2 Latest Vikings Mock Drafts … Hint at the Same Player
The Minnesota Vikings need interior defensive line aid.
2 Latest Vikings Mock Drafts … Hint at the Same Player
Nobody disputes it, especially after the world watched the Philadelphia Eagles win a Super Bowl with outstanding defensive trenches from the interior and the edges.
And that’s probably why two new mock drafts have selected University of Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon for the Vikings. Harmon will be coveted in April and might just join the purple team.
NFL.com’s Charles Davis mock-drafted Harmon to Minnesota this week and explained, “The Vikings will have to stop some high-powered rushing attacks in the NFC North if they’re going to compete for the division title again. Harmon can help Minnesota control the line of scrimmage.”
If the Vikings don’t choose a defensive tackle in seven weeks, other primary roster needs include cornerback and interior offensive line, depending on the shape of free agency. Running back and safety could use a little love, too.
Fantasy Life‘s Thor Nystrom also connected Harmon to Minnesota in his latest, post-Combine mock draft. After a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs down the board to pick No. 31, Nystrom selected Harmon for the Vikings and wrote: “Following the trade-down with the Chiefs — which would increase Minnesota’s total pick allotment to six — Harmon is the best available player at the Vikings’ bucket of needs.”
“The 6-foot-4, 313-pound Harmon made the Round 1 leap in 2024. He comfortably led all FBS interior defensive linemen in hurries with 39. Harmon has very good length, and he’s a strong athlete at his size, posting a 4.95 forty with a 1.74 10-yard split at the NFL Combine.”
Before adding any free-agent newcomers, these are the Vikings’ defensive tackles under contract for next season:
- Harrison Phillips
- Jalen Redmond
- Levi Drake Rodriguez
- Taki Taimani
- Jonathan Harris
- Travis Bell
Harmon doesn’t have many weaknesses outwardly and is not a one-trick pony. He can rush the passer and stuff the run. Sometimes, when a player transfers from college to the pros, it’s “one or the other,” at least while acclimating to the NFL.
But not Harmon — he does both.
Harmon is also a player to monitor because he could be gettable for the Vikings with a trade down the draftboard, as mentioned by Nystrom. Many expect general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to do precisely that, hoping to accrue more draft picks after the ginormous trade that netted pass rusher Dallas Turner last April. Minnesota has only four picks heading into the event.
Harmon will be 23 during his rookie campaign.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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