Two Vikings Draft Prospects Show Out at Combine
There are plenty of different avenues the Minnesota Vikings could pursue when choosing what to do with their 18th overall pick. The roster has significant depth holes, which could result in them simply choosing the best player available.
Combine Results Highlight Vikings’ Options for Pick No. 18
As things stand now, a pair of Oregon Ducks are expected to be available when they are officially on the clock, but both have raised their stock at the NFL Combine. Dillon Thieneman crushed multiple drills and then blazed a trail during the 40-yard dash.
It’s not just the safety that caused waves, though. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq has always been the most likely first-round pick from Oregon this cycle, and he matches up with Minnesota well.
T.J. Hockenson carries a cap number north of $21 million this season. Despite the salary cap surpassing $300 million for the first time, the Minnesota Vikings still have plenty of hurdles to work through. They need to move more than $40 million around, and the veteran tight end is a boat anchor.
Last season, the Vikings did their tight end no favors by placing poor quarterbacks under center on a near-weekly basis. However, he is nowhere near the top end of the league and is a prime candidate to be restructured, traded, or outright cut. If and when that happens, Kenyon Sadiq becomes a shiny new toy for Kevin O’Connell.
The Oregon Ducks tight end turned 51 receptions into 560 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He was easily the most dynamic tight end in the nation and showed off athleticism, along with an ability to contribute in blocking schemes.
Showing out at the combine was never going to be surprising given how much of a physical freak he is, but he may have taken things up a notch. Not only did he post a blazing 40-yard dash time, but he leapt off the earth for his vertical jump, too.
Minnesota needs to figure something out at tight end if they decide to move off of Hockenson. Josh Oliver is under contract, but little certainty remains beyond that. Sadiq would add another playmaking option to Kevin O’Connell’s offense, and he would pair well with Oliver in the same vein that Hockenson has.
Most mock drafts have Sadiq lasting beyond the Vikings’ first-round pick, but that may no longer be the case after his showing in Indianapolis. Still, he may be a talent that Minnesota can’t afford not to prioritize, and he could wind up being the next significant difference maker at the position across the entire league.
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