NFL mock draft roundup: Who do experts have the Vikings taking at 23?
After weeks of speculation, the Minnesota Vikings have finally reached draft week. The first round of the NFL Draft begins Thursday and experts and fans alike are wondering who the Vikings could select with the 23rd overall pick.
According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker is the most popular pick for the Vikings at No. 23 but he's only mocked to Minnesota in 13% of their mock drafts. The Vikings have plenty of options heading in and here's what some experts are saying with the draft a few days away.
NFL.com's Chad Reuter: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida (trade to 10th overall)
While the Vikings currently have the 23rd overall pick, there's nothing saying that they'll stay there. The Vikings have reportedly done plenty of homework on this year's quarterback class and it could pave the way for a bombshell trade to take a top quarterback prospect.
In Chad Reuter's mock at NFL.com, he has the Vikings sending the 23rd and 87th overall pick in this year's draft and Minnesota's 2024 first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles to select Richardson with the 10th overall pick.
"GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has not been shy about trading draft picks since taking on the job last year," Reuter wrote. "Richardson's potential as a dual-threat playmaker validates the hefty price Minnesota pays to jump up the board."
Such a trade would leave the Vikings with just three picks in this year's draft, but Reuter also suggests they could trade down in the fourth round to regain some draft capital.
Pro Football Network's Ian Valentino: WR Quentin Johnston, TCU
Valentino doesn't have the Vikings trading up in his latest mock draft, but he also has them passing on a quarterback to take Johnston at pick No. 23.
"With needs at cornerback, quarterback and receiver, the Minnesota Vikings have to balance planning for now and for later," Valentino wrote. "If they love Hendon Hooker, they might as well take him here. However, I don't think Hooker makes sense as a first-rounder, and instead, adding an impactful receiver to help Justin Jefferson matters."
Valentino goes on to have the Vikings selecting South Carolina cornerback Darius Rush in the third round, UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the fourth round, Gophers cornerback Terell Smith in the fifth round and Northwestern running back Evan Hull in the sixth round.
Pro Football Focus's Michael Renner: WR Jordan Addison USC
Renner also has the Vikings taking a receiver after Hooker went off the board to the Baltimore Ravens at the 22nd overall pick.
"The Vikings desperately need someone they can trust to separate who's not named Justin Jefferson," Renner wrote. "Defenses were able to put too many resources toward stopping him without fear of paying for it. That's not the case with Addison."
The 2021 winner of the Biletnikoff Award, Addison could serve as a complement to Jefferson although his testing performance at the scouting combine has raised some concerns.
CBS Sportsline's Ryan Wilson: Calijah Kancey, DL, Pittsburgh
Wilson's mock draft was written with the theme of what teams should do in the draft, which led him to go off the grid to select Kancey.
"Kancey was just about unblockable at times during the 2022 season for the Panthers and his 6-foot-1, 281-pound frame will (unfairly, perhaps) draw comparisons to Aaron Donald. The biggest physical difference however...is that Kancey's arm length came in at a shade under 31 inches and that's a major concern when going up against NFL offensive linemen who have 33-34 inch arms."
Defensive line is an underrated need for the Vikings after the loss of Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency. While it is unlikely for the Vikings to address that issue early in the draft, Kancey could be a dark horse to go to the Vikings in the first round.
ESPN.com's Matt Miller: Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
While the previous mock drafts don't have the Vikings taking Hooker, Miller takes the plunge based on recent information he's gotten from draft evaluators.
"One of the most popular texts I've gotten from evaluators throughout the past 10 days has been some form of 'Watch the Vikings for Hendon Hooker,'" Miller said. "That could be NFL scouts connecting dots, but the Round 1 talk for Hooker has been red hot since the combine and the Vikings do make sense for the dynamic passer."
Miller warns that Hooker will need to adjust to the spacing of the NFL but is "accurate, mobile and throws a beauty of a deep ball." Other evaluators have told Miller he has better all-around tools than Jared Goff, Geno Smith and Kirk Cousins and could be a top-15 starter in the league.
CBS Sportsline's Josh Edwards agrees, saying Hooker is "a high-floor quarterback at a much lower cost to ease the transition from Kirk Cousins."
At 25 years old and coming off a torn ACL, Hooker carries some risk, but he looks to be the popular pick as the Vikings head into draft week.
ESPN's Mel Kiper and Todd McShay: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
Kiper and McShay's most recent mock is a combined mock where each of the ESPN draft analysts alternate making picks.
When it came to pick 23 it was Kiper's turn and he has the Vikings taking Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
"Corner is a clear weakness for Minnesota, which brought in Byron Murphy Jr. in free agency to replace veteran Patrick Peterson. Long-armed Porter could see early action outside. He didn't have much production in college -- one interception -- but that should change at the next level," says Kiper.
Porter is currently listed as ESPN's fourth best corner in this year's draft.
ESPN's Steve Muench says, "Porter is a tall, extremely long and technical press corner who runs well and uses physicality to reroute receivers. He has good playmaking instincts, but his ball skills appear to be just average. He knows when to peel off to provide help in zone coverage. He's inconsistent keeping outside contain and finishing as a tackler, but he's aggressive and physical in run support."
NFL Network's Peter Schrager: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
While most mock drafts are 3.0 or 5.0 at this point in the process, Schrager dropped his 1.0 late last week.
Schrager clarifies that his mock isn't what he would do but what he's hearing from his sources around the league. With a need for a WR2 Schrager has the Vikings taking USC receiver Jordan Addison at 23rd overall.
"I know of at least one team that has Addison as its top-rated wide receiver. With Adam Thielen now in Carolina, this pairing makes sense. That said, Minnesota can go a variety of ways here. With Kirk Cousins in the last year of his contract, quarterback could be an option, but the Vikings might have to aggressively jump up the board in order to get their man at that position," says Schrager.
The Draft Network's Jaime Eisner: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky (trade to 2nd overall?!)
And in the most sure sign you will ever get that the draft needs to happen a week earlier we have The Draft Network predicting the wildest scenario yet.
(Note: We really only put this one in here for the shear audacity and insanity this prediction entails.)
Jaime Eisner of The Draft Network has the Vikings trading all the way from 23rd to second overall to pick Will Levis.
The Vikings already have little draft capital to work with so in order to jump up this far would require multiple years of first round picks.
"Surprise! You may have seen the betting odds change for the No. 2 overall pick on Saturday, with Will Levis becoming the odds-on favorite. But I don’t think that’s because the Texans are taking him," says Eisner. "I’ve heard loud rumblings that Minnesota is very active in trying to trade up for a quarterback and I think they will pull off a blockbuster here."
Trading up to second to pick the quarterback many experts think is the fourth best QB option in the draft would be questionable draft call for a GM whose first draft didn't go all that well in the first season.
"Levis will succeed Kirk Cousins after the Vikings chose not to extend the latter beyond this season," Eisner continues. "There is a major disconnect between how fans and those inside the NFL view Will Levis. Don’t get me wrong, there are several people in the NFL who are uninterested in drafting Levis this high, but there are plenty who believe he is absolutely worth the cost with the upside to be the best passer in the class when it’s all said and done."
