Minnesota Vikings 5-round 2021 mock draft: Post-Pro Day

Shaun Wade – CB/S, Ohio State

The Vikings are still very thin at safety even after the signing of Xavier Woods. Behind Woods and Harrison Smith on the depth chart are just Josh Metellus, who is a long shot to make the team in 2021, and Myles Dorn, who missed all of last season with an injury.

The chances are very high that the team takes two safeties quite early in this draft and if they are able to land Jevon Holland earlier, why not get another tweener type who could also potentially play cornerback.

Wade is an interesting prospect. A year ago he was seen as a surefire first-round pick but struggled in 2020, especially in coverage. He’s a big-time hitter who can come up and intimidate receivers and running backs and his athletic ability is off the charts. It’s that coverage aspect that is going to be an issue and he needs a lot of coaching up and film study before being tasked to cover any type of NFL receiver.

Wade’s versatility will help put an end to his draft-day slide. He makes sense for the Vikings as they have a need at both corner and safety and can be brought along slowly in year one. If he is able to absorb what he’s taught and figure out some of his coverage woes, Wade could end up being one of the bigger steals in recent Vikings’ draft memory.