Vikings Draft 2022: Final seven-round 2022 mock draft
By Adam Carlson
Round 5 – Pick 156: Joshua Ezeudu, G – North Carolina
At this point in the 2022 NFL Draft, most Minnesota Vikings fans will likely be pounding the table for an Offensive lineman. With the Vikings bringing in many players to compete for the starting right guard position, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team wait since they signed several right guard candidates and seem to believe in Garrett Bradbury at center.
Landing Joshua Ezeudu in Round 5 is an interesting investment in the line. He’s not a polished product and will need time to develop, but if a team can make his technique solid and work with his hand placement, the 6’4 and 308-pound blocker has extremely high potential.
Ezeudu has the potential to play guard or tackle if needed and shows some great footwork. With the recent signings and current roster, the Vikings would have time to bring him along slowly, even place him on the practice squad until he is ready.
The comparison made by NFL.com is former Bengals right guard Alex Redmond. He was given a grade of 6.13 (Good Backup With The Potential To Develop Into Starter) with a Next-Gen Stats score of 79.