5 safeties the Vikings could select in the 2019 NFL draft
By Nik Edlund
Amani Hooker (Iowa)
Measurements:
Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 210 pounds
2018 Stats:
- 65 total tackles (3.5 for a loss), 1 sack
- 7 pass breakups, 4 interceptions
Here’s a guy that the Vikings already have a visit set up with, so they clearly have interest in the young defensive back despite him not being a typical Mike Zimmer safety.
Hooker is just 5-foot-11 with a compact muscular frame. He is a very smart player who sees the field well and anticipates where a play will go.
Hooker can be used in a plethora of ways. He can play up in the box and be used to stop the run or attack the quarterback. He can also drop into coverage and despite his height, he can stick with his man and he excels at timing the pass and knowing when to go up and knock the ball away.
Hooker doesn’t have a ton of experience, as he only appeared in just 25 games while at Iowa. In those contests, he’s accumulated 125 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, and six interceptions. Hooker isn’t a thumper, but he is a textbook tackler who sniffs the pit and wraps up well.
He is a guy who probably goes off the board somewhere between rounds two and four this year. Vikings fans may be rooting for this guy to end up in purple despite him being a Hawkeye, as he hails from Minneapolis and who doesn’t love seeing a guy playing for hometown team.