Minnesota Vikings: Redrafting the team’s 2020 NFL Draft class
By Nik Edlund
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Original Pick (117): D.J. Wonnum – DE (South Carolina)
The Minnesota Vikings took defensive end D.J. Wonnum with their first choice of the fourth round. A few in the media believed this was a little early as he was seen as a bit of a project. Wonnum hasn’t lit the world on fire through the first eight games of the season, but he’s had his moments.
Wonnum has two sacks, a forced fumble, and seven tackles. He’s shown flashes of being a capable NFL pass rusher and has given the coaching staff hope he can develop under the tutelage of Andre Patterson.
Redraft: Wonnum
Knowing what they know now, the Vikings would pick Wonnum again. The biggest reason is for that hit he put on Aaron Rodgers to seal the win at Lambeau Field. The way he accelerated to catch up to Rodgers and then hit, and swatted his arm as he threw, was a thing of beauty and made that fourth round investment so worth it for the Vikings and their fans.
Original Pick (130): James Lynch – DT (Baylor)
The Vikings took DT James Lynch with their second fourth-round choice. The penetrating defensive tackle was coming off a season where he posted 13.5 sacks as a junior, and the Vikings needed a three-technique disruptor and Lynch seemed to be a perfect fit.
Through eight games, that hasn’t been the case. Lynch had one moment of greatness when he bull-rushed his way to a sack against the Seahawks but has been quiet since.
Redraft: L’Jarius Sneed – CB (Louisiana Tech)
With a second shot at this, the Vikings may have looked to add some more help to their cornerback group with this ball-hawking corner/safety from Louisiana Tech. Sneed has just 11 tackles on the season but has two interceptions and three pass breakups.
He was thrown into the fire in Kansas City and held his own for the most part. He’d have been a great fit in a Vikings’ cornerback corps that has been depleted by injuries this season.
Original Pick (132): Troy Dye – LB (Oregon)
Many figured the Vikings got a steal with Dye when he fell to them in the fourth round. Even though he was considered a great value, many figured we wouldn’t see much of him due to him playing behind Anthony Barr and Eric Wilson. Injuries forced Dye into action early in the season and he didn’t exactly light the world on fire with that opportunity.
Dye has battled injuries this season and missed a bunch of games but has just 5 tackles on the season. He hasn’t flashed that elite athleticism and made the splash plays that many were assuming would come easy to him. He has only appeared in four games, so it is certainly possible the best we see out of Dye is still to come.
Redraft: Darnell Mooney – WR (Tulane)
If the Vikings had a second chance at their last fourth-round pick, they could look to add another playmaker to their offense. Mooney has been a huge surprise for the Bears and has put up impressive numbers utilizing his blazing speed. He isn’t the biggest player standing just 5″10′ but is very quick twitched and is already running routes like a seasoned veteran.
Mooney has caught 31 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns. The guy has been hampered by shoddy quarterback play, but his stat line doesn’t show it. He’d be a great fit on the Vikings’ offense and would form quite the threesome with Thielen and Jefferson.