5-round post-Za’Darius Smith signing mock draft for the Vikings

Third-round pick:

Calvin Austin III – WR (Memphis)

The Minnesota Vikings go for a home run swing and use their third-round pick on a dynamic weapon for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. O’Connell was with the Rams when they spent a second-round pick on wide receiver Tutu Atwell despite having a crowded wide receiver room already. The Vikings have a lot less depth at wide receiver and Calvin Austin III is a much better player than Atwell.

This is not the most pressing need on the roster but the Vikings cannot afford to fall into the trap of only drafting for need. That mistake caused them to spend their first two picks on Garrett Bradbury and Irv Smith back in 2019.

Calvin Austin III is an absurd athlete that can do a ton of damage with the ball in his hands. His speed and explosiveness creates problems for opposing defenses and his track background becomes apparent when Austin hits his stride.

The NFL has become an arms race with teams often looking for gimmicky players that can stretch the field vertically and horizontally. The Vikings, for what it’s worth, do not have a player like Austin that can do damage on manufactured touches.

Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen make up an incredible pass-catching duo and K.J. Osborn grew into his own last season but the Vikings need to add more weapons to the offense if they want to hang with the best teams in the NFL.

Adding a player like Austin would give Kevin O’Connell a chess piece that can elevate the offense in his first season as a head coach. If the defense still struggles, getting players that can put up points will help alleviate the issue.