5 prospects no longer on the Vikings radar in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft

John Michael Schmitz – C (Minnesota)

John Micheel Schmitz was gaining steam as a potential surprise pick for the Vikings in the first round. This assumption peaked in February after the Senior Bowl, where J.M.S. had a stellar performance.

While the thought of using a first-round pick on a center for the second time in five years was a hard pill to swallow, imagining the tough, athletic ball snapper anchoring the Vikings’ offensive line was pretty comforting.

In March, Minnesota somewhat surprisingly re-signed Garrett Bradbury to a three-year deal. The deal was very team friendly, but it assured the Vikings’ starting center would be around for the foreseeable future.

This re-signing pretty much killed any hope that the team would still use the 23rd pick on Michael Schmitz. The Vikings just have bigger holes to fill, and can’t afford to use their earliest pick on a player who plays a position that already has an established starter.

Minnesota doesn’t have a second-round choice, and there is no way J.M.S. will fall to round three. So barring a trade-up that would likely result in losing the majority of their remaining four picks, the Vikings and their fans are better off just taking Michael-Schmitz completely off their draft radar.