First Round (No. 12 overall)
Garrett Wilson – WR (Ohio State)
Wide Receiver isn’t a primary need for the Vikings but if they are sticking true to the best player available formula and Garrett Wilson is on the board, then he needs to be the pick.
Wilson doesn’t have elite size, but he has great speed, is extremely quick out of his breaks, and runs dangerous routes. His hands are made of syrup, and he would be an explosive addition to this Minnesota offense.
Wilson has been productive all throughout his Buckeye career but exploded in 2021. As a Junior, he hauled in 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns. He did that while playing with other dangerous targets like Chris Olave and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
While wide receiver isn’t a glaring need for the Vikings, it’s hard not to get excited imagining what Wilson could do in this offense. Minnesota could line up with Jefferson and Thielen on the outside, with Wilson in the slot. That would be a trio that would be awfully hard to stop or even slow down for any defense.
One can’t forget Irv Smith Jr., KJ Osborn, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette, and suddenly the Vikings have all the receiving targets for Kevin O’Connell to do whatever he wants. It’s definitely a stretch that Minnesota would pull the trigger on Wilson, but if they are truly going by the best player available he should be the choice.