5 notable players the Vikings could have drafted the past five years

Player No. 2

Jeffery Simmons - DT (Tennessee Titans)

In 2018, Minnesota was worse on both sides of the ball as the offense fell to 19th overall and the defense dropped to ninth. The team suffered as a whole and ended the year with an 8-7-1 record.

The Vikings were spot on when they went offense with their first pick. There’s nothing wrong with Bradbury and he has been a dependable starter.

Could they have gone a different direction, however, especially if the team had picked Andrews the year before? Minnesota took Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. in the second round of the ‘19 draft. That wouldn’t have happened if Andrews was already on board.

At Smith's spot, the Vikings could have taken an offensive lineman. Then, with their 18th overall selection, Minnesota should have drafted Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.

Simmons was an All-American and All-SEC in college, and pro scouts gave him a 7.00 prospect grade (which means Pro Bowl talent). The Tennessee Titans selected Simmons one pick after Minnesota took Bradbury.

It just so happened that defensive tackle was one of the Vikings’ team needs heading into the 2019 draft. After starting seven times as a rookie, Simmons has started in nearly every game for the Titans since.

Through the 2022 season, he has 189 combined tackles, 21 sacks, and 19 passes defended. Simmons has also been voted as an All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl the past two seasons. In April, he signed a $94 million extension with Tennessee.