Vikings 2023 Draft: Way-too-early 2023 mock draft
By Luke Parrish
Round 6
Bumper Pool – LB (Arkansas)
The Minnesota Vikings always look to add linebackers late in the draft, and who could blame them? Whenever injuries arise and they are forced to throw new bodies into the lineup, things have not turned out well for Minnesota. Depth at linebacker, while not an inherently valuable position, cannot be overstated.
Eric Kendricks is getting older and his running mate in the new 3-4, Jordan Hicks, is a long-time veteran as well. Brian Asamoah was selected in the third round of this draft as a potential nickel linebacker and speedy run defender of the future.
Adding a player like Bumper Pool to the roster near the end of the draft continues the trend of throwing darts at a board and hoping one sticks. Bumper Pool is a tackling machine that has helped turned Arkansas around.
He has recorded at least 94 tackles in each of the last three seasons, including consecutive years of at least 100 total tackles. Last season, Pool tallied 125 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and two pass breakups.
There may not be a lot of excitement surrounding Pool as a Day 3 player with a ton of experience under his belt but he will be a decent pro. He can hit, stop the run, and make an impact on special teams.