Who will be the best players available when the Minnesota Vikings are on the clock in this year’s NFL Draft?
The 2021 NFL Draft is just a little over two months away which means it’s time to look at every single possibility for the Minnesota Vikings. They can go in several directions come April’s draft as they look to fill out an already-promising roster.
What would happen if the Vikings chose to stick to their board, regardless of needs, and select the best player available? Using The Draft Network’s mock draft machine in conjunction with my own rankings, here is a look at the best player available approach.
First Round (No. 14 overall)
Samuel Cosmi – OT (Texas)
This plays out pretty well for the Vikings as Samuel Cosmi was a preseason favorite to be the second tackle selected in this draft before the rise of Rashawn Slater and Christian Darrisaw. Cosmi is still a very talented prospect who anchored the left side at Texas, starting 34 games for the Longhorns in his career.
The Vikings have a long-term question mark at left tackle with Riley Reiff’s future up in the air and Ezra Cleveland potentially settling in at one of the guard spots. If Minnesota has the opportunity to shed Reiff’s salary and get younger at tackle, Cosmi is not a throwaway option by any means.
Cosmi can step in from Day 1 and start at either tackle spot and be a force in the run game. While he may struggle a bit as a pure mauler and a pass-protector, he moves very well for his size and he can be a long-term upgrade on Kirk Cousins‘ backside.
Third Round (Pick No. 79)
Tyson Campbell – CB (Georgia)
Georgia had a very fun defense from a draft perspective in 2020. Several defensive playmakers will be drafted this year and two cornerbacks could be selected in the top 100 picks. Tyson Campbell is one of these guys and he is the type of player that the Vikings need.
Campbell has the size and physicality to play on the outside for Minnesota in 2021. The Vikings will be fine at the nickel with Jeff Gladney and Mike Hughes, two former first-round selections. But pairing two third-round picks on the outside will also set the Vikings up for the future. Campbell and Cameron Dantzler could be a terrifying duo for Mike Zimmer.
Campbell uses his eyes and hands very well for a young cornerback and he has a solid 6-foot-2 frame to shut down opposing receivers. There is still some work to do with Campbell, however, which is why he might be available in the third round.
He can be a bit too handsy at times and he was lucky to not be called on some pass interferences, which can be a good or a bad thing. Is he good at hiding his hands or did the refs just miss it? Either way, he will want to clean things up at the next level.
Third Round (Pick No. 91)
Jabril Cox – LB (LSU)
Jabril Cox might not make it to the end of the third round or even out of the second. He was an absolute stud at North Dakota State before transferring to LSU for his final season of college ball.
The Vikings are not desperate for a linebacker, but they need depth in a major way. When Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr went down this past season, the second level of Minnesota’s defense was an embarrassment, just ask Alvin Kamara.
Cox is a guy that can bring leadership and plenty of experience to that linebacker room. He is an excellent coverage linebacker who can take the role of Eric Wilson for the Vikings while also being a cheaper option. Not to mention Cox is a much better tackler and run defender than Wilson, who was a massive liability at times in 2020.
Adding Cox to the defense next to Barr and Kendricks would be a respectable move for Minnesota and it might even pave the way for them to move on from Barr’s contract in 2022 should they feel the desire to do so.
By no means is Cox a perfect prospect, but the value at this spot is incredible. The Vikings have to find a way to fix the defense and add depth however they can this offseason and Cox is someone who can provide just that.
Fourth Round (Pick No. 120)
Kelvin Joseph – CB (Kentucky)
Double-dipping at cornerback is nothing new for the Vikings and there’s no need to expect anything different this year, especially given the ups and downs of last year’s secondary.
Kelvin Joseph does not have much film or experience to his name, as he played in just 20 games at the collegiate level. After a transfer year forced him to sit out of 2019, Joseph opted out after nine games for Kentucky in 2020.
He is another long cornerback that would be a bit of a developmental piece for Mike Zimmer to work with. In this scenario, keep in mind Minnesota would already have its starting cornerbacks already on paper, so Joseph would not be forced into action right away.
Injuries and youth in the secondary make for another interesting season in Minnesota, but adding to the group will only give the team more options. Joseph has the tools to be a quality outside corner and he flashed for the Wildcats in 2020 as he recorded four interceptions and a pick-six.
Fourth Round (Pick No. 126)
Dyami Brown – WR (North Carolina)
Let me introduce you to my favorite player in this entire draft class. Dyami Brown was at the center of one of the most exciting offenses in college football last season. He is an exhilarating playmaker with the ball that can change the game in a heartbeat.
He racked up 55 catches for 1,099 yards and eight touchdowns for the Tar Heels in 2020. In fact, Brown had back-to-back seasons of at least 50 receptions, 1,000 yards, and eight touchdowns to cap off his career at UNC.
While Brown may not be a big test guy with eye-popping numbers, he is going to be an immediate difference-maker in the NFL. He is great after the catch and he loves to attack over the middle of the field.
The Vikings have a need at wide receiver beyond Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson, but maybe not enough of one to reach for a receiver early in the draft. Instead, waiting to add receiving help until the middle of the draft could be beneficial to Kirk Cousins and Klint Kubiak.
All I ask is that Brown has been selected by Minnesota by the time the 2021 NFL Draft is complete.
Fourth Round (Pick No. 136)
Daelin Hayes – EDGE (Notre Dame)
The Vikings have yet to address the defensive line in this mock draft, another area of tremendous need heading into next season. Danielle Hunter will return to the squad in 2021, but he cannot be the only reliable pass rusher fresh off of a neck injury that sidelined him for a full season.
While the defensive line will probably be a focal point in both the draft and in free agency for Minnesota this year, finding the right value for an edge rusher has to be more important than reaching. Daelin Hayes is a player that could be a nice project to follow in the footsteps of Hunter and Ifeadi Odenigbo.
He’s got the build and the makeup to be a starting edge rusher down the line, but that’s probably a bit in the distance as things stand. His single-season career-high at Notre Dame was only three sacks, which does not pop off the page, and it will raise questions about his production.
Nine total sacks over five seasons at Notre Dame is not going to do Hayes any favors and it will be a big reason why he will likely be available this late in the draft.
He was originally an outside linebacker and has bounced to the line, but his best fit is still probably as a standup rusher. While that doesn’t fit Minnesota’s defense at all, they could take a chance on him as a three-point rusher.
Fourth Round (Pick No. 144)
James Wiggins – S (Cincinnati)
The Cincinnati Bearcats had one of the best defenses in the nation in 2020 and James Wiggins was a big factor. The senior safety bounced back from a torn ACL that took away his 2019 campaign and he helped the Bearcats rank near the top of the NCAA.
Wiggins had four interceptions, five pass breakups, and a forced fumble in 2018, and he was primed for a huge year in 2019. Once he returned in 2020, he was still able to have an impact in the nine games he played for Cincinnati.
He racked up an interception, a forced fumble, and six pass breakups as a redshirt senior. The Vikings have a big decision to make with Anthony Harris potentially leaving a hole at safety. Wiggins is one of many safety prospects that could be in the cards for Minnesota in this draft.
This year’s safety class is very enticing and the Vikings could possibly take one of the nation’s best earlier in the draft, but Wiggins in the fourth round is also worth consideration.
3 out-of-the-box options for the Vikings in first round of the 2021 NFL Draft
Who are some prospects that the Minnesota Vikings could consider in the 2021 NFL Draft that may be a little out of the box?
Harrison Smith is also on the wrong side of 30, making for another tough decision in the coming years. At some point, Minnesota will need to evaluate all options and move on at safety, although that could still be a few years away.