safety recommendation: “A starting safety to replace Camryn Bynum would be nice, meaning Malaki Starks (Georgia) or Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina) could be the play at No. 24. But again, they have to get serious about trading down in Round 3 and 4 for future draft capital.”
“Whomever the Vikings take at safety, they must prioritize range — that’s what Bynum brought that Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus lacked. Should they pass in Round 1, Billy Bowman Jr. (Oklahoma) has some similarities to Bynum for his playmaking ability and small build, and could make a good Round 3 target.”
Conveniently, at least to align with Solak’s theory, either Starks of Georgia or Emmanwori of South Carolina should be available to Minnesota on Thursday, April 24th.
With any luck, if Minnesota agrees with the safety roster need, Adofo-Mensah can do both — trade back for a few extra throws at the dartboard and select Starks or Emmanwori.
Some teams don’t classify the safety position as a premium need, often shoving such players to the bottom of Round 1, which could be the case for Starks or Emmanwori.
Don’t Forget about Cornerback
Solak also mentioned cornerback as a spot to target. Reiterating the broad need for a safety, he wrote: “I’d be more worried about the vacant snaps at cornerback left by Stephon Gilmore (908) and Shaquill Griffin (597) if not for the fact that both remain unsigned. If the Vikings leave this draft with meager cornerback reinforcements, expect one or both to be re-signed.”
“With later picks, I’d expect a traitsy corner to challenge for the CB2 job (maybe Oklahoma State’s Korie Black) and defensive tackle depth to provide contract flexibility for Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen’s deals. Trade down. Accumulate future capital. Get a safety.”
Tunneling toward the draft — it’s about a week away — many prominent draft pundits have settled on a defensive back in Round 1 for Minnesota, a sentiment now uplifted by ESPN.
Other Long-Term Roster Needs
The ESPN publication totally glossed over Minnesota’s need for one more interior offensive lineman. Adofo-Mensah signed center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries in free agency last month, but folks have wondered if incumbent left guard Blake Brandel will do the trick in the 2025 lineup.
Should the Vikings fundamentally disagree with Solak’s urgings, they could draft a guard like North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel, Alabama’s Tyler Booker, or Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson.
Meanwhile, defensive tackle could be perceived as a long-term roster need. Adofo-Mensah added Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave from free agency, but both are over 30. A young DT like Derrick Harmon (Oregon), Walter Nolen (Mississippi), or Kenneth Grant (Michigan) could activate Minnesota’s Round 1 radar.
What If Vikings Don’t Agree?
Finally, if one supposes that Minnesota disregards all popular mock draft jargon, the franchise could invest in another offensive playmaker to start the J.J. McCarthy era in style.
Running backs like Omarion Hampton (North Carolina) and TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State) might make sense, along with wide receivers Luther Burden III (Missouri) and Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State).
McCarthy’s tight end teammate at Michigan, Colston Loveland, too, could fall to pick No. 24.
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