Vikings seven round 2019 NFL mock draft: Final picks edition
By Adam Carlson
Round 1: Noah Fant, TE – Iowa
Okay, I’ll finally buy into the hype. Of course, the most logical pick for the Vikings with their first pick is to grab one of the elite level offensive linemen available to not only protect Kirk Cousins and open holes in the run game…but getting Kirk Cousins a weapon is tempting as well.
Fant’s teammate T.J. Hockenson will likely be off the board by the time Minnesota is on the clock in the first round, but that shouldn’t stop the Vikings from reaching out and grabbing Fant if he is also available.
Scoring 11 touchdowns and gaining 494 yards on just 30 catches in 2017, Fant proved that not only is he a great target to throw to but he can also game yards after the catch. He followed up that excellent year by increasing his catch total and yardage output.
Although the Minnesota Vikings do have Kyle Rudolph, David Morgan, Tyler Conklin, and Cole Hikutini on the roster, the future salary cap and pending free agents would mean that passing on a talent like Fant would be a bit silly if he’s still on the board.