Minnesota has some glaring needs for next season, but some of those will be shored up pretty easily.
Nose tackle? Well, Michael Pierce returns. Cornerback? The rookie corners could make strides, in addition to the Vikings drafting a late-round corner or two for insurance.
However, Minnesota’s defensive end spot is a harder one to fix. Yes, the team presumably gets Danielle Hunter back next year, but the spot opposite to him on the defensive line is a question mark.
Bleacher Report thinks that player should be Kwity Paye. The outlet listed Paye as a player the Vikings should add in 2021. Here’s what it said about the Michigan defensive end:
“The Vikes rank in the bottom seven leaguewide in both sacks and pressure rate. They’ll get Danielle Hunter back from injury, but they miss departed veteran Everson Griffen, and nobody currently on the roster has hit even the four-sack mark in 2020.
Enter Michigan’s Kwity Paye or Miami’s Gregory Rousseau. Both are enticing edge prospects who could be available when the Vikings are on the clock, but we’re rolling with Paye because there’s less mystery involved with him and he should be ready to make a more immediate impact coming off his senior season with the Wolverines.”
It remains to be seen what the Vikings do with their first couple picks, but it might not hurt to take an edge with one of them. I’m not sure it’s the best idea to do so in the first round, which is probably where Paye will be taken, but we’ll have to see who’s available at the time.
