The Minnesota Vikings head into the draft with their biggest needs still being interior linemen on both sides of the ball and help in the defensive backfield — most importantly at the corner position.
They have made splashy moves at all of those spots, bringing back CB Byron Murphy and acquiring C Ryan Kelly, OL Will Fries, OL Justin Skule, DL Jonathan Allen, DL Javon Hargrave, CB Jeff Okudah, CB Isaiah Rodgers, and DB Tavierre Thomas, which is meaningful help in needed positions.
They still have four major questions entering the draft:
It never hurts to have more depth. Look at the Detroit Lions’ injury issues last season. Although they earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC, it’s hard not to acknowledge their lousy injury luck.
None of their reserve players can compensate for Aidan Hutchinson’s disruption on defense, but deep teams can close that gap. Or look at Minnesota’s quarterback carousel in 2023. As divided as fans were on Kirk Cousins, the Vikings would have been much more successful two years ago if their starting QB hadn’t torn his Achilles in Green Bay.
What does the front office prioritize, protecting their young QB J.J. McCarthy, or getting a better, more effective interior rush on defense, or better protection on opposing receivers?
After watching what the Lions did to the Vikings in Week 18 of the season and what the Los Angeles Rams did the following week in the Wild Card round, strength in numbers along the offensive line might be the best use of the 24th-overall pick.
Who would best fill the biggest area of need if drafted?
During combine week, I suggested the Vikings pick Aireontae Ersery, a moldable lineman who could easily be moved from tackle to guard.
However, for argument’s sake, let’s say the Vikings’ front office wants to go with a proven interior lineman, one who was a former five-star recruit coming out of high school and has a National Championship-level pedigree. And one with a flowing mullet that could challenge Joe Dirt and 1992 Billy Ray Cyrus.
Tate Ratledge out of Georgia might just be the move.
A two-time All-SEC RG, Ratledge’s tape highlights how his playstyle and ability to help protect the run and pass could quickly convert him into a quality NFL starter. At 6’7″, 309 lbs., Ratledge would be a big body that would help fill space, better protect McCarthy on passing downs, and open running lanes for Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason.
Ratledge is projected to go anywhere from the late first round to the third round. However, he was top 10 amongst all offensive linemen in every category at the combine. He only allowed two sacks in his collegiate career, so it’s easy to see why he is surging up most teams’ draft boards.
For the final question, we must assume that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings’ front office feel good about entering the season with what they have at CB, IOL, and DT.
Adofo-Mensah recently said they will go with a “best-available kind of approach and mindset.” That’s where a top-10 recruit coming out of high school could not only fall into Minnesota’s lap but might be the direction of choice, given its draft history with wide receivers.
Missouri’s Luther Burden III could become Minnesota’s WR3, joining Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. He’s also a two-time All-SEC player and has been the Tigers’ leading receiver in the last two seasons. NFL.com compares him to Garrett Wilson.
“I think he got bored with that offense,” one NFC national scout said. “His playing style is like Jerry Jeudy but with Amon-Ra St. Brown’s hands and toughness.”
As his highlights show, Burden’s speed allowed Missouri to use the star out of many different sets and help not only for big explosive plays but also on screens and end-around runs when necessary. Having another explosive playmaker to add to an impressive receiver room could cause a little competition for that third receiver spot. Mock drafts have this dynamic playmaker going anywhere between the middle of the first and early in the second rounds.
There’s also talk that the Vikings could trade down and potentially out of the first round to get a few more picks during this year’s draft. Going in, the Vikings only had four selections. But as Adofo-Mensah alluded to during his interview, “Maybe it’ll be the coolest story ever that you went into the draft with four picks, and you did something great with it.”
