5 players the Minnesota Vikings regret not drafting in 2020

Jeremy Chinn – S

The Vikings took Ezra Cleveland with their second-round choice in the 2020 draft, but they should’ve grabbed this playmaker from Southern Illinois instead.

Anyone not on board with this choice would argue that the Vikings already have enough safeties, especially if they did go back and take Antoine Winfield Jr. as this article suggests. That doesn’t matter because Jeremy Chinn could’ve been used as a linebacker this season and then converted to safety after Anthony Harris’ expected exit in free agency in a couple of months.

Chinn was used in dual roles in his first year with the Carolina Panthers this season, playing both linebacker and safety. He proved to be a game-changing type of talent with 117 tackles, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two tackles for a loss, an interception, and two touchdowns.

The Vikings got a first-hand look at his ability when they squared off with the Panthers this past season. Chinn had touchdowns on back-to-back plays during the matchup, forcing a fumble and stripping away the football. He’s got a nose for the ball and he plays with an aggression that is not seen in most players around the NFL.

Chinn would have been an excellent addition to Minnesota’s defense. He would’ve filled a major hole at linebacker this past season and he would have been viewed as the future replacement for Harris as one of the team’s starting safeties.

If the Vikings would’ve chosen him, they could’ve had landed both the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year in the same class, and that would’ve been one hell of a feat for general manager Rick Spielman.