First Round (Pick No. 25)
Josh Jones – OT (Houston)
The Vikings offensive line needs work. While it was better in 2019 than it was in 2018, far too often the unit was overpowered by opposing defenses.
In most of Minnesota’s losses this season, the offensive line was completely manhandled and the team couldn’t get anything going on the ground or through the air. That can’t happen again and this unit has to improve if the Vikings are going to legitimately compete for the Super Bowl in 2020.
Minnesota needs the most help on the left side. With the No. 25 pick, they should look to find the replacement for Riley Reiff.
Overall, Reiff was pretty average in 2019, but he also had some very bad performances. He is losing a step and he really isn’t worth the roughly $13 million cap hit he’s scheduled to have in 2020. The Vikings could look to cut or restructure him this offseason and then draft his replacement.
The scary thing for Minnesota is there are plenty of teams picking ahead of them who also need an offensive tackle. The options could be slim when the Vikings are finally on the clock on the greatest Thursday night of the year. If they see a guy like Josh Jones on the board though, they should waste little time getting the pick in.
Jones is 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds. He was one of the biggest standouts at the Senior Bowl as he used his athletic ability and power to continuously dominate the defender he was lined up against.
Jones does need some work on his overall technique, but he has all the tools to be Minnesota’s left tackle of the future.