7-round Vikings mock draft for every 2022 NFL Draft scenario
Mock Draft No. 2
Scenario: Trade up
Our second scenario here is what I feel is the least likely in trading up. A lot of trades in the first round involve targeting a quarterback, and that will almost certainly not be the case for Minnesota. The Vikings have not traded up in the first round since 2014 when they slid into pick No. 32 for Teddy Bridgewater.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Wall Street and economical background will probably make him more likely to trade back and acquire more assets than give up future assets to move up a few picks. However, we have not seen how he operates, so we cannot rule it out.
In this scenario, we will envision the Vikings falling in love with a prospect so much so that they feel they need to leapfrog the teams in front of them to select him. As the roster currently stands, the position of that prospect is likely a cornerback, and that is what I traded up for in this mock.
The chances that one of the top two cornerbacks, Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr., are available at pick No. 8 are pretty good, so I traded picks No. 12, 156, and a 2023 second-round pick for picks No. 8 and 114 from the Atlanta Falcons. This is the mock draft that followed.
R1: Pick No. 8
- Derek Stingley Jr. – CB (LSU)
I had the luxury of choosing between both Gardner and Stingley Jr. here and went with the LSU product. Feel free to imagine this pick as Gardner if that is who you fancy.
If Stingley had been draft-eligible after LSU’s championship season in 2019, he undoubtedly would have been drafted ahead of his teammate Justin Jefferson. The talent he put on display was unmatched at the corner position.
Injuries have prevented him from getting back to that top-tier level, but the potential is there. His experience in press-man coverage will fit well with Donatell’s defensive scheme.
R2: Pick No. 46
- Skyy Moore – WR (Western Michigan)
Similar to the Olave selection in the previous mock, this pick is all about getting the Vikings’ offense another weapon.
Per PFF, his 26 missed tackles forced led the country for WRs. Getting him the ball and letting him put up yards after the catch could be an incredibly fun addition to this offense.
R3: Pick No. 77
- Dohnovan West – C (Arizona State)
If the writing was not already on the wall for Garrett Bradbury, it most certainly is now with the selection of a center. West gives Minnesota another player to compete along the interior offensive line as they attempt a “throw spaghetti noodles at the wall and see what sticks” approach.
R4: Pick No. 114
- Matthew Butler – DL (Tennessee)
Similar to the Elliss selection in the last mock draft, taking Butler here is just getting another body for some depth behind Harrison Phillips, Dalvin Tomlinson, and company.
R6: Pick No. 184
- Nephi Sewell – LB (Utah)
To answer your question, yes, Nephi Sewell is the brother of Penei Sewell. The Vikings could use some linebacker depth, so Sewell makes sense here.
R6: Pick No. 191
- Zonovan Knight – RB (NC State)
A late-round RB selection just seems to make sense for the Vikings, preparing for life post-Mattison.
R6: Pick No. 192
- Tycen Anderson – S (Toledo)
Depth in the secondary will be important for Minnesota in this draft, as that is currently their biggest weakness at this point. Anderson gets to learn under potential future Hall of Famer Harrison Smith.
R7: Pick No. 250
- Ben Brown – OG (Ole Miss)
One last spaghetti noodle on the wall here. Having the name Ben Brown just screams NFL journeyman guard, so he has that going for him already.