5 early candidates the Vikings could take in the NFL Draft
The Minnesota Vikings are embarking on a critical offseason. With several veterans on the roster bubble and a defense that needs just about everything, there's sure to be some big moves or financial gymnastics to improve a team that went 13-4 last season.
If the Vikings are truly going through a "competitive rebuild," the draft will play a key part in it. Experts have already gone through their mock drafts multiple times and there are several players who could hear their names when the Vikings are on the clock with the 23rd overall pick.
Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
The Vikings' cornerback room is a mess and could get worse over the course of the offseason. Patrick Peterson, Duke Shelley and Chandon Sullivan are free agents and Andrew Booth Jr. is recovering from season-ending knee surgery.
With Cameron Dantzler's time in Minnesota uncertain after he was benched last season, cornerback is the favorite to be selected with the Vikings' first pick, but who they will select is up for debate.
This year's class has three cornerbacks in the top tier, but Devon Witherspoon of Illinois and Oregon's Christian Gonzalez figure to be off the board before the Vikings are on the clock. In the case of Joey Porter Jr., however, there's a chance he could drop.
Porter, who is the son of former Steelers All-Pro linebacker Joey Porter, was one of the top cornerbacks in the nation last season allowing 15 receptions on 30 targets according to Pro Football Focus. He was second in the nation in forced incompletion percentage (40 percent) and at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, has the length to play the press-man coverage that new defensive coordinator Brian Flores has used during his time in New England and Miami.
This is a deep class and if the Vikings can't get a top corner, they can trade down and get Maryland's Deonte Banks or South Carolina's Cam Smith. Neither of those players are likely to be an instant fit in the Vikings' defense.
Jordan Addison, WR, USC
While many will be fixated on the defense, the wide receiver unit needs just as much work. Adam Thielen could be on the way out thanks to a cap hit of just under $20 million and K.J. Osborn profiles more as a No. 3 receiver than a No. 2 receiver.
With the cost of receivers skyrocketing (see Justin Jefferson's next contract), it would benefit the Vikings to take a premiere one in the first round and Addison would be a great fit.
Addison won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top wide receiver in 2021, hauling in 100 passes for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns for Pittsburgh. After transferring to USC, Addison didn't have gaudy numbers (59 catches, (875 yards, 8 TD) but he made 23 catches off of screens and still averaged 14.8 yards per catch for the Trojans.
If you're still concerned, remember that many believed that Justin Jefferson was going to be a secondary receiver because he ran most of his routes out of the slot at LSU and his player comp in PFF's 2020 draft guide was Marvin Jones Jr.
One of the top route-runners in this year's class, Addison has the ability to slide into the No. 2 role and make a difference if the Vikings decide to move on from Thielen.
Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
One year ago, the Vikings passed on Jamison Williams in order to acquire some pieces for their defense. This appeared to be a mistake in Kevin O'Connell's vertical attack but it can be rectified if the Vikings take a similar prospect in Hyatt.
Hyatt ran a 4.2-second 40-yard dash in high school and that speed translated to the college level as Hyatt caught 89 passes for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns while winning this season's Biletnikoff Award at Tennessee.
There is some concern that Hyatt is a one-trick pony as a majority of his routes were go routes from the slot, but if you throw on Hyatt's demolition of Alabama's defense last October (six catches, 207 yards, five touchdowns), you'll see the game-breaking ability he has.
Hyatt's limited route tree could have him falling into the second round but with the premium price the team has on receivers, he could wind up being a first-round pick.
Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
Over the past couple of years, the Vikings have favored defensive tackles who have quietly done their job over dominant forces in the trenches. With the possibility that Dalvin Tomlinson will leave in free agency, the Vikings could use their first-round pick to get a true hoss in the middle.
Smith fits that description at 6-foot-3 and 337 pounds. He was an anchor of the Wolverines' defensive line and despite his limited effectiveness in pass-rushing situations, he posted an 81.3 run defense grade – 38th among defensive tackles with a minimum of 165 snaps last season.
The top player on Bruce Feldman's 2022 Freaks List (via The Athletic), Smith is the type of player Flores had at the beginning of his coaching career when 6-foot-2, 325-pound Vince Wilfork was blowing up interior defensive lines with the Patriots.
Andre Carter, EDGE, Army
Army hasn't produced a first-round pick in 86 years, but the Vikings could make Carter the first service academy player to be drafted in the first round since Tex Colter was selected by the Chicago Cardinals with the seventh overall pick in the 1947 draft.
Carter is a problem on the edge as the 6-foot-7, 260-pounder racked up 15 sacks during the 2021 season, but his production tailed off last year as teams did everything they could to stop him.
A superior athlete, Carter could stand to add some muscle to his frame but could be a devastating addition to a defense that ranked 21st in the NFL with 38 sacks last season.
With the futures of Za'Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter in question, the Vikings will probably want to start thinking about their next generation of pass rushers. If they want to add a freak, Carter is the type of player that fits the bill.
