Thor 3-Round Mock Has Minnesota Going Corner, EDGE, and iOL
K. Joudry
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As I said before, a draft expert named Thor ought to intrigue Vikings fans. Thor Nystrom of Rotoworld (I refuse to roll with the new name) recently published yet another mock draft. He centers his three Minnesota Vikings picks around clear areas of need.
Before getting to his rationale, take a peak at who he picks:
RD1: Trent McDuffie, Corner
RD2: Nik Bonitto, EDGE
RD3: Ed Ingram, iOL
Not too long ago, I noted that more recent mocks have the Vikings leaning corner. More specifically, they partner the Vikings with Mr. McDuffie. Nystrom follows this pattern, offering his rationale for why it makes sense:
Ed Donatell’s 3-4 defense doesn’t require cornerbacks over 6-feet tall who run in the 4.3s. Donatell gives his players realistic assignments and asks simply that they complete them. McDuffie is a really good. Pac-12 teams hated throwing at McDuffie Island – they avoided it best they could. On 36 targets last year, McDuffie gave up only 16 catches for 111 yards and zero TD. McDuffie lacks length, and he’s not the surest tackler, but you won’t find a surer man coverage corner, and that’s going to appeal to Donatell when he looks over the wasteland of a CB depth chart he’s inherited. Bonitto may not be as pressing of a need following the Zadarius Smith signing, but the Vikings still badly need depth and a future plan along the edge, and in that way, the investment still makes sense. He’s for sure a scheme fit. So is Ingram on the other side of the ball, an athletic guard who’ll find and hit the outside shoulder of his man in the zone-blocking run game.
It’s tough to find negative opinions on McDuffie. He’s someone who appears to be a great fit for the Minnesota Vikings defense.
Fans likely aren’t as familiar with Bonitto and Ingram. Bonitto comes in at 69th overall in TDN‘s rankings, and Ingram is 74th. Obviously, both would address major areas of need. As fans will remember, though, relying on draft picks to fill needs in the opening year can often be foolish. Wyatt Davis, for instance, couldn’t capitalize on the huge need at RG during his rookie season.
In an ideal world, someone like Bonitto could offer rotational snaps along the edge. The team feels confident that Za’Darius and Danielle can be an incredible starting pair. What they need otherwise is quality snaps in relief of the top two.
With the second wave of free agency arriving, the focus will start to shift toward draft speculation and hype. The mock drafts will be even more abundant in the coming weeks.
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