Vikings Urged to Avoid One Draft Prospect
The first Vikings selection in the upcoming draft could go in several different directions, as various position groups could use some young talent. It’s also unclear how the board will unfold until Minnesota is on the clock.
Mock drafts have favored Dillon Thieneman, a safety from Oregon, but have also sent countless other players to the Twin Cities.
Among those is cornerback Avieon Terrell, though Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine issued a warning. He assembled a list of one player each team should avoid and he thinks the Vikings should stay clear of the Clemson corner.
Ballentine added a note, “As a final note, the usage of ‘avoid’ doesn’t mean the prospect isn’t good. This is more about which prospects don’t make sense based on a team’s situation, scheme, roster or a combination of factors.”
Indeed, some players just aren’t a fit for what a team wants to do.
He wrote about Terrell: “The Vikings have not really used early picks on cornerbacks in the first two rounds during the Brian Flores era. You can argue they would be better off, but the defense has been pretty solid so the strategy is working. Avieon Terrell isn’t the prospect to change that pattern.”
The two corners drafted under Flores’ watch were Mekhi Blackmon with the final pick of the third round in 2023 and Khyree Jackson in the fourth round in 2024. Prior to Flores’ arrival, the Vikings also spent a second-rounder and a fourth-rounder in 2022 for Andrew Booth and Akayleb Evans. Neither of those Kwesi Adofo-Mensah picks remains on the roster.
Ballentine’s explanation: “Terrell comes in at No. 22 on our big board so he wouldn’t be a reach. However, there are size concerns as the Clemson product is 5’10 ¾”, 186 pounds with 31″ arms. B/R scout Daniel Harms also has reservations about his press technique. ‘Soft press technique can be slightly slow, leading to quicker receivers beating him quickly across his face,’ he wrote in Terrell’s scouting report.”
Size concerns haven’t particularly been a problem for Flores. Blackmon’s size is comparable and so is CB1 Byron Murphy’s. CB2 Isaiah Rodgers is even smaller. None of them cost a first-round pick, though.
For the first time in years, the Vikings haven’t overhauled their cornerback duo, as starters Murphy and Rodgers return. Veteran James Pierre was added in free agency to replace Jeff Okudah as the CB3 on the squad.
The Vikings had an elite pass defense despite the concerning cornerback room. Flores has made it work and there’s no reason to believe that he couldn’t deliver solid results with the current trio. Yet, it remains a mystery if his defense could even be better with a more talented room.
Terrell is the third cornerback on the consensus board behind LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy and he could certainly be a long-term cornerback option for the Vikings. Whether he’s the best pick at 18, though, is a fair question.
“Terrell’s competitiveness and potential will likely make him a first-round selection, but the Vikings would be better off looking at safeties with their first selection,” Ballentine concluded.
At safety, Harrison Smith’s future remains unclear. Cam Bynum left a year ago and next-men-up Jay Ward and Theo Jackson might not be able to step up. That’s where mock draft darling Thieneman comes to mind.
Other paths could bolster the shaky interior defensive line or add some talent at premium positions such as wide receiver, offensive tackle, or outside linebacker.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.