Vikings Mock Drafts All Starting to Say One Thing
The Minnesota Vikings will reveal their 1st-Round draft pick in nine days, scheduled to choose 24th on April 24th in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Vikings Mock Drafts All Starting to Say One Thing
The club could also trade back to obtain more picks, a common strategy predicted and endorsed by fans.
But with the draft so close that folks can taste it, many mock drafts are starting to point toward one specific position for the franchise’s first pick — safety.
Tide Turns Toward Safety for Vikings
CBS Sports identified seven teams with the most urgent roster needs this week, and the Vikings, evidently needing a safety, were included. For example, that website claimed the Denver Broncos need a running back and the Houston Texans must find a guard.
For Minnesota, Josh Edwards wrote about safety: “When Camryn Bynum was signed by the Colts in free agency, it essentially left Minnesota with 2012 first-round pick Harrison Smith. The 36-year-old is not going to play forever, so there is some urgency to get players in those roles now and for the future.”
“The Vikings have commonly been associated with South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori and Georgia’s Malaki Starks, but they could wait until Day 2 to address the position if they have a higher level of confidence in Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson or Jay Ward moving forward.”
And that’s the common lay of the land in mid-April — either Starks or Emmanwori to the purple team.
Mock Example No. 1
That was the high-level recommendation from a credible outfit. There’s also mock draft evidence. The 33rd Team‘s Marcus Mosher mocked-drafted Georgia’s Malaki Starks last week and noted: “The Vikings could go in a number of directions, but Malaki Starks is just one of the cleanest prospects in the class. He can play both safety spots and come down and play in the slot if needed.”
“Brian Flores likes smart defensive backs, but Starks couldn’t be a better fit. Flores would have so much fun deploying him all over the field, and if he makes it this far, expect him to be the pick.”
Minnesota chose a Georgia safety three years ago named Lewis Cine, an experiment that flatly flopped. That failed endeavor might explain why Vikings fans haven’t wholly embraced a safety in Round 1. Scar tissue.
Mock Example No. 2
The 33rd Team apparently really enjoys the safety connection to Minnesota through mock drafts.
Kyle Crabbs from that site picked the Starks alternative, South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori, for the Vikings and wrote: “The Vikings adding an explosive secondary weapon like Emmanwori to their depth chart has to be an exciting proposition. Minnesota needs a long-term staple at the position amid Harrison Smith’s twilight years and Emmanwori feels like the perfect fit with the Vikings’ scheme.”
“He’s a dangerous, explosive athlete who can attack from depth or pressure from the line of scrimmage, making him a multi-tool weapon for Minnesota.”
For Minnesota and Round 1 safeties, it’s a two-horse race between Starks and Emmanwori.
Short-Term Future at Safety
Minnesota, indeed, watched as the aforementioned Bynum departed in free agency, becoming an Indianapolis Colt for $60 million over four years. In return, the Vikings re-signed reserve safety Theo Jackson, and most believe he’ll start in 2025.
Two more starting safeties headline the back end of Brian Flores’ secondary: Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus.
Per 2025 outlook, Minnesota doesn’t have an urgent safety need, also showcasing 2023 4th-Rounder Jay Ward as depth.
Long-Term Future at Safety
Beyond 2025, though, is a different story.
Harrison Smith will probably retire after 2025, and nobody is absolutely positive that Jackson will sustain as a long-term starter. Metellus is a bankable commodity, and if he’s extended by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the safety room should boast one ironclad asset after 2025.
Still, peering at the future, drafting Starks or Emmanwori isn’t too silly — unless Jackson and Ward are secret ballers.
It’s also worth noting that finding productive veteran safeties from free agency of any given offseason isn’t too difficult. That’s why many don’t classify safety as a premium position.
Round 1 vs. Later
If you’re new to the mock draft process in 2025, these are the Round 1 safety options:
- Malaki Starks (Georgia)
- Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina)
And the Rounds 2-4 guys:
- Xavier Watts (Notre Dame)
- Andrew Mukuba (Texas)
- Kevin Winston Jr. (Penn State)
- Billy Bowman (Oklahoma State)
- Lathan Ransom (Ohio State)
- Jonas Sanker (Virginia)
- Malachi Moore (Alabama)
The reviews would be mixed from fans if the Vikings drafted Starks or Emmanwori, although most would eventually warm up to the selection.
You must be logged in to post a comment.