If the Vikings trade down in the NFL Draft, Arkansas Razorback defensive end Landon Jackson could be … More
Draft plans for the Minnesota Vikings have to be coming into clear focus with just over a week before the start of the first round. The Vikings have met many of their needs through free agency, as they have added two solid interior offensive linemen in Will Fries and Ryan Kelly as well as defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
As a result, the Vikings are closer than they have ever been to being able to draft “the best available football player” than they have been in years.
This traditional NFL bromide is often spouted by league executives when expressing drafts goals and plans. Yet it rarely has any accuracy, because looking for the best player – definitely not the best athlete – when there are significant holes elsewhere is hurtful to nearly every team.
When there is a player like Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Barry Sanders or Aaron Donald available, it’s a different story. But who knew that any of these players would dominate before they were drafted – with the possible exception of the remarkable Sanders?
Nobody KNEW that Taylor would become the great and intimidating LT before the 1981 NFL draft. He looked like a very good player with a mean streak out of North Carolina. The late George Young was the Giants general manager at the time, and he said that he had a feeling about Taylor, but he did not know.
The same holds for Donald, who looked a college stud out of Pittsburgh in 2014, but not an all-time great. A full 12 teams passed on him before the Rams decided to bring him into the fold.
Vikings must find a suitable backup for McCarthy
A reunion with Kirk Cousins might be a possibility for the Vikings. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty … More
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah knows his team still has needs, but using a first-round pick to fill one of them does not appear to be a good idea. The biggest need is at backup quarterback, and that position has to be filled by a veteran. At this point, the two biggest candidates are former Viking and current Falcon Kirk Cousins and diva supreme Aaron Rodgers.
Both of those moves could result in big problems, but not having an adequate backup for untested J.J. McCarthy could result in disaster. The Vikings are playing the waiting game but going more than a week past the draft may be too late to make the best move.
Currently, the Vikings have just four picks in the draft. They are in the first (No. 24), third, fifth and sixth rounds.
One strategy that might suit the team is trading the No. 24 pick for a second- and third- or fourth-round selections. At No. 24, the Vikings might not find an elite player, so getting a high second-round pick and a third or fourth-rounder might help the team more than picking the 24th-best player in the draft.
The biggest needs are at edge rusher, defensive back and wide receiver at this point. Finding an edge rusher in the second round might be the most productive move. Defensive ends like Mykel Williams of Georgia, James Pearce of Tennessee and Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M are all likely to have been selected prior to the No. 24 pick.
However, players like Landon Jackson of Arkansas, JT Tuimoloau of Ohio State and Jordan Burch of Oregon could all be available in the second round. By trading down, the Vikings could select one of these potential game changers and also get a third- or fourth-rounder who can contribute to the secondary or at wide receiver.
The Vikings clearly have a great 1-2 punch at the wideout position with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but depth behind No. 3 receiver Jalen Nailor is missing. The Vikings could use two more receivers if they want to give McCarthy the best chance to succeed.
After addressing two key areas of need in free agency, it’s time for the Vikings to play the draft game better than have in years and find at least three rookies who can make key contributions in 2025.
