5 prospects the Vikings could reach for with their 2021 first-round pick

(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) Trevon Moehrig
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) Trevon Moehrig
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Minnesota Vikings
(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) Jalen Mayfield

Which prospects could the Minnesota Vikings reach for in the 2021 NFL Draft?

The 2020 Minnesota Vikings were a disappointing group who fell far from the high expectations they set for themselves. After having Super Bowl aspirations, the team ended up at 7-9 and didn’t make the playoffs even with an expanded field.

The biggest reason for this, aside from injuries, was the poor play of the defense. The Vikings couldn’t slow down opponents passing games, as the lack of pressure up front gave opposing quarterbacks all the time in the world to scan the field and find the open man.

With a group of cornerbacks largely made up of inexperienced rookies and second-year players, this was a mismatch that caused a once-proud defensive unit to become one of the worst in the league.

The Vikings scored plenty of points on offense but the defense couldn’t hold onto leads. The team has some very obvious holes to fill. They need another pass rusher, a penetrating defensive tackle, a new starting safety, and interior offensive line help.

This could force the team to reach for a player with their first choice at pick 14, and here are some of those players they could force in the first round.

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