The Viking Age
FanSided

5 prospects the Vikings could trade back into the first round for

By Nik Edlund

IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 08: Tight end Noah Fant #87 of the Iowa Hawkeyes is wrapped up during the first half by linebacker Mike Rose #23 of the Iowa State Cyclones on September 8, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- SEPTEMBER 08: Tight end Noah Fant #87 of the Iowa Hawkeyes is wrapped up during the first half by linebacker Mike Rose #23 of the Iowa State Cyclones on September 8, 2018 at Kinnick Stadium, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Josh Jacobs
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Josh Jacobs /

Josh Jacobs – RB (Alabama)

Yes, this one is far-fetched, but there is a possibility of it happening. This is a fairly deep running back class, but Jacobs is clearly the best runner available in this draft and it might be a full round before one is selected after him.

The Vikings could decide they want the best back in the draft and don’t want to wait for whatever scraps are left lying around in the middle rounds.

Jacobs has a solid and powerful frame standing 5-foot-10 and weighing in at 220 pounds. He runs with great vision and patience and he waits for the holes to open before bursting through them.

Jacobs isn’t a burner but he is plenty fast and very quick. He’s an excellent receiver coming out of the backfield and he is the kind of back who could catch 50-plus balls per season. His pass protection needs some work, but this guy is going to be a dynamic back in the NFL and a starter very early in his career.

If the Vikings move up to take a running back like Jacobs, it would speak volumes about how they currently feel about Dalvin Cook. It would show Minnesota has very little confidence in Cook’s ability to stay healthy for an entire season and that they may even be ready to move on.

Jacobs is someone who could come in and split the load with Cook and take over as the primary back if he were to get hurt again in 2019. If this were to actually happen, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Jacobs take over the starting job permanently and then Cook be delegated to backup duties.

While Jacobs and Cook have similar running styles, they would be a heck of a one-two punch as a tandem and they would be extremely difficult for opposing defenses to contain. The thought of that and the insurance of having another high caliber running back on the roster, in case of another Cook injury, could make moving back into round one for this guy worth it for the Vikings this year.

5 offensive tackles the Vikings could draft in 2019. light. Related Story

(For more NFL Draft and Vikings-related content from Nik Edlund, head on over to SkolHole.com and check out his work.)

Home/Minnesota Vikings Draft