The Viking Age
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Minnesota Vikings five biggest needs heading into the NFL Combine

By Adam Carlson

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 03: Running back Dalvin Cook of Florida State runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 3, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 03: Running back Dalvin Cook of Florida State runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 3, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Which positions should the Minnesota Vikings be paying the closest attention to at the 2018 NFL Combine based on their needs heading into the event?

For NFL teams, the NFL Combine is an essential time when the top collegiate prospects show off their skills and many sit down to talk with those who franchises like the Minnesota Vikings feel could be an important part in taking them to the next level.

However, there is a lot of work that needs to be put into the process before just looking at all the most highly projected college players and ranking them based only on their abilities. They also need to account for their team needs.

Heading into the combine, knowing what positions need the most evaluation and which prospects to key in on is essential in finding that player who might slip through the fingers of other teams and end up in the laps of the Vikings.

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Here are the five biggest needs that the Minnesota Vikings have as they head into the 2018 NFL combine:

  1. Quarterback – Yes, this will likely be addressed in free agency, but Minnesota only has Kyle Sloter returning from last year and don’t want to leave out evaluating passers in case (knock on wood) free agency turns out to be a disaster for the Vikings. (Workouts: March 3)
  2. Guard – Both starting guards from 2017 (Nick Easton and Joe Berger) are scheduled to become free agents and Minnesota needs to do their best to ensure they have the best talent necessary to protect their quarterback and create holes in the run game. Expect Minnesota to be VERY thorough in their evaluations of guards. (Workouts: March 2)
  3. Cornerback – Terence Newman is a free agent. That means that there are some big question marks when you look past Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander on the depth chart. Even if they do bring Newman back, having one more young defensive back to develop would be important. (Workouts: March 5)
  4. Defensive Tackle – If the Vikings can’t bring back Tom Johnson, they will need to find bodies to bring in. Jaleel Johnson would be the best option to put next to Linval Joseph right now, but this could be a position where the Vikings attack in free agency AND use a draft pick on. (Workouts: March 4)
  5. Kicker – Odds are that Kai Forbath will come back on a smaller deal to compete once again with a rookie or young kicker. That means Minnesota will likely be doing a lot of evaluation of late-round or undrafted free agent kickers this year. (Workouts: March 2)

Next: Joe Berger wants to play in 2018

Do you agree with this list of the five biggest needs for the Minnesota Vikings as the franchise prepares for the 2018 NFL Combine? Or is there a bigger position of need for the team that was not listed? Let us know in the comments section below.

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