What the Vikings can expect from their 2020 seventh-round picks

Brian Cole II – S (Mississippi State)

With their third seventh-round choice, the Minnesota Vikings took their second safety of the 2020 NFL Draft by grabbing Brian Cole II from Mississippi State. Cole is an interesting prospect. He’s a former wide receiver who has only been playing the safety position as a starter for one year. Being a former wideout can help him with route recognition but the late position switch puts him behind some other prospects who have been playing safety all of their collegiate lives.

Cole has solid measurables. He’s 6-foot-2, 213 pounds and has good speed, running a 4.52-second time in the 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. That’s a nice number for a guy with that big of a frame. Cole is a work in progress. He needs to polish up his technique and overall coverage skills. He is a willing hitter but still lacks instincts to come up and smack a running back. Cole does have experience as a kick returner and that could help him land a spot on the active 53-man roster.

Cole will come in and compete for one of the backup safety spots as a rookie. He lacks the experience that his primary competition Josh Metellus and Myles Dorn have, but his upside is higher than both. Cole is a prime candidate for the practice squad where he can polish up his footwork and technique and then compete for a backup job in year two.