7 safeties the Minnesota Vikings could select in the 2022 NFL Draft

Bryan Cook (Cincinnati)

Measurements:

• Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 206 pounds

2021 Stats:

• 96 tackles
• 2 interceptions
• 9 passes defended
• 5 tackles for loss

Cincinnati’s memorable run to the college football playoffs saw many prospects shoot up draft boards as a result. This not only serves as an inspiration to less-heralded programs moving forward, but it should also make more NFL teams sit up and take notice of what’s transpiring outside of the power five for good measure.

Bryan Cook was a key cog for the Bearcats in 2021, playing with a swagger that was matched by some outstanding production almost from start to finish. The safety is a highly intelligent player on the field, which allows him to be in the right positions more often than not and make a difference thanks to some dominant tackling that really caught the eye last time around.

Cook has enough in his locker to perform well in coverage. He times his jump on the football sufficiently and anticipates how a play is going to develop quickly, too.

If there was a knock on Cook, it’s that his athleticism might not be first-class. The prospect struggles to keep up with speedier weapons in the passing game and although he got away with this in college, it won’t be anything like the same upon arriving in the NFL.

Should the Minnesota Vikings decide to go in a different direction with their first-round pick, then Cook could be a nice pickup with long-term upside at some stage on Day 2 or 3 if he makes it that far down the pecking order.