Safety supremacy, defensive tackles sliding highlight Minnesota Vikings NFL Mock Draft trends to know ahead of first round
The NFL Draft is finally here. It's been a long time we've spent discussing this class and what the Minnesota Vikings are set to do in the first round has been a huge discussion point. There have been a lot of different opinions on what general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could do and the lack of […]
The NFL Draft is finally here. It's been a long time we've spent discussing this class and what the Minnesota Vikings are set to do in the first round has been a huge discussion point.
There have been a lot of different opinions on what general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could do and the lack of real consensus has been interesting. There have been 48 different draft prospects sent to the Vikings across 656 mock drafts since January 1st.
What are the biggest trends going into the first round? Last year, the number one selected player in mock draft was J.J. McCarthy with 273 of 838 mock drafts and edge rusher Dallas Turner was seventh with 44 selections. Plus, Jordan Addison was second in selections with 52 out of 545 mock drafts, so there is some data to back this up.
Minnesota Vikings NFL Mock Draft Trends
Positional Breakdown
| Position | Prospects | Selections |
|---|---|---|
OL | 11 | 76 |
CB | 9 | 177 |
DT | 8 | 115 |
EDGE | 8 | 19 |
RB | 5 | 24 |
WR | 4 | 6 |
S | 3 | 227 |
LB | 1 | 12 |
These are the breakdowns of each position over the course of the four month project. A lot of different offensive linemen, but only 76 prospects show that it's not seen as a likely scenario. The latest steam, however, says that offensive guard is likely if either Grey Zabel or Tyler Booker are on the board.
Defensive Tackle Surges Late
Over the last four weeks, defensive tackle has not been a big focus, despite it being a position they don't have a lot of youth. If they were to get one in the first round, it would be a smart move. However, the recent trends have deviated from that.
From March 31st to April 20th, only nine selections were at defensive tackle over 153 mock drafts. That spiked significantly in the last four days with 17 picks over the final 92 mock drafts. That's a major shift. Could defensive tackles be poised to move down in the draft? If they do, the Vikings are primed to be in a great spot.
Safety Has Been Consistent
Over the course of the entire cycle, safety has been consistent. In fact, it's been more consistent after the start of free agency. South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori led all players with 130 selections, and Georgia safety Malaki Starks is second with 95 selections. Plus, Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron is third with 61 selections, and if you view him as a safety (which I do), the top three players are all safeties.
Will the Vikings take a safety, considering you can take one later in the draft with success? It's a good question, but they are really good prospects that could help the Vikings.
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