Minnesota Vikings Seven-Round Mock Draft: Adding Weapons on Both Sides

Complete with two trades, here's a seven-round Vikings mock draft.

We made it, everyone. Draft day is here.

Before the real thing gets underway, here's one more seven-round Vikings mock draft for you, complete with a couple trades.

Proposed trade with Houston: Vikings trade pick 23 for picks 33 and 73

Round 2, Pick 33: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

There's been a lot of buzz around the possibility of the Vikings trading up for a quarterback, but that won't be easy or cheap. The right QB would have to slide a bit and Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would have to find a deal that he likes while fending off other teams that are interested in the top quarterbacks.

If that doesn't happen and players like Jordan Addison and Deonte Banks are off the board at 23, it's easy to see Adofo-Mensah once again trading down with his first pick. The Vikings only have five selections in this draft, so moving back would be a way to add more quantity.

In this scenario, the Vikings move back ten spots and pick up another third-round pick. At 33, they take an exciting weapon in Flowers, who had over 1,000 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in his senior season. The Vikings met with him at the combine and might be enamored with what he could bring to Kevin O'Connell's offense. He's undersized at 5'9", 182 pounds, but Flowers is a twitchy athlete with 4.4 speed who is very dangerous after the catch. He can play on the outside and in the slot, and the Vikings would find ways to get the ball in his hands via screens and end-arounds in addition to the standard route tree.

Round 3, Pick 73: Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State

The Vikings will almost certainly take a cornerback with one of their first few picks, as it remains a pressing need even after the signings of Byron Murphy Jr. and Joejuan Williams. In Brents, they land a ridiculous athlete with major upside in the third round. The Kansas State product, who had a strong showing at the Senior Bowl, is nearly 6'3" with a 99th-percentile wingspan. Brents also posted elite scores in the jumps and agility tests at the combine, earning a 9.99 Relative Athletic Score. That's out of 10, by the way.

Brent had four interceptions, a forced fumble, and 3.5 tackles for loss in his senior season. His length and physicality makes him a great fit as a press-man corner in Brian Flores' defense, as he can effectively disrupt receivers' releases at the line of scrimmage. Brents had some issues with penalties and inconsistency in his college career, but he has the tools to compete for a starting role right away in the NFL.

Proposed trade with Kansas City: Vikings trade pick 87 for picks 95 and 166

Round 3, Pick 95: Byron Young, OLB, Tennessee

In another trade back, the Vikings move down eight spots and add a second fifth-round pick to their arsenal. Then they boost their pass rush by taking another big-time athlete in Young, who had 12.5 sacks and 23.5 total TFL over the past two seasons in Knoxville. The Vikings hosted Young on a pre-draft visit at TCO Performance Center, which is a theme with the rest of the picks in this mock draft.

At 6'2", 250 pounds, Young is more of a true pass-rushing outside linebacker than a three-down defensive end. He has elite burst and explosiveness, which allows him to get off the ball quickly and shine in twists and stunts. Young also possesses the power and motor to beat offensive tackles with a bull rush or a rip move. He's not a great run defender and he's an older prospect at 25, but Young's athleticism should make him a factor as a pass rusher in the NFL.

Round 4, Pick 119: DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB

It still appears that the Vikings will eventually trade Dalvin Cook, so they could use another running back to join Alexander Mattison and Ty Chandler in that room. McBride, who visited the Vikings, ran for over 1,700 yards and 19 touchdowns last year at UAB, including eight carries of 45-plus yards. He had basically zero receiving production in his college career, but McBride is a special runner with great contact balance and vision.

Round 5, Pick 158: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA

If the Vikings don't take a quarterback with their top pick, I'd still expect them to take a flier on one in the middle or later rounds. Players like Jake Haener, Jaren Hall, and Thompson-Robinson come to mind as options with some legitimate starting upside, even if a lot would have to go right in their development for that to happen. DTR is a dual-threat QB with remarkable athleticism, good arm talent, and a lot of experience in a complicated Chip Kelly offense. The main reasons why he's projected as a late-round pick are concerns about size, pocket movement, and ball security.

Round 5, Pick 166: Marte Mapu, LB/S, Sacramento State

Mapu, another player who visited the Vikings, is an extremely fun small-school prospect. He's a big, explosive athlete who is a hybrid linebacker/safety, making him an intriguing chess piece for a Flores defense. Mapu could contribute on special teams right away and potentially earn a role in various defensive packages over time.

Round 6, Pick 211: Mohamoud Diabate, LB, Utah

One last player who visited the Vikings, Diabate is another highly athletic, undersized linebacker who had five sacks and 13.5 total TFL last season after transferring from Florida to Utah. Not unlike Brian Asamoah, he's a rangy LB who needs refinement in the technical aspects of the game, particularly when it comes to diagnosing against the run.

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