Purple Headlines of the Week: The 2023 Draft Plot Thickens, the New Vikings CB, Scandal Gets Vikings Rivals
Josh Frey
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The 2023 NFL Draft officially gets started this week, and as the event approaches, it continues to seem more and more like this is going to be one of the wilder drafts in recent memory. In this week’s purple headlines, we go over the latest rumors from the draft as well as the other Vikings news from the past week.
The New Favorite to Go First Overall in the 2023 Draft
Over the past few days, the tune has completely changed at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft. There is a new favorite to go No. 1 overall, and that could cause some turmoil later on in the draft as well. That new favorite is Bryce Young, who has been hovering around -1000 to be the first pick by the Carolina Panthers.
This becomes relevant for the rest of the draft because, reportedly, the Houston Texans aren’t sold on C.J. Stroud. A potential reason for this? He has the same agent as Deshaun Watson. Perhaps this could cause a mini slide down the board for Stroud and allow a surprise team (maybe the Vikings?) swoop in and select him.
Vikings Sign New CB
One of the biggest debates for the Vikings this offseason has been around their cornerback position. Heading into the week, they had just five CBs on the roster, and the only one with substantial NFL starting experience was Byron Murphy.
Well, they may not have a new starter on the roster, but they did add a sixth cornerback in former Patriots CB Joejuan Williams. In his first three seasons in New England, he was targeted 42 times in his first three seasons, allowing 25 receptions for 400 yards and 3 TDs. He is yet to record his first NFL interception, and a shoulder injury sidelined him for the entirety of the 2022 season.
Williams remained largely a boundary CB during his tenure in New England, playing 240 defensive snaps from out wide compared to just 28 in the slot. However, one area that has progressively gotten better was his run defense. Over his years with the Patriots, he saw both his run defense and tackling grades for PFF grow higher in every season.
The Lions Get Caught in Gambling Scandal
Heading into 2023, the Detroit Lions are many people’s favorite to win the NFC North division, and rightly so considering how much they added during the offseason and the fact that they have four selections in the first two rounds of this weekend’s draft.
However, those odds have taken a bit of a hit this past week as the Kardiak Kitties have found themselves caught in the middle of a gambling scandal that has landed four Lions on a suspension.
According to NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport, Jameson Williams is being suspended for 6 games due to violating the league’s gambling policy: “Sources: NFL suspended 5 players, including Lions WR Jameson Williams, for violations of NFL gambling policy. Lions’ CJ Moore & Quintez Cephus, plus Commanders’ Shaka Toney, are suspended indefinitely (at least 1 year).”
Then, in the immediate aftermath, we learned from Adam Schefter of ESPN that Detroit has decided to cut Quintez Cephus and C.J. Moore.
In Case You Missed It…
If you’re looking for even more reading material from the past week, here are a few extra articles to check out from across our site:
- Josh Frey’s 2023 NFL Mock Draft (3.0)
- Kirk Cousins Gets Support from Teammate
- 25 Years Ago, the Course of Vikings History Changed Forever
- A Vikings Legend Retires
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.