Vikings Mock Draft Monday: Minnesota Trades to Acquire 2 Extra Picks
Josh Frey
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It’s time for another edition of Vikings Mock Draft Monday, and in this latest mock draft, I’ve opted to trade the Vikings first round pick away in favor of snagging an extra pick in Day Two. Here’s how the full trade went down:
Vikings receive:
- Texans second-round pick (No. 33)
- Texans third-round pick (No. 73)
- Texans sixth-round pick (No. 201)
Texans receive:
- Vikings first round pick (No. 23)
This gave the Texans a third selection in the first round of the draft, and after selecting a pair of Ohio State Buckeyes, QB CJ Stroud and OT Paris Johnson Jr., Houston gave their rookie QB a wide receiver with the 23rd pick in Quentin Johnston out of TCU.
Now, with the stage set, let’s discuss how I used the seven Vikings draft selections following the trade. As always, this mock draft was performed by using the simulator on NFLMockDraftDatabase.com.
Day Two
Round 2, Pick 33: WR Josh Downs (North Carolina)
Sure, in this mock draft the Vikings could have had the guy that I consider to be WR1 in this class in Johnston, but snatching an additional pick to help the defense felt necessary. Even still, we managed to grab a very talented player at the position to take over the WR2 duties in Minnesota.
Josh Downs certainly doesn’t have the same size as Johnston does, but he’s every bit as twitchy in his movements. He has explosive speed and reliable hands at the position, making him an ideal fit in the Vikings offense.
Round 3, Pick 73: S JL Skinner (Boise State)
If you aren’t aware of JL Skinner yet, be ready to hear his name a lot over the next three months. Skinner is basically Kyle Hamilton if Kyle Hamilton had gone to a smaller school rather than Notre Dame. Residing in the Mountain West hid Skinner from many TV screens over his collegiate career, but Skinner’s ridiculous 6’4, 218-pound frame immediately makes him stand out at the safety spot.
Despite this linebacker-esque size, Skinner moves extremely fluidly in coverage, and he has some outstanding ball skills that allowed him to intercept 4 passes in 2022 for the Broncos. The Vikings could be looking to replace both Cam Bynum and Harrison Smith at the starting safety spots, and JL Skinner should be on the radar as a candidate to take that strong safety position.
Round 3, Pick 87: CB Deonte Banks (Maryland)
Perhaps it’s a bit later than folks may have hoped, but the Vikings do address the CB position with one of their first three picks in the draft. Hopefully, Minnesota will find a free agent (or trade) during the offseason, so they aren’t solely relying on the draft to fill the position.
Regardless, Banks has some great skills in man-to-man coverage and outstanding ball skills to pair with that. The Vikings need playmakers in their secondary, and Banks can be that type of player.
Day Three
Round 4, Pick 119: RB Kenny McIntosh (Georgia)
The Vikings running back depth is going to be called into question multiple times this offseason. With Alexander Mattison set to hit free agency, and Dalvin Cook’s status with the team very uncertain, the only RBs that seem guaranteed to be on the roster when the 2023 season begins are Ty Chandler and Kene Nwangwu.
Minnesota needs another RB regardless of how talented Chandler proves to be, and McIntosh is a guy who has gone against the best defenses in college football with Georgia, rushing for over 800 yards and 10 TDs in 2022. He should find success with the Vikings.
Round 5, Pick 160: LB Dorian Williams (Tulane)
If the Vikings wait until now to address the linebacker position, hopefully they’ll have found some quality players in the free agent pool that can immediately step into starting roles. Of all the flaws with the Vikings defense, this was probably the greatest one of them all.
That being said, Dorian Williams in the fifth round could be a terrific value pick at a position that doesn’t hold a ton of depth in this class. While at Tulane, Williams had a knack for making big plays at the perfect time, recording 8.5 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, 7 pass defenses, 2 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles during the 2022 season.
Round 5, Pick 177: DL Moro Ojomo (Texas)
With Dalvin Tomlinson hitting free agency, the Vikings need more depth on the interior of their defensive line. Moro Ojomo can provide that out of Texas as a proficient pass rusher at defensive tackle. He’s even got the length that could allow the Vikings to kick him outside on occasion. Regardless, Minnesota had one of the weakest pass rushes in all the NFL this past season, and it needs to change with some quality depth.
Round 6, Pick 201: TE Cameron Latu (Alabama)
T.J. Hockenson has the starting tight end job locked up in Minnesota, but behind him, there remains a number of question marks. Johnny Mundt remains under contract for now, but Irv Smith is set to hit free agency as is Ben Ellefson. The Vikings could find themselves in a situation where they need to find more tight end depth, and Cameron Latu out of Alabama is a quality player at the position with both blocking skills and receiving chops.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.