Vikings Masses Have 3 Players on the Mind for NFL Draft
K. Joudry
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The Vikings masses aren’t immune to the charms of mock draft season.
Mock drafts are flying off the shelf at breakneck speed. We see ample evidence of such a phenomenon at basically any publication that covers the NFL. That being said, it has never been easier for fans to join the fun, hopping into mock draft simulators like the one found at PFF.
In analyzing the results, PFF even indicates where players get sent most often. On their Big Board, there is a “Trends” tab that lists the top trio of teams picking that specific player. The Vikings masses have 3 draft prospects in mind (as of the publication of this post).
The Vikings Masses and The Mock Madness
Tumbling down a draft board can easily eat up all of one’s time. For the purposes of this exercise, I constrained myself to just the top 31 players to help corral all the possible eventualities.
In looking at the draft trends for each of the top 31 players, I learned that the Vikings masses have 3 prospects on the brain:
- CB Deonte Banks, Maryland – 14% of Drafts
- iDL Bryan Bresee, Clemson – 10% of Drafts
- WR Jordan Addison, USC – 11% of Drafts
By honing in on this cluster of players, Vikings fans and analysts have identified 3 of the main roster needs. In fact, each position has witnessed a talent exodus during free agency. Starting corner Patrick Peterson is in Pittsburgh and Duke Shelley is in Las Vegas (which is to say nothing of Cameron Dantzler in Washington), defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson is now in Cleveland, and receiver Adam Thielen is with Carolina.
Quite evidently, there is some widespread belief that more can be done to fortify these positions.
It’s easy to see the appeal for someone like Banks. The 6’0″, 197 pound corner ran a blistering 4.35 forty and (per PFF) “has all the physical traits of an All-Pro cornerback.” Minnesota’s fans haven’t experienced that level of corner play since Xavier Rhodes was shutting down WR1s like it was going out of style.
Recently, there has even been a fair bit of focus on Addison, especially since he is meeting with the powers that be in Eagan. Standing at a modest 5’11” and weighing just 173 pounds, Addison doesn’t remind anyone of Calvin Johnson or Andre Johnson. Nevertheless, there is some belief that he could function as a complementary weapon in Kevin O’Connell’s ascending offense.
From my perspective, the most intriguing name is DT Bryan Bresee if for no reason other than the surprise of seeing the Vikings get onto the podium for most common destinations.
The 21st-ranked prospect on PFF, Bresee comes in at 6’5″, 298 pounds. Most impressive, perhaps, is that he ran a 4.86 forty. The ACL tear is concerning, though his ability to be an impact 3T for the Vikings is worth seriously considering. Danielle Hunter can’t do all the pass rushing on his own. Marcus Davenport will help, but getting some interior pressure would be a welcome boost.
Last month’s staff mock draft featured Minnesota opting for DT Calijah Kancey.
The NFL Draft begins on April 27th. Minnesota has the 23rd selection and needs aplenty.
