Minnesota Vikings seven-round mock draft
By Dan Zinski
Round Four, Pick 121
DeAndre Houston-Carson – S – William & Mary
Mike Zimmer likes “smart, good football players” and that’s exactly what Houston-Carson is. His speed may not be great but scouts love his coverage instincts and ballhawking ability. If the Vikes do draft him, Zim and Jerry Gray will have to put in some work teaching him how to play angles and tackle, but there’s a lot of raw ability here. The biggest plus on Houston-Carson, a former cornerback, may be his one-on-one coverage ability.
Round Five, Pick 160
Joe Dahl – OG – Washington State
Toughness and tenacity are the words scouts bring up about Dahl, which sort of says all you need to know about his athletic ability (they don’t praise your tenacity if you’re a high-end athlete, okay?). Can play guard or tackle but probably winds up a guard due to his physical limitations. T.J. Lang is a name that gets thrown around when looking for an NFL comp for Dahl. The Vikes picked up LG Alex Boone in free agency and have a couple guys to compete at right guard but it never hurts to have one more man in the mix.