Vikings Meet with Fast-Rising Defender at Combine
Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods will probably fly off the draftboard in Round 1, but don’t forget about his DT teammate, DeMonte Capehart. The “other” Clemson defensive lineman won’t be drafted in Round 1, but he advanced his stock at the NFL Combine last week, and wouldn’t you know it? The Vikings met with him.
Capehart’s size-athleticism profile fits a rotational interior role, especially if Minnesota reshapes its DT room this spring.
For your mock draft simulators, especially in later rounds, Capehart is a name to circle.
Capehart’s Combine Jump May Matter For Minnesota
Javon Hargrave could be out, and a man like Capehart could be in.
Vikings Meet with Capehart
The NFL’s “underwear Olympics” got underway last week, with eligible rookies strutting their stuff for general managers and coaches. Evidently, the Vikings have their eye on Capehart.
Blitz Sports Media‘s Ryan Linkletter tweeted, “Clemson DT Demonte Capehart has met with these teams formally: Falcons, Jets, and Vikings.”
Until the Linkletter tweet, anything pertaining to Clemson defensive tackles, particularly for the Vikings, applied to the aforementioned Woods, who is also a theoretical Round 1 target for Minnesota. But if Woods gets picked before No. 18 or the Vikings opt for a different player, Capehart would be a decent consolation prize.
Pro Football Focus‘s Trevor Sikkema also called Capehart a Combine “winner,” noting:
Sometimes we get “winners” wrong at the Combine (overthinking testing numbers we should’ve expected), but Clemson DT Demonte Capehart might have been the biggest “winner” from DL
HT: 6-5 (88th percentile)
WT: 313 (71st percentile)
Arm: 33 7/8 (73rd percentile)
Hand: 10.25 (73rd percentile)
40: 4.85 (93rd percentile)
10-yard: 1.72 (72nd percentile)
Broad: 8’11” (60th percentile)
Vert: 33.5 (92nd percentile)That’s one big athlete.
Current Draft Positioning
While Capehart notched a memorable Combine, he’s still listed at No. 162 on the Consensus Big Board as of March 3rd. Translation? The Vikings or any other team can target him in Round 5 or slightly sooner if general managers and coaches take note of his Combine performance.
Last year, Minnesota found Georgia defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins in Round 5, so there’s a small chance that the club doubles up on late-round interior defensive linemen if it’s in the mood.
Here’s a list of Minnesota’s draft cabinet about seven weeks out:
- 1st-Round Pick
- 2nd-Round Pick
- 3rd-Round Pick
- 3rd-Round Compensatory Pick (probable)
- 5th-Round Pick
- 6th-Round Pick
- 7th-Round Pick
- 7th-Round Pick
- 7th-Round Pick
The Draft Stock in Early March
Of course, it’s still early in the draft cycle; the Combine just ended. Capeheart has time to climb draftboards, and with any luck, he could be a 3rd- or 4th-Rounder by late April. No one would be too shocked by it.
Thankfully, unlike last year, when the Vikings had so few picks because of the trades needed to land J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner in 2024, Minnesota has mid-round picks, sans a 4th-Rounder it clumsily shipped to Carolina for Adam Thielen last summer.
If the front office and coaching staff like Capehart after the February meeting, they’ll have two 3rd-Round picks to explore his draft candidacy if Capehart rises in the pecking order in the next two months.
Capehart’s Scouting Report
Capehart is 6’5″ and 315 pounds, textbook size for a three-technique defensive tackle. He spent six seasons at Clemson, playing 57 games while notching 72 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. He’ll turn 24 this summer, which might explain the 5th-Round draft stock. General managers often fall in love with 21- and 22-year-olds leading up to the draft.
NFL Draft Buzz‘s Felix Green on Capehart: “Capehart’s tape shows flashes of dominance that scream high level potential, but consistency issues and limited playing time muddy the waters. His raw power and athleticism jump off the screen, but the lack of refined technique raises red flags about his immediate impact at the next level.”
“Best suited for a 4-3 under tackle or 3-4 defensive end role where he can use his explosive first step and raw power to penetrate and disrupt. Capehart’s ability to two-gap and eat space will appeal to teams looking for a versatile chess piece along the defensive front.”
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores adores player versatility; Capehart has it.
TBD continued, “However, his current skillset likely limits him to early-down work as he develops a more diverse pass-rush repertoire. The team that drafts Capehart will be betting on his elite physical tools and banking on coaching to unlock his full potential.”
“With proper development, he could become a game-wrecking force in the trenches. However, his draft stock is likely to be tempered by the rawness of his game and the projection required to see him as an impact player at the next level.”
The 2026 NFL Draft is 51 days away.
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