Vikings Draft 2021: Three-round all defense mock draft
By Adam Carlson
Third Round (Pick No. 79)
Paris Ford – S (Pittsburgh)
The secondary for the Minnesota Vikings was struggling last year. With new starters in place and a lot of young talent, the injury bug hit, and the team was signing free agents to fill in an attempt to stop their opponents. Now, another starter is likely leaving with Anthony Harris hitting free agency and expected to draw a nice payday from a safety-needy team.
I’ve made it no secret in my past mock drafts that Paris Ford is my draft crush. He is an exceptional playmaker with great closing speed who could open up things for Harrison Smith to do more than back into coverage as much he did in 2020.
Ford is a great blend of physical play, athleticism, and aggressiveness that could make him an NFL superstar. However, those traits can also get him in trouble since he can overplay or forget fundamentals at times.
With the coaching of Mike Zimmer and his staff, those kinds of mistakes can be minimized and Ford can prove that his smaller size won’t hold him back from proving he can be a long-term answer for the Minnesota Vikings at safety.