Defensive Prospects
You cannot go undefeated in college football with a poor defense. Ohio State has the best defense in the nation this season and an abundance of future NFL players.
Chase Young is the star and rightfully so. The Vikings would love to have him on their roster next year, but there is no way he falls anywhere close to where they will be making their first-round draft pick in 2020.
Buckeyes nose tackle Robert Landers may be more of a possibility for Minnesota later in the draft. Landers is a bit undersized as an interior lineman, but he produces when he is on the field. The 6-foot-1, 283-pound lineman gets leverage thanks to his shorter stature. In limited time this season, Landers has 5.5 TFL and 0.5 sacks. He could be an option for the Vikings on Day 3.
The linebackers for Ohio State are phenomenal across the board. Malik Harrison leads the team with 69 tackles this season. 16 of these tackles were behind the line of scrimmage and 3.5 were sacks. Harrison can come down and stop the run or defend the pass as he recorded four pass deflections this year as well.
Pete Werner is another name to watch late in the 2020 draft. He picked up 58 tackles and 5.0 TFL to go along with three pass breakups and two fumble recoveries this season. If Minnesota wants a special teams ace or a dominant third linebacker, Werner is an option.
With the Vikings secondary struggling this season, it is good to know that the Buckeyes have several defensive backs for them to consider.
Jeffrey Okudah would be a wonderful selection, but he might be the first cornerback off the board in 2020. Shaun Wade is a real option in the first round if Minnesota chooses to go that route. He is tied for the team lead with seven pass breakups this season. As a redshirt sophomore, Wade is still raw. There is a lot to work with and his traits should be enough to land him in the first round of next year’s draft.
If I were in charge of the Vikings, I would go after Damon Arnette in the fourth round if he is still around. Arnette is a slot corner with an attitude. He has five career interceptions and 21 breakups to go along with two forced fumbles and 139 tackles. Arnette is not afraid to attack the ball and would be a great nickel corner in Mike Zimmer’s defense.
Finally, safety Jordan Fuller is a leader of the Ohio State defense. He does it all for the Buckeyes defense. In four seasons, Fuller has 211 tackles, five interceptions, 5.0 TFLs, 10 pass breakups, and three fumble recoveries.
With the future of the secondary up in the air, the Vikings may try to add extra safeties in the 2020 draft. I would be comfortable taking Fuller in the third round – depending on how the board sits – but I do not know how the NFL will value a safety on draft day.
Add us as a preferred source on Google