Vikings Projected To Land Ohio State Star Defender

The Minnesota Vikings have been projected to land a star defender from the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Burke (10) celebrates an interception with safety Sonny Styles (6) and safety Lathan Ransom (8) during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Akron Zips at Ohio Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Ohio State Buckeyes are heading into their fourth game of the season this weekend, starting their Big Ten schedule against Michigan State.

So far this season, the Buckeyes have dominated. They have gone 3-0, although they have played Akron, Western Michigan, and Marshall. Despite playing against lesser competition, they have handled their business.

Looking at the roster, Ohio State is one of the most talented teams in the nation. They are truly in the middle of a "championship or bust" kind of season. If they don't win it all, it would be a major disappointment.

There are a ton of NFL players on the current Buckeyes' roster. Both offensive and defensively, fans will be watching plenty of former Ohio State players playing on Sunday's from this year's team in 2025.

One of those players is standout defensive back Denzel Burke.

Burke is expected to be a first-round pick. The question is, where will he end up in the first round? Some have him projected in the middle of the first round, while others have him farther back in the later stage of it.

NFL Trade Rumors has released a new mock draft. In that mock draft, they have Burke being selected with the No. 32 overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings.

"Minnesota has exceeded all expectations through three weeks, especially on defense, where DC Brian Flores has this unit stifling some impressive offenses. It’s not a stretch to say they’re overachieving relative to their personnel, and this is especially true at cornerback. Burke is athletic and sticky in coverage. He needs to refine his skillset, but he would be a talent upgrade on the back end of the Vikings’ defense."

Through the first three games of the season, Burke has recorded 10 total tackles and an interception. If the Buckeyes are going to win a championship this season, they'll need him to have an even bigger impact.

All of that being said, there is a lot of time between now and the 2025 NFL Draft. Burke will have a chance to improve his draft stock quite a bit throughout the rest of the season.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the 2024 campaign goes for him and where he ends up being drafted. The Vikings are going to be a team to keep an eye on.