Minnesota Vikings: 5 prospects worth reaching for at the 2021 NFL Draft

Paulson Adebo – CB (Stanford)

Measurements:

• Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 190 pounds

2019 stats (opted out of 2020):

• 33 tackles
• 4 interceptions
• 10 pass deflections

There aren’t many reaches that make sense in the first round, especially given Minnesota’s needs and the projection that they will land a top offensive lineman early on. The players they have been linked to all make plenty of sense and fit the value throughout the first round so I will start this list in the middle rounds.

Stanford’s Paulson Adebo was one of my top cornerbacks in 2020 before he returned to school for another season. He wound up opting out of the 2020 season so he has just two years of worthy experience and has not seen action in over a year. Now, his value has dropped substantially and is lost in the shuffle of a top-heavy cornerback class.

Adebo is a very good athlete on the outside but his best trait is his ability to track the ball and make plays in the air. He does a good job in press but flips his hips to turn and run on deeper routes. What really stands out is his knack for playing the ball like a receiver.

In his two seasons at Stanford, Adebo snagged eight interceptions and recorded 27 pass deflections. He is remarkable as a coverage guy and has the size to be a starting-caliber guy at the next level. The Minnesota Vikings would be smart to land him in the third round.