Vikings Draft 2024: Pre-free agency 7-round mock draft
By Luke Parrish
Sixth-Round Pick (179th overall)
Trevin Wallace - LB (Kentucky)
When it comes to linebacker, the positional value has diminished quite a bit over the past few years. Minnesota found that out last season as Ivan Pace became a staple of the defense as an undrafted rookie, and he will be the leader of the defense moving forward.
With Jordan Hicks set to be a free agent and leaving a massive hole next to Pace, the Vikings will likely bring in some depth to compete for the starting job with Brian Asamoah. Kentucky's Trevin Wallace has had a really strong pre-draft cycle after wrapping up his collegiate career.
Wallace was a star at the Senior Bowl and showed improvement as a coverage linebacker despite being primarily a downhill run-stopper for the Wildcats. He also tested well at the NFL Combine and has seemingly secured himself a draft spot and a chance to make a roster.
Even if he does not crack the field much early on, he has the skill set to be a very reliable special teams player. Najee Thompson was such a valuable player for the Vikings last season because of his relentlessness on special teams, so why not continue to build that area of the roster?
Trevin Wallace may not be a three-down linebacker but expecting to find one at this stage of the draft is just unrealistic. Instead, teams will target players that can make any sort of impact. With the lack of depth in the middle of their defense, the Vikings need to take these kinds of players late in the draft.