Which young prospects will the Minnesota Vikings use their selections on during the 2018 NFL Draft to help them in their quest for a Super Bowl next season?
The Minnesota Vikings are already one of the favorites in the stacked NFC heading into 2018. With Kirk Cousins signed at quarterback and Sheldon Richardson coming over to beef up the defensive line, the Vikings have to continue adding depth to their squad for next year’s success.
Expect Minnesota to be active in trade discussion come draft day but for the sake of this mock, the selections will stay where they are.
Offensive and defensive lineman prospects will likely be a hot topic during the war room conversations at the Minnesota’s new facility in Eagan later this month. But depending on how the draft goes ahead of their first selection (30th overall), the Vikings may surprise everyone with their choice.
It could be a trade or it could be a player that no one saw coming. That is the best part of the NFL Draft, chaos is everywhere.
One of the Vikings’ weaknesses in 2017 was the inability to rotate on the defensive line. Players like Everson Griffen, Linval Joseph, and even Tom Johnson were on the field for too many snaps.
Even with star players, it is important to rotate depth guys and keep the starters fresh.
This is where Sam Hubbard comes in. Hubbard is the type of player that just fits the mentality of Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer.
He’s scrappy, fundamentally sound and has versatility to play inside and outside. He is not going to out-athlete many of his peers but his motor never quits.
Hubbard is skilled at finding the ball carrier and staying in position to make the tackle. He is going to be an excellent in run support and he has raw ability as a pass rusher. Hubbard is a smart player and is aware of play-action fakes and opposing players heading his way.
If he can find a way to improve in rushing the quarterback, he could quickly go from starting potential to a Pro Bowl-caliber player.
With Mike Remmers potentially moving inside to guard, Crosby is almost a no-brainer here for Minnesota. He’ll likely be the top tackle available at this point in the draft and the Vikings may even need to move up a few spots to snatch him off the board.
Crosby is a player who shows consistency and longevity and projects to be a more than capable starting right tackle.
His greatest asset is his ability to move defenders in the run game. Crosby has a bit of nastiness to his game and shows a great ability finish blocks.
He has plenty of size and strength and also sets up his blocks well when moving to the second level. The young offensive tackle can maintain in pass-protection and positions his hands with excellent reachability to disrupt the defender.
His athleticism is lacking a bit, which occasionally leaves him vulnerable to skilled speed-rushers off the edge. Sliding over to the right side will help alleviate some of those issues as he continues to develop.
Last year, the Vikings picked up a major cornerstone on the offensive line with stud rookie center Pat Elflein. Going into his second season, Minnesota would be wise to make another addition to the interior offensive line since Joe Berger has now retired and Nick Easton is coming off of a major ankle injury.
Ragnow was a top tier center in the NCAA in 2017 before a suffering a severe, high ankle sprain. Playing in the SEC, Ragnow was extremely impressive.
He did not allow a sack in 2015 or 2016 and projects well for similar efficiency at the next level. Ragnow is very consistent in pass-protection and is able to hold a strong base, not giving up ground.
Like Tyrell Crosby, Ragnow also plays with aggression in the run game. He is skilled at getting downhill and using innate raw strength to drive defenders.
At the end of the day, he is not going to blow you away with the tape. He’s going to put his head down, do his job, and play with physicality. Coincidentally, that is the mindset the Vikings have built with their revamped offensive line.
Ragnow will have a chance to compete for a starting spot in 2018 and will provide solid depth at the very least.
Yes, day three of the draft is unique. Some players fall due to health concerns and some may fall because of character.
It is always tough to gauge where certain players go because at this point, NFL teams are taking their chances on risky, yet potentially rewarding prospects.
Here, we have Nathan Shepherd. At first glance some see a Division II football player, but do not judge him just on that notion.
Shepherd is an outstanding athlete who really stood out against his peers. Physically, this guy is as gifted as many of the players who will go ahead of him at his position.
Obviously, the competition he faced during college is still a concern. Shepherd did make an appearance at the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl, but he has not played against anywhere near the level of competition he will see at the next level.
He will be extremely raw but that can also be attracting to an NFL coaching staff.
Shepherd is quick off the ball and is very explosive, disrupting the flow of the opposing offensive line. He has an array of moves to get over the edge of the blocker and slide into the backfield.
He moves in space very well, which should allow him to cover ground and provide healthy support in defending the run.
The real intrigue, however, comes from his projection as a pass-rusher. Mike Zimmer could potentially mold Shepherd’s raw traits and turn him into a solid, capable three-technique for the future.
The Vikings still need to add a defensive back in this draft despite already having potentially the most talented secondary in the NFL.
Minnesota should stick with Mackenzie Alexander in the slot, as he showed enormous improvement in year two. That leaves Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes on the outside, where both performed exceptionally last season.
However, the Vikings need depth. The front office is currently working on bringing Terence Newman back into the fold for one more season, but they can never have enough defensive backs.
Wallace is an underrated prospect that nobody is talking about. He played his college ball at Alabama and showed many gritty qualities during his tenure in Tuscaloosa.
He was finally able to crack the starting lineup in 2017 as a senior and played at a high level given the circumstances.
Playing opposite of Minkah Fitzpatrick, Wallace was targeted often. According to NFL.com, he led Nick Saban’s Alabama defense with 15 pass breakups. He also snagged three interceptions in 2017.
Wallace will not stand out athletically and he ran an abnormally slow 40-yard dash time of 4.63 seconds. But he shows up for work each day and simply does his job.
With his production and ball skills shown at Alabama, there is hope for Wallace to possibly make an impression in the NFL.
Many organizations across the NFL will not even have Callaway on their draft board this year. His past is linked to trouble in many different places.
According to NFL.com, Callaway did not even play in 2017 due to his involvement in a credit card fraud scandal with other Florida teammates. But if we look on the field, there is no doubt that he is a high-level talent in this year’s class.
Without the troubles off the field, Callaway would be a name headlining this 2018 wide receiver class.
There is no doubting his athleticism. He is absolutely electric with the ball in his hands and has also showed skill as a returner on special teams. The young pass-catcher has scored on rushing, receiving, and returning opportunities, showing the true versatility of his game.
As a receiver, Callaway bolts off the line. He is explosive enough to blow by the coverage and get behind the defense as a vertical threat.
Callaway easily creates separation on short routes as well with quickness off the line. His talent is going to project well, but it remains to be seen if his behavioral issues are behind him.
He has all the tools to become a star receiver in the NFL, but his behavior has been wildly flawed. No one would blame Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer if they went in another direction here, but Minnesota has been a place for career turnarounds in the past (Cris Carter to name one).
If the Vikings believe in Laquon Treadwell, there is no reason to make this pick. But if they do not, Callaway could be the project to replace Treadwell in the near future.
Cichy is an entertaining player to watch. He truly plays the game in its purest form.
He is hard-nosed, instinctual, reactive, and very aggressive. Cichy plays fast and positions himself well to be a downhill force against inside runs. Unfortunately, he drops in this draft after sitting out 2017 with to a knee injury.
Cichy will not blow you away athletically, and a lack of overall speed will call his range as a tackler into question. He’s not physically gifted, so most scouts do not view him to have a high ceiling in the NFL.
However, Cichy shows other traits that many other prospects lack. Leadership can be understate, but his effect on his Wisconsin teammates was evident. Cichy will be a guy who is going to have to prove himself in the NFL.
The Vikings would be an excellent landing spot for him. He could work behind players like Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks and provide valuable depth if he stays healthy.
At the very least, Cichy will be a key cog in the rotation on special teams. If he can prove to stay durable as a rookie, the Wisconsin alum may be able to compete with Ben Gedeon for Minnesota’s third linebacker spot.
Former Vikings running back Jerick McKinnon has taken his talents to the Bay in San Francisco as he looks for a new role and a new chapter in his NFL career. McKinnon was an excellent player for the Minnesota who was not utilized enough due to the presence of players like Adrian Peterson and Dalvin Cook.
Despite being able to retain Latavius Murray this offseason, the Vikings should look to add another back in this year’s draft who can serve as a change of pace.
Jackson is certainly not a runner who is going to carry the workload for an NFL team. He has a small frame, but there are some positives that come out of that.
Jackson almost resembles McKinnon in the way that he runs in between the tackles. He is very athletic and flexible and has a knack for dipping and diving around defenders to pick up extra yardage.
Next: 4 cornerbacks the Vikings could draft in 2018
The main reason Jackson will be drafted though, is his athletic ability. He is very quick out in space and his agility can make defenders miss with ease.