The NFL draft is a land of magic and wonder. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made things interesting last year by not making a single pick where he was originally scheduled to do so. How could he make things interesting this year?
Our staff at Vikings Wire got together and talked about the draft on many levels. In our first piece, we each made one bold prediction for the Vikings on draft weekend. In our second one, we advocated for the one player we want the Vikings to draft. In our third piece, we talked about the one player we don’t want the Vikings to select in the NFL draft.
Tyler Forness-Vikings Wire Managing Editor
Edge rusher is a position that the Vikings should try to address. After this season, it’s a land of question marks. Both Marcus Davenport and Danielle Hunter are free agents after the season and taking one in round one has a lot of merit. One player they should avoid is Van Ness. He is a talented player, but wins almost exclusively by running at the tackle. I haven’t seen any nuance that tells me he can grow and develop at the next level. That scares me quite a bit and why I want to avoid him before the 50th overall pick.
Judd Zulgad-Vikings Wire Columnist
Robinson is a big-time talent and appears certain to go in the first round. So why shouldn’t the Vikings take him? Because he plays a position that isn’t valued like it once was and because the wear-and-tear at this position happens quickly. It’s a better idea to take a shot on a wide receiver in the first round than it is a running back. Robinson might be taken at the No. 23 slot in the opening round, but if that happens it should be by a team that acquires the pick from the Vikings.
Matt Anderson-Vikings Wire Contributor
Many consider Johnston one of the top wide receiver prospects in the draft class. I believe he has the potential to be a good receiver at the next level, but I have concerns about his ability to dominate. Despite his excellent run-after-the-catch ability, he is a bigger-bodied receiver who often fails to utilize his size and frame to outmatch opposing defensive backs. I don’t see Johnston as someone who can consistently dominate at the next level.
Kevin Fielder-Vikings Wire Contributor
This isn’t a slight at Will Levis or his ability to be an NFL quarterback. It’s actually the opposite because I think Levis would be a great fit in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. My problems with Levis to the Vikings comes more with the amount of draft picks it would take to move up into the top 10 to select him. If it takes three 1st round picks to move up to take him, the Vikings aren’t exactly setting themselves up for the future, and such a move will hurt their ability to get quality players at other positions of need, including wide receiver and cornerback. The Vikings need a quarterback of the future, but they shouldn’t mortgage their entire future for one yet.
