A Post-Combine Vikings Mock Draft: Minnesota Trades Down
The NFL scouting combine has come and gone, and a number of NFL prospects have seen their draft stock either rise or fall as a result. With that weekend now in the past, we are at the peak of draft speculation season. So many prospects and 32 teams to put them all on. With that, today will be the first post-combine 2022 Vikings mock draft, and for this three-round mock I once again headed to NFLMockDraftDataBase.com. Here are the prospects that landed in Minnesota:
![NFLMockDraftDataBase.com](http://[brid autoplay="true" video="970438" player="26281" title="WATCH%204%20Indianapolis%20Colts%20QB%20options%20for%20the%202022%20season" duration="114" description="With Wentz now off the books, Indianapolis has the most cap room to spend heading into NFL free agency. It also has a roster general manager Chris Ballard firmly believes can contend if the Colts are able to find a starter-caliber quarterback. Below, we look at four options for Indianapolis heading into free agency." uploaddate="2022-03-10" thumbnailurl="https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/snapshot/970346_s_1646937443905.png" contentUrl="https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/streaming/970346/970346.m3u8"]){kind=link}
- R1 P20: CB Trent McDuffie (Washington)*
- R2 P46: LB Quay Walker (Georgia)
- R3 P77: EDGE Kingsley Enagbare (South Carolina)
- R3 P84: LB Channing Tindall (Georgia)*
*: acquired via trade
Day One
Let’s begin by talking about the trade that I (controlling the Vikings) pulled off in this one. The prospect I was watching very closely was obviously one Sauce Gardner. He is the gold standard of CBs in this class and should be the top player on Minnesota’s draft board. Unfortunately, it turned out that in this one the New York Jets were also high on Gardner, and they snagged him at No. 10. The Atlanta Falcons had also taken LSU’s star, Derek Stingley Jr., at No. 8.
Because of that, it seemed in the Vikings best interest to obtain some more draft capital in an extremely deep draft. One team that would likely be interested in moving up the board is the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially if they are still in the search for a quarterback by that time. With that in mind, here’s the trade that landed them the 12th overall pick.
Pittsburgh receives:
- No. 12 overall
Minnesota receives:
- No. 20 overall
- No. 84 overall
- 2023 third-round pick
- 2023 fourth-round pick
Not at bad haul by any means for the Vikings. With No. 12, the Steelers unsurprisingly snatch QB Kenny Pickett, and now I have one of two prospects in mind: either DL Jordan Davis or CB Trent McDuffie. Sadly, Davis ended up going shortly after this trade to the Chargers at No. 17, but McDuffie was still on the board at 20, so I gladly snatched him up. I’ve talked about McDuffie a multitude of times, so here’s another article you can check to read more about the first-round prospect. While Sauce would’ve made day one of this Vikings mock draft an A+, I’ll take a solid B in the first round to set up a busy second day of drafting.
Day Two
On our sister-site, VikingsTerritory, I wrote on Wednesday that the Minnesota Vikings draft approach should be simple, especially on the defensive side of the ball: draft as many Georgia Bulldogs as possible. There isn’t really a wrong choice with that group of prospects whether it be in the trenches, at linebacker, or the secondary. Because of that, I took a pair of Georgia linebackers by drafting Quay Walker in the second round and Channing Tindall with the Steelers third round pick.
Both players should fit fluidly into the Vikings defensive strategy. Walker is long athlete whose speed and athleticism can shine in pass coverage. Especially in a 3-4 defensive set, this skill set will come in handy, and he’s a surprisingly good blitzer by shedding blocks between the tackles.
On the other hand, Tindall is known for his explosiveness off the edge as an OLB. He has become overlooked in Georgia’s star-studded program, but his litany of pass-rush moves will be very useful to any NFL team. In addition, he is a very sound tackler, and because of that he can be used as a run-stopper at SLB. With the uncertainly surrounding both Anthony Barr and Nick Vigil this offseason, linebacker is a position that Minnesota needs to improve upon this offseason, and they certainly do that in this mock draft.
With their own third rounder, the Vikings again dip into the SEC to continue rebuilding their defensive front. Kingsley Enagbare is a player that certainly needs to continue his development if he is to become a consistent NFL starter, but he flashes a ton of talent. He is an extremely aggressive pass-rusher, but that aggressiveness sometimes gets him in trouble. He overcommits to wide angles and can sometimes work himself out of a play. Similar to Danielle Hunter, it may take some time for Enagbare to show his true potential, but if he continues working, it should blossom into a successful NFL career.
Final Thoughts
The Minnesota Vikings do find some secondary help by taking McDuffie in the first round, but that is not the thing I would be most excited about if this is how the draft falls in April. The continuous chemistry of Georgia linebackers Walker and Tindall could be a terrific duo that helps solidify the Vikings defensive front. Both these players displayed incredible versatility for a historically great Georgia defense, and they shined the brightest in big games en route to a national title. On top of that, Enagbare provides an intriguing project along the defensive line.
Overall, I would grade this Vikings mock draft a B. The defense sees a much-needed injection of youth, but the issues along the interior of the offensive line remain. Additionally, while depth in the secondary improves, I have questions about McDuffie’s ability to be a true lockdown corner on the outside. These are things that would hopefully be improved via free agency if Minnesota wants to be competitive in 2022.
