Recent 2019 mock draft has the Vikings picking a corner in the first round

In their latest 2019 mock draft, The Ringer went ahead and made Mike Zimmer happy by having the Minnesota Vikings select a cornerback with their first-round pick.

Heading into the 2019 NFL Draft, there are a number of different directions the Minnesota Vikings could go with their first-round selection.

Improving their offensive line is obviously something that the Vikings must try and do during this year’s draft. But they also don’t want to reach for a blocker in the first round if the prospect they want might still be around in round two.

So if Minnesota doesn’t like any of the offensive linemen that are left on the board when it comes time for them to make their first-round pick this year, they may switch their focus to adding a prospect from the defensive side of the ball.

Based on their most recent 2019 mock draft, this is a direction that The Ringer believes the Vikings will take. And not only do they think Minnesota will select a defensive player with their first-round selection, they went with a cornerback as the team’s first pick in 2019.

That’s right, a cornerback. A year after the Vikings selected UCF corner Mike Hughes with their first-round draft pick, The Ringer has them going with Washington’s Byron Murphy with their first selection of 2019.

Murphy is regarded by some as the best cornerback available in this year’s draft class. He’s not the biggest guy in the world (5-foot-11, 190 pounds), but he makes up for it with his quickness and his ability to shadow his coverage.

While many Minnesota fans may hate the idea of their favorite team drafting a cornerback in the first round for the second-straight year, it is certainly something that actually shouldn’t be ruled out as a possibility.

With Mackensie Alexander and Trae Waynes both entering the final year of their contracts, the Vikings may need someone new to play in the slot or be their No. 2 corner as soon as the 2020 season.

Considering the other needs that Minnesota has this year, it would still be a little surprising to see them use their first pick of 2019 on a cornerback. But then again, never underestimate the possibility of this happening as long as Mike Zimmer continues to be the Vikings’ head coach.