Vikings Draft 2024: Minnesota waits until Day 2 to pick a QB in 7-round mock
By Luke Parrish
Fifth-Round Pick No. 1 (155th overall)
Jaylan Ford - LB (Texas)
Day 3 is the time to build depth on the roster and fill out the special teams depth heading into the season.
Jaylan Ford would provide much-needed depth at linebacker as the Vikings continue to revamp the middle of their defense.
Ivan Pace Jr. was a gem in undrafted free agency a year ago and had a spectacular rookie season, but there are not many options next to him on the roster currently.
Brian Asamoah was expected to be the starter next to Jordan Hicks in 2023, but he failed to make the leap.
Troy Dye will be a free agent this year, but he was not a reliable option on special teams, and he's hardly seen the field on defense during his NFL career.
Jordan Hicks is an unrestricted free agent coming off an injury, so there is no guarantee he will return next season, either.
I would expect the Vikings to fill the starting position through free agency in some capacity or let Brian Asamoah enter training camp as the starter next to Pace. Even if that's the case, they need to add depth behind him.
Ford spent four seasons at Texas and was a tackling machine in each of the last two seasons.
He finished both of the last two seasons with over 100 tackles and 10.0 tackles for loss while also tallying six total interceptions in that span.