First Round (Pick No. 31)
Emmanuel Forbes – CB (Mississippi State)
We went into this mock draft with several ideas. If Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis, or Anthony Richardson fell out of the top 10, it would be wise for the Vikings to trade up. But with limited draft capital, that’s difficult to do.
The other trade-up scenario is if one of the class’s top cornerbacks fell toward the Vikings in the late teens. Illinois’s Devin Witherspoon, Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez, or Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. fall into this category. South Carolina’s Cameron Smith could jump into the conversation with a strong showing at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The most likely scenario, however, is a trade-down. With just five picks in this year’s draft, the front office will likely want more draft capital to fix their issues and in this scenario, it meant trading down with the Kansas City Chiefs, sending picks 23 and 177 for picks 31 and 63.
With the 31st overall pick, the Vikings address one of their biggest issues on defense by selecting Emmanuel Forbes. At 6 feet and 180 pounds, Forbes has the size to be an outside corner and has elite ball-hawking skills thanks to his time as a wide receiver. His biggest strength is in man coverage, where he had just as many interceptions (3) as receptions allowed.
Forbes is a little on the smaller side and has trouble against the run, but his long limbs make up for it with the ability to add weight to his frame. His versatility to play either man or zone coverage will catch the eye of new defensive coordinator Brian Flores and he would be a solid pick for the Vikings if they choose to trade down.