The Minnesota Vikings continue to deal with defensive struggles. Which prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft could help shift the narrative?
In his first season as the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah aggressively pursued defensive prospects in the draft and in free agency. While his team has won plenty of games early in his tenure, the defense continues to be a bit of a problem, especially over the past month of the season.
Minnesota spent their first two draft picks on Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr. to improve the secondary, but neither player had contributed much before hitting the injured reserve and cutting their season early.
As the Vikings fight for a playoff advantage, they have been exposed on the defensive side of the ball time and time again. Ed Donatell has not turned the unit around, and his job, while not in danger right now, is certainly not a guarantee for 2023.
Although I am not in favor of firing a coordinator after one season and trying to restart that process again, there do need to be improvements from Donatell and the players on the field. Veterans are not playing to their pedigree, and injuries are racking up down the stretch.
To maximize this roster, the Vikings should ultimately focus on defense in the draft once again. There are plenty of prospects that would be fun additions and replacements for some of the older guys on the roster.
Clark Phillips III – CB (Utah)
The only way this defense will get better against the pass is by adding more and more talent to the coverage department. Clark Phillips III might just be the best pound-for-pound corner in the class and would be an immediate upgrade in the slot.
After watching this team struggle in the secondary for a few years now, I do not think there is any room to question whether or not a nickel cornerback is worthy of a first-round selection. If a player is comfortable and dominant in that role, then he is worth the selection.
Phillips is a smaller player, but he plays so much bigger than his profile suggests. He was the leader of a Utah secondary that has been one of the best in college football over the past few years.
He is a physical man-to-man defender that is trusted to make plays regardless of where he lines up on the field. Phillips consistently reads the quarterback, cuts passing lanes, and sticks in the hip pocket of his matchup to make life miserable for opposing offenses.
Size will be the main factor in Phillips not being the first cornerback off the board in April’s draft. If he continues sliding down the board, the Vikings would be out of their mind to pass on his talent and upside.
Christian Gonzalez – CB (Oregon)
For all of the concerns with Clark Phillips III, the Vikings could still be very much involved in the cornerback market at the draft. Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez is the perfect prospect to develop as the primary shutdown cornerback that this team desperately needs.
Patrick Peterson will probably not return next season, given the price tag he has played himself into. The Vikings need to get better in the secondary, and losing Peterson would certainly hurt, but it would also allow them to be aggressive in getting a cornerstone in the draft.
Gonzalez is a lean defender with immaculate ball skills on the perimeter. He makes countless plays in the air but can also come down and contribute as a tackler and run-stopper when he needs to.
He is remarkable at the catch point and often looks like the receiver rather than the defender when the ball is lofted in his direction. He has all of the tools to become a lockdown cornerback at the next level.
There is a chance he can raise his stock into the top half of the first round and even be the first defensive back off the board. The cornerback class is full of talent, and the Vikings should be more than excited about that.
Trenton Simpson – LB (Clemson)
I am not necessarily an advocate for selecting a linebacker in the first round, but Trenton Simpson requires an exemption. He’s an explosive leader in the middle of the defense that can really impact the game from anywhere. Eric Kendricks has not been himself since the end of last season, leaving the Vikings with some concerns over the middle.
As an uber-athletic field stretcher, Simpson is going to be a problem near the line of scrimmage. He can scream into the backfield for stops but can also beat running backs to the sideline, making him an absolute nightmare in the run game.
Simpson is also an excellent blitzer off the edge and through the A-gap. Minnesota has struggled with generating pressure this season, and this sort of skill set could be worth considering in the draft.
He posted 23.0 tackles for loss, 13.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles in three seasons at Clemson. The only true flaw in Simpson’s game right now is his coverage ability, but that has seen steady improvement over this tenure with Clemson.
A future of Simpson and Brian Asamoah roaming the middle of the defense would certainly give Vikings fans a ton of speed and athleticism to watch.
Jared Verse – EDGE (Florida State)
To make life easier on the secondary, the Vikings have to get after the quarterback at a higher clip than they have been this season. Minnesota has been one of the worst pass-rushing teams in the NFL this season by just about every metric despite having a ton of money tied into Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith.
Jared Verse transferred to Florida State after dominating at Albany, and that dominance has continued. Now, Verse appears to be a first-round prospect at a premium position. In 11 games for the Seminoles this season, Verse racked up 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.
Verse has done a little bit of everything at the college level. He has lined up as a standing rusher and as a down lineman with success. He has made a name for himself with upper-body strength and a devastating inside rush that has stunned opposing tackles all season.
The Vikings are going to need a lot of improvement off the edge if they want to be taken seriously defensively. With so many young faces in the secondary, the non-existent pass rush has made things that much more difficult. Whether it’s Jared Verse or someone else in the draft, Minnesota needs to add young legs to the mix.
Siaki Ika – IDL (Baylor)
Dalvin Tomlinson has not been able to stay healthy for long stretches, and the middle of Minnesota’s defensive line has been far too inconsistent. They have tried adding players in free agency over the years but there has not seemed to be a clear answer just yet.
The run defense has not been as miserable as it had been in years past, but it is still just about average. Anchoring down up front and dominating the trenches would do wonders for this defense, which is exactly why Siaki Ika is the perfect Day 2 prospect.
Ika is a massive human being up the gut, but he plays so much smoother than his 358-pound frame might suggest. He is quick, nimble, and nasty lining up over the A-gap. While his addition would primarily improve the run defense, he also adds value as a pass rusher.
He has the size and athleticism to be a game-wrecking nose tackle, but that sheer athleticism is also indicative of his ability to cut weight and play a more traditional tackle role if the Vikings really needed him to be that sort of player.
The pedigree and talent are undeniable for Siaki Ika. He was part of the 2019 LSU defense that won the National Championship, and all he has done since then is transfer to Baylor and earn Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. Now he holds a top-50 projection for the 2023 NFL Draft.
There may not be a more interesting player from a physical profile perspective in the entire draft. A nose tackle of his stature should not move as freely as Siaki Ika does. He would save the Vikings a first-round pick – at least right now – while being a steady contributor out of the gate. That’s hard to pass up when your defense has struggled as much as Minnesota’s has.