Nate Powalie’s Vikings Mock Draft 2.0
Introducing Nate Powalie’s Exciting Vikings Mock Draft 2.0. The second edition comes as the NFL draft is less than a month away.
After what ClutchPoints has considered a successful run through the first wave of free agency, their perspective is still leaning towards the offensive side of the ball.
Now, my first mock draft is on the site here. But that was a couple of months ago. That was then. This is now. Here is Mock Draft 2.0.
Table of Contents
Nate Powalie’s Vikings Mock Draft 2.0
Round 1, Pick 18: Peter Woods, Defensive Tackle, Clemson
After letting go of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave earlier in the offseason, there is a major question mark in the interior of the Vikings’ defensive line. A guy who can be a plug-and-play nose tackle from day 1 is Peter Woods from Clemson. He’s a very agile guy for his position, despite what his 6-foot-3, 315-pound frame might say. He’s drawn comparisons to Buffalo Bills d-tackle Ed Oliver, and he can explode off the line and wreak havoc against both the run and the pass.
Round 2, Pick 49: D’Angelo Ponds, Cornerback, Indiana
Staying on the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings, with their second-round choice of Mock Draft 2.0, help bolster their secondary by going with Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. Now, Ponds is a bit small for his position, at only 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in ball skills, agility, and play awareness. In his redshirt senior season, Ponds tallied 60 tackles, a forced fumble, a pair of interceptions, and ten pass defenses.
One notable statistic from the combine was that Ponds posted a 43.5-inch vertical jump, which graded in the 99th percentile at his position. That’s incredible.
Round 3, Pick 82: Keylan Rutledge, Interior Offensive Lineman, Georgia Tech
From the interior of one side of the ball in Mock Draft 2.0, covered in round, the focus flips to the interior of the offensive line in round 3 with big Keylan Rutledge, a 6-foot-4, 330-pound bully from Georgia Tech. He is one of the most physically offensive guard prospects available in this year’s draft, and if the Vikings take him here (like I do here in Mock Draft 2.0), whoever is the quarterback will be having a majority security blanket.
Round 3, Pick 97 (Compensation Pick): Brian Parker II, Center, Duke
Staying on the interior O-line, the compensatory pick in round 3 of Mock Draft 2.0 gets used on Brian Parker II from Duke University. He has the versatility to play any position, truly, on the offensive line, with the awareness and power that wows in the center position. One notable area he can improve is his footwork.
Round 5, Pick 163: Michael Taaffe, Safety, Texas
Probably the biggest need on the list in Mock Draft 2.0 is at safety, given the uncertainty surrounding the Harrison Smith situation. For his position, his play awareness and tackling ability are among the top safety prospects available in this year’s draft. It’s a shock that he would fall as far as the middle of the fifth round, and he could turn into an immediate stud if the Vikings choose him.
Round 6, Pick 196: Adam Randall, Running Back, Clemson
And now a running back comes to Minnesota in Mock Draft 2.0. Adam Randall from Clemson is a very interesting mid-day 3 discovery.
After switching to running back in 2025, and at 6-2, 230 pounds, he’s a sturdy dual-threat RB who catches the ball well (he was a wide receiver before switching to running back) and can hold his own when in space. His ball carrier vision is a question mark, but with time, he can develop into a sneaky good running back.
Round 7, Pick 234: Romello Brinson, Wide Receiver, Southern Methodist University
Now for the first of back-to-back picks, in Mock Draft 2.0, an interesting prospect in wide receiver Romello Brinson from SMU. At 6-2, 190 pounds, he may be lean, but he performs surprisingly well in blocking assignments at his position. He also has very good instincts, and in a way, can be like a Swiss Army knife of a wide receiver who can do multiple things well all at once.
Round 7, Pick 235: Luke Altmyer, Quarterback, Illinois
Yes, I know the quarterback room already has quite a few names in it at the time of writing this Mock Draft 2.0. But a project with intrigue in the seventh round could be Illinois signal-caller Luke Altmyer.
In his senior year at Illinois, Altmyer completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,007 yards and 22 touchdowns against five interceptions, while rushing for 242 yards and five scores on the ground. While he’s not known for his legs as a quarterback, he knows how to manage the pocket and shows high-level toughness for his position.
Round 7, Pick 244: Collin Wright, Cornerback, Stanford
Well, surprise, surprise. A guy who was mentioned in the first edition of a mock draft is featured in Mock Draft 2.0. Collin Wright, a cornerback from Stanford, has among the best reaction speed, route recognition, and situational awareness for prospects in the defensive secondary in this year’s draft. He also has a high grade in his agility and technique, and he can accelerate well to read opposing route trees.
And thus ends Mock Draft 2.0. The defensive needs were well addressed, and the offense could see a young core coming into bloom. Hopefully, this will be the direction for the Vikings. But we’re still a month out, so anyone’s guess is as good as mine at this point.
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