Redrafting the Vikings 2022 rookie class following the Andrew Booth injury
By Luke Parrish
First-Round Pick (32nd overall)
Original Selection: Lewis Cine – S (Georgia)
Redraft Selection: Jaquan Brisker – S (Penn State)
Debating the first selection by the Vikings is more than difficult. Lewis Cine’s injury was a freak accident and something that Minnesota could not prepare for entirely. However, in the essence of drafting for the sake of this season, Jaquan Brisker would be a fair replacement.
In an ideal world, the Vikings would not have traded out of the 12th overall pick and would have walked away with Jameson Williams or Zion Johnson. In this exercise, though, we will proceed as if the Vikings drafted in their final draft spots.
The only two players really in the conversation with the 32nd pick would be Brisker and Christian Watson. Watson would be a game-changer in this offense, but the Vikings had a clear plan to fix the defense this season, so Brisker gets the final nod here.
Brisker started in each of his first 11 games with the Bears this season before missing the Week 12 matchup with the Jets due to a concussion. In his 11 starts, he recorded 73 tackles, 3.0 sacks, and an interception while arguably being the best rookie safety in the NFL.
His play style and demeanor are similar to Cine’s as a ball-hawking hitter that can put his own stamp on any given game. That fits the identity that the Vikings wanted when they selected Cine and Booth early in the draft.