Vikings Mailbag: Let’s work through all your draft scenarios (2024)

Perhaps it’s the fact that the Vikings have two first-round picks, or maybe it’s that there’s no Wild playoff push to occupy our attention. But we got a bunch of really good questions for the mailbag. As one certain colleague might say, it’s a meaty mailbag.

So we’ll try to keep answers short to get to a lot of questions (and to spare Editor Zack since, unlike Russo, I didn’t buy him bourbon for going through this).

Throughout this, we’ll reference Dane Brugler’s prospect rankings, which can be found in his NFL Draft guide. Whereas many of us don’t start learning about prospects until February, Brugler starts studying them in June. So if he and I ever disagree, trust Brugler.

Let’s begin.

In your latest mock, you have the Vikings taking DE Nick Coe in the 5th. Are there any other 3rd-5th round edge rushers that you think would be a good fit for the Hunter/Griffin developmental path? Would love to see them find another high-upside lump of clay.

— Mike K.

Obviously Coe is an intriguing one to me, and if there’s a coach who I think could get the most out of him, it’s Andre Patterson.

But for others in the same mold, look to NC State’s Larrell Murchison and Texas’ Malcolm Roach at defensive tackle, or Charlotte’s Alex Highsmith and NC State’s James Smith-Williams at defensive end.

Murchison (fourth-round grade) spent two years at junior college and then really emerged as a senior at NC State while Roach (fifth-sixth round grade) had some great moments with the Longhorns but not enough of them to ever earn a full-time starting job and registered just three combined sacks in his junior and senior seasons.

Highsmith (fourth-round grade) was a no-star recruit who walked on at Charlotte and led Conference USA in sacks (14) as part of a breakout senior season. Smith-Williams (sixth-round grade) dealt with injuries through much of his collegiate career but is a physical freak who occasionally looks like Hunter on the field. As Brugler wrote of him: “Looks like an action figure with his proportional muscle definition.” Sound familiar?

Two questions.

1) The Vikings have some depth at DT with Stephen, Johnson, Pierce, and Watts. With that being said, is there any chance Jalyn Holmes gets moved over to DE?

2) Tua begins to fall during the draft b/c of concerns about his health. Someone who should have been a top pick is now available in the teens. Is there a world where the Vikings go get him?

— Kyle J.

The short answer to the first question is that it depends on how the draft goes. But for now, my guess is they’ll keep Holmes inside. I think they’d like for someone to push Shamar Stephen for the job and don’t want to take away players that could provide competition there.

As for question two, I don’t see a world where the Vikings draft him. There are ample thoughts on what the Vikings should do/should’ve done at quarterback and while I think any team outside the top-5 would be crazy to pass on Tua Tagovailoa, I can’t see the Vikings selecting him even if he falls. For better or worse, they’re riding with Kirk Cousins.

What are the Vikings’ (ownership/staff or players) thoughts on the 14-team playoffs, 17-game season?

— Jack P.

Owners, of course, love it. This is more money in their pocket and another week on the sports calendar that the league can dominate. And I think most of the staff is indifferent. They’re wired to just accept what’s in front of them. Mike Zimmer has always instilled a just-tell-us-where-to-play-and-we’ll-be-there attitude.

The players are much more interesting since, after all, they’re the ones risking long-term injury each time they step on the field. Stefon Diggs was the Vikings’ most vocal player against the idea. Frankly, I was a bit surprised the rule passed. I didn’t think the players were going to vote for it.

What do you think the Vikings would be more comfortable entering the season with: Mike Hughes as the #2 corner or Bisi Johnson as the #2 WR?

— Tyler G.

Easy one: Mike Hughes as the No. 2 corner. I think the question should be: Hughes as the No. 1 corner or Johnson as the No. 2 wide receiver?

And I still think I’d pick Hughes. He’s shown in spurts the ability to be an above-average corner in the league, finally has a healthy offseason, and has plenty of help behind him if the team still has Anthony Harris and Harrison Smith.

Johnson doesn’t get that help, and if he’s the No. 2 wide receiver, he suddenly would be asked to be on the field most snaps. I like Johnson a lot and think he can be a very good No. 3 wide receiver. But it’s a big ask for him to go from fighting for a roster spot last season to the team’s No. 2 wideout.

Which WR projected in the first round do you feel fits the Vikings the best?

— Elefterios H.

Brugler has six wide receivers with first-round or first/second-round grades: CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Justin Jefferson, Brandon Aiyuk and Denzel Mims.

Since Lamb, Jeudy, and Ruggs III are potential top-15 picks, I’ll remove them from consideration (while noting that if you included them, Lamb would be an ideal fit).

Between Jefferson, Aiyuk and Mims, I would actually argue that Jefferson least fits what the Vikings need at wide receiver even though he consistently has the higher draft grades than Aiyuk or Mims. Jefferson was primarily a slot receiver, especially as a junior, and that’s not what the Vikings need. Yes, Adam Thielen can play outside, but he’s at his best in the slot. So I would argue that the Vikings would be better served with someone who routinely played on the outside in college. And that’s why I’d argue that Mims is their best fit of those three. He’s almost 6-foot-3 and played on the boundary in Baylor’s shotgun offense.

Do you think there’s any real chance that the Vikings move up for Ruggs, Lamb, or Jeudy?

— Christian T.

Not really. This is such a deep class of wide receivers that I’d have a hard time moving the assets needed for one of those players (as good as they are) when there could be players like Mims, Aiyuk, Laviska Shenault, and Michael Pittman Jr. potentially available later on.

Most of the mock drafts and write ups I have been seeing have the Vikings taking corners and WR in the first round of the draft. Wouldn’t it make more sense to fix the offensive line first? Seems like we have had better luck with mid to late round wide receivers and corners than we have with mid to late round linemen.

— Josh B.

I do think there’s an argument to draft an offensive tackle in the first round. It goes something like this: The Vikings’ offensive line has gotten worse through the first month of the offseason. They still have Pat Elflein as a starting guard and have an opening opposite him. Yes, corner is a big need and should be addressed. But drafting an offensive tackle in the first round who can start right away helps in two areas. First, they’d have young, bookend tackles to build around. But they could also then move Riley Reiff to guard and solve that problem too.

Plus, there are plenty of good receivers to be had later in the draft.

In the unlikely event that Justin Herbert falls to us at 22, we have to pick him right? I say yes if Jefferson is gone, it’s a receiver heavy class so in my opinion, there’s no need to go receiver in the first round.

— Connor D.

I mostly agree with you on the latter point but not the former. With this many good wide receivers, I’m of the school of thought that you should address other needs in the first round. I’d prefer to see the Vikings use their two first-round picks on a cornerback and then either and offensive tackle or defensive tackle.

But as for Herbert, I think the Vikings would (and should) pass. Yes, he’s good and has a first-round grade. But he’s not a can’t-miss-prospect like Joe Burrow or Tagovailoa. And as we mentioned before, the Vikings made their bed with Cousins. They need to fill other needs.

Do you think it would be more prudent for the Vikings to use 22 and 25 on defensive players? With Rhodes, Waynes and Mac Alexander gone, it seems like a lock one of those picks will be a corner. But what about the other pick? Can you speak on best player available vs positional need?

— Sam B.

As you mentioned, I think cornerback is the position that has to get taken in the first round. After that, if you wanted to stick with the defensive side, defensive tackle would be the most obvious route. South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw would fit well what the Vikings are looking for, but the question is whether he’ll fall to No. 22. He’s Brugler’s second-best defensive tackle and could be a top-15 pick. Behind him, Auburn’s Marlon Davidson and TCU’s Ross Blacklock are options but both carry first/second-round grades from Brugler.

You could make an argument that if the right player were there, they could look for an edge rusher to compete with Ifeadi Odenigbo for Everson Griffen’s old spot. If that’s the case, LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson is probably the player that would need to fall for the Vikings to consider going down that road. Outside those, I don’t see another defensive position being considered in the first round. They’re set at linebacker and safety — and even if they traded Harris, there aren’t any safeties worth a first-round pick this year.

Do you think the Vikings would be interested in Jalen Hurts?

— Eric Z.

Nope. I think Hurts could be a great project for a team willing to play to his strengths. But that’s not the Vikings. Further, I don’t think they want to draft a quarterback. They have Cousins under contract for three more years, like having Sean Mannion as his backup, and want to see what they have in Jake Browning after he effectively had a redshirt year.

Everyone talks about this being one of the best WR draft class in a long time. I’m curious what you think about other positions in this draft. Besides WR, what position is strongest that also fits a team need. CB? OL? DL?

— Jonathan V.

One way to answer this question is by looking at how many players Brugler has with first- or second-round grades. If you go by that, offensive tackle is the deepest with eight players carrying that mark, then cornerback where six are projected that high, then defensive tackle which has five players with such projections.

But beyond the first two rounds, I’d argue corner has the most depth. There are a lot of players that could be targets early on Day 3 including Penn State’s John Reid, Iowa’s Michael Ojemudia, and UCLA’s Darnay Holmes.

How aggressive do you think the Vikings will be in pursuing Trent Williams? Will a 2nd round pick be enough or will they need to give up one of the two first rounders to get him?

— Russell P.

I don’t think they’ll be very aggressive. Williams still wants a big payday and believes he deserves one at the end of all this drama with Washington.

The Vikings could get him without giving up one of their first-round picks, but they’d have to be willing to sign him to a big deal once he’s here. I don’t think it’s in their plans to trade draft picks for an expensive offensive tackle who will be 32 next season.

What are the odds the Vikings trade out of the first round completely and what compensation would they need to receive to do so?

— Zac M.

I don’t think it’ll happen but it’s fun to imagine. If the Vikings were to give up both of their two first-round picks, their haul could look something like this, based on Pro Football Reference’s trade value chart:

Vikings send pick No. 22 to the Arizona Cardinals for pick No. 40 (second round), No. 72 (third round), No. 202 (sixth round) and No. 222 (seventh round).

Vikings send pick No. 25 to the Cleveland Browns for pick No. 41 (second round), No. 74 (third round) and No. 244 (seventh round).

So in return for the two first-round picks, the Vikings in this scenario would net seven more selections — two in the second round, two in the third round, one in the sixth round, and two in the seventh round.

When is the last possible date the NFL has to cancel the season?

— Shannon B.

They’ve got plenty of time. The NFL is going to do everything it can not to postpone the season, let alone play a shrunken season, let alone cancel the season. That’s still months away from being decided.

But if you want to look forward to something, the league schedule will be here soon. I initially heard they were going to release it around April 17, but that could be pushed back given everything that’s going on. The league said they’ll have it out by May 9.

Who is your favorite late round sleeper in this draft? Thoughts on the Johnnie’s OT? Is he is raw or a legitimate year 1 potential starter? Vikes lack explosion in the return game and out of the slot, who can help fix that in the mid rounds? Reiff and our 2nd for Trent Williams, who says no?

— Brad J.

Let’s attack these questions with different paragraphs.

Late round sleeper: Perhaps this is a homer pick, but it’s Tyler Johnson. Brugler has him as a fourth-/fifth-rounder. Maybe it’s because I watched a lot of Gopher football last season, but I would take Johnson before that. He may not have the high ceiling some other picks do, but he’s someone I think could be productive right away.

Thoughts on Ben Bartch: What an unreal rise for him from small-school, Division-III kid who has played on the offensive line for only two years to one of the breakouts at the Senior Bowl. From everything I’ve heard, he’s a great guy too. It may take him a year or two, but I think he’ll be an NFL starter. Brugler has him with a third-/fourth-round grade.

Someone in the return game: TCU’s Jalen Reagor is a great returner but is probably a second-round pick. For Day 3 players who could make an impact there, look to SMU’s James Proche or Michigan’s Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Given all the turnover on the defensive side of the ball it seems like one way to protect the defense is to run the ball consistently and eat up time of possession. Do you get the sense that the Viking’s coaching staff feels the o-line performed well enough last year and there’s not as much urgency to address the o-line as maybe some of us non-professional evaluators see it?

— Brad J.

That’s a good call. For as much as fans are worried about the offensive line, I do get the sense that the coaches don’t think it’s as big of a deal most fans seem to. The team largely feels the unit took a big step forward in their first year with Rick Dennison and Gary Kubiak and could be in line to improve again in Year 2 with those two.

It sounds like most of the top offensive linemen will be gone by the time the Vikings make their first pick at 22. Hypothetically, If receivers like Mims and Jefferson are available, what linemen would need to be available to justify not going WR and CB with the two picks?

— Matt A.

If any of the top four offensive tackles are still on the board, I think that could change the Vikings’ plan and convince them to address the position right away. Those four are Alabama’s Jedrick Wills Jr., Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs, Louisville’s Mekhi Becton, and Georgia’s Andrew Thomas.

Beyond those four, Houston’s Josh Jones, USC’s Austin Jackson, Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland, and Georgia’s Isaiah Wilson represent the second tier of options and could be intriguing.

What are your thoughts on this year’s corner class? I think there’s a steep drop off after Okudah and Henderson. I also believe there isn’t a ton of difference between the late first corners and the 2nd and 3rd round guys. If this is the case do you think we move down or are we gonna reach for a corner again?

— Jake B.

Also a good call. I think most scouts would agree that there’s a dropoff between Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah and Florida’s CJ Henderson and then another dropoff after Henderson where tier-three options like TCU’s Jeff Gladney, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, Utah’s Jaylon Johnson, and Clemson’s A.J. Terrell are.

If the Vikings think they can get one of those tier-three options in the second round, it could be prudent to wait.

What position do you think the Vikings would be most likely to move up in the first round for if one of the top projected player for that position slides like Floyd did back in that draft class where we had the 3 first rounders?

— Anthony S.

I’ll give you two names: Kinlaw and Henderson.

If Henderson slipped to No. 16 and the Vikings felt the Cowboys were ready to draft him at No. 17, it wouldn’t shock me if they’d entertain moving up to pick the class’ second-best cornerback.

Similarly, Kinlaw would be a great fit for what the Vikings are looking for and would fill a need, so if he was still available in the late teens, I could see the Vikings moving up a few picks to get him.

Any chance the Vikings draft Tyler Johnson?

— Paul L.

Yes. Johnson doesn’t have the kind of speed that would’ve turned him into a second-round pick, but I think he’s a prospect who could make an impact right away and the Vikings need that.

Do the Vikings still think Pat Elflein is a starter? Is there hope/expectation that he will improve? Everyone knows that the Vikings have very little cap space. According to Over the Cap, they could cut Elflein with essentially no dead money while saving a little more the 2 million. They don’t seem to need backups since they have versatile backups in Jones, Dozier, and Hill. With these three, keeping Elflein as a backup seems pointless. So, does that mean he is still a starter?

— Kyle J.

Unfortunately, I think it’s hard to make the argument Elflein is going to improve next season. That possibility existed before last season when one could make the argument that he only struggled in 2018 because it had been an offseason full of injuries and rehab, and he never really felt right. But then Elflein struggled again in 2019.

I’ll be honest, I share your surprise that he’s on the roster and Josh Kline is not. But they’re keeping him to, if nothing else, compete for a starting job. At this point, I’d say there’s about a 40 percent chance that Elflein is a starting guard next season. That’s much higher than I would have guessed one month ago.

Do you think the Vikes trade Ant (Anthony Harris) by the draft or during? I really like Ant and (Harrison Smith) but investing over 20 million on the safety position seems like a lot.

— Steve B.

I too think that’s too much money to spend on the position, which is why I was surprised that they used the franchise tag on Harris. But unless they get a really good offer (late second-round pick, early third), I think the Vikings are going to keep Harris and try to extend him on a new contract.

Considering the depth issues at WR and CB, do you think we could see the team double-dip at either position in the first round, say Fulton-Gladney or Jefferson-Mims?

— Nick N.

That’s a fun thought exercise but with the number of major positions that need to be addressed — offensive line, corner, wide receiver, defensive tackle — I don’t see it happening. If it did happen for any position, it would be corner. And it would be fun to see the Vikings address the position by suddenly having, say, Hughes, Henderson and Gladney. But I don’t see it happening.

(Top photo of Tyler Johnson: Hannah Foslien / Getty Images)