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Minnesota Vikings Draft 2017: Final rankings and grades – Defense

By Jordan Reid

Sep 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; General view of the Minnesota Vikings logo at midfield during a NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; General view of the Minnesota Vikings logo at midfield during a NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster (10) during warm-ups before the 2016 CFP Semifinal against the Washington Huskies at the Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Washington 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster (10) during warm-ups before the 2016 CFP Semifinal against the Washington Huskies at the Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Washington 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
Prospect Name School Rank Height Weight Round Grade
Reuben Foster Alabama 1 6-1 236 1
Haason Reddick Temple 2 6-1 230 1
Jarrad Davis Florida 3 6-1 238 1
Tyus Bowser Houston 4 6-2 240 1
Zach Cunningham Vanderbilt 5 6-3 230 2
Raekwon McMillan Ohio State 6 6-0 240 3
Alex Anzalone Florida 7 6-1 240 3-4
Duke Riley LSU 8 6-0 232 3-4
Elijah Lee Kansas State 9 6-3 230 4
Vince Biegel Wisconsin 10 6-4 245 4
Jayon Brown UCLA 11 5-11 220 4-5
Ryan Anderson Alabama 12 6-1 240 4-5
Anthony Walker Northwestern 13 6-0 230 4-5
Jalen Reeves-Maybin Tennessee 14 6-0 230 5
Blair Brown Ohio 15 5-11 240 5

  • Zach Cunningham – Vanderbilt

A fast riser during the early parts of draft season, Cunningham’s stock has fizzled out a bit. During the season, he was considered a consensus first-round selection, but some have since backed off from that stance. Cunningham has his flaws, but he is an instinctive LB.

The biggest concern with him is his constant missed tackles. He plays with a reckless style and fails to wrap up runners. At times, he also fails to disengage off of blocks. Outside of those two factors, Cunningham is an ideal fit as a Will LB. He’s not a prospect that’s going to be able to sustain being a Mike or Sam LB where he has to consistently take on blocks.

Age: 22  (12/12/1994)

NFL Comparison: Travis Feeney

  • Duke Riley – LSU

Over the past three seasons, LSU has become a LB factory. They are the sole producers of the “new age” three-down LB. Now that the NFL has become mostly a passing league, those two-down thumper type of LBs are long gone. The league has now turned to LBs who are able to defend the pass as well as the run.

From LSU, you have seen players such as Kwon Alexander and Deion Jones go on to have immediate success. The same could be said for Duke Riley. The former Tiger isn’t the biggest in stature at 6-feet, 232 pounds, but he has the natural ability of being able to play sideline-to-sideline and consistently make plays.

Age: 22  (8/9/1994)

NFL Comparison: Kwon Alexander

  • Elijah Lee – Kansas State

A bit of a late bloomer for the Wildcats, Lee came into his own the past two seasons. He’s a modern day version of the NFL LB in that he’s long and lean, allowing him to make plays and create havoc.

He was a constant turnover creator, and always had a nose for the ball. Forced to play within the box at times, you saw some of his flaws show up. He doesn’t have the adequate strength to get offensive linemen off of him in the running game, which is why his most natural position is outside Will LB.

Age: 21  (2/8/1996)

NFL Comparison: Daryl Washington

  • Alex Anzalone – Florida

One of the most tenacious hitters in this draft, Anzalone has many tools to be an immediate contributor to a teams LB core, but he has repeatedly battled injuries throughout his collegiate career. Only playing in 10 games since 2015, he’s only been able to show small glimpses of the player he’s hopeful to become. Repeated shoulder injuries and surgeries is what has kept him out during most of his career at Florida.

Anzalone is a classic “see ball, hit ball” type of LB, meaning that he is rarely fooled by blocking schemes or ways offenses try to influence the flow of LBs. Once he identifies where the ball is going, he is running 100 mph to it. Any team that drafts Anzalone will be taking a leap of faith due to his injury history.

Age: 22  (9/22/1994)

NFL Comparison: Lavonte David

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