Vikings Draft News: Three Prospects to Watch on Championship Weekend

Nov 14, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer looks on as players warm up before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

It’s December, and that means two things: holiday parties and college football championships. While we are still a couple weeks removed from actual bowl season, this weekend we have plenty of games to keep on eye on during the conference championships. Lots of games not only means hours of entertainment, but it also means a ton of 2022 NFL Draft prospects will be on display, possibly for the final time before this spring. Particularly for Vikings fans, this could prove to be a very important weekend as Minnesota has many UFAs this offseason that have played a massive role. With that, the front office may need to replace some key talent with youth. Here are three prospects who play this weekend and may be first round selections in the upcoming Vikings draft class.

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LB Nakobe Dean (Georgia)

The Georgia Bulldogs have put together a terrific 2021 campaign, and a lot of that success rides on their defense. The anchor for that unit all season has been linebacker Nakobe Dean. The junior has piled up numbers all across the stat sheet this season due to his excellence defending both the pass and the run. The former Butkus Award winner has tallied 7.5 TFLs, 5.0 sacks, a pair of INTs (including a pick-six), and a forced fumble.

With the Vikings depth at linebacker becoming a serious question after this season (both Nick Vigil’s and Anthony Barr’s contracts are up), it may be time for Minnesota to look for a young star at the position. Dean would fit into a 4-3 defense beautifully alongside star MLB Eric Kendricks, so the Vikings draft team should be keeping an eye on him.

FS Daxton Hill (Michigan)

The Vikings lost one of their defensive stars last offseason when Anthony Harris left the team for Philadelphia. Ultimately, Minnesota has done fine in his absence after signing veteran Xavier Woods to a one-year deal. However, after this strong 2021 campaign, the 26-year-old Woods may be set for a sizeable paycheck this offseason; one that the Vikings likely wouldn’t be able to fill.

If that is the case, bring on Daxton Hill. The Wolverine has put together a fantastic season in his first year as a starting free safety. He’s recorded seven PDs, including two interceptions, while defending passes. Additionally, his 6’0, nearly 200-pound frame makes him a hard-hitter when stopping the run. His bursts of speed combined with his ball skills give him massive potential in the NFL. Not to be overlooked, he’s also put in a ton of reps as a special teamer.

C Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa)

A quick note before we continue with the final prospect: Being that this is the Minnesota Vikings, I figured it’s most likely that they snag a cornerback in this draft. However, I also assume that Vikings fans have heard enough of cornerback prospects over the years. If you want more CBs, take a look at some names here.

Even though CB seems like the position Minnesota will target, and everyone and their neighbor’s dog is mocking the Vikings to take a corner, I don’t believe it’s the right decision right now. I’ve talked about Tyler Linderbaum before, but I feel so strongly about this that it feels necessary to mention his name again. Linderbaum is easily the best center prospect the league has seen over the past few years. His size, speed, and nasty streak are all things that NFL teams should be drooling over. This is especially so for the Vikings, who may have seen the last of Garrett Bradbury and are make-shifting their interior o-line with primary-RG, Mason Cole, at center.

The Vikings could use a sure-thing prospect to anchor the middle of their line, especially with second-year LG Ezra Cleveland and rookie LT Christian Darrisaw starting to come into their own. Brian O’Neill is locked in at RT and hopefully there’s future at RG for Wyatt Davis, so the center position is really the final piece of the puzzle for Minnesota. It’s not a sexy pick, but the Vikings really should consider taking Linderbaum if he falls to them.

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