Vikings 2023 NFL Draft: Prediction for First-Round Pick

Minnesota has a few needs on both offense and defense and will look to fill a void with their first-round selection on Thursday night.

The Vikings hold the 23rd overall selection in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The team needed to get itself in a better situation in terms of the salary cap this offseason and that included releasing veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen. With no significant offseason adds, the Vikings clearly have a need for a playmaker opposite Justin Jefferson.

The oddsmakers at SI Sportsbook seem to agree, as Minnesota is favored to go with either a wide receiver or cornerback in the first round with odds of +175. What’s more, each spot on the board comes at plus money since the Vikings could go in several directions.

Who Will the Vikings Select in the First Round?

Wide Receiver +175

Cornerback +175

Defensive Lineman +400

Quarterback: +550

Linebacker +1200

Running Back +1800

Offensive Lineman +2000

Tight End +3300

Safety +3300

Odds via SI Sportsbook

Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo

Minnesota’s best options at wide receiver include Jordan Addison from USC, Zay Flowers from Boston College and TCU’s Quentin Johnston. This assumes the top wide receiver in the class, Jaxon Smith-Njigba out of Ohio State, is off the board. 

According to Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 big board, the best options at cornerback are Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon and Joey Porter Jr. out of Penn State. If they’re off the board, Georgia’s Kelee Ringo could be an option.

The Vikings have focused on defensive backs in the first round often in past drafts, picking four since 2015. That includes taking Lewis Cine out of Georgia last season. In Sports Illustrated's most recent mock draft, Minnesota selected defensive back Deonte Banks out of Maryland, The team has gone wideout twice in that time, picking Justin Jefferson in 2020 and Laquon Treadwell in 2016. One, of course, has worked out better than the other.

For those who want to take a chance on a longshot, quarterback could be it. While the team has Kirk Cousins, this is widely considered to be his last season with the team. As a result, Minnesota could move up in the draft or stick at No. 23 and take Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker. That wager would come at plus money (+550).

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