CBS' Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft

CBS Sports' R.J. White took on the bold task of a seven-round mock draft. With trades! Mock drafts are a blast and the lifeblood of fans during draft season. Draft season is that mind-numbing, yet entertaining time, that's beginning to run about 12 months. Mock drafts are a blast despite being wildly inaccurate. Anyway, White tackled seven rounds of mocking fun. With trades. Here's what he came up with for the Minnesota Vikings.

Rnd Overall Player Notes 1 18 Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State 2 50 Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple 3 81 Khalen Saunders, DT, Western Illinois 4 109 Terrill Hanks, OLB, New Mexico State from Jacksonville 4 120 to Jacksonville 6 190 to Jacksonville 6 209 Devine Ozigbo, RB, Nebraska 7 247 to Jacksonville 7 250 Tyler Jones, G, North Carolina State

R.J.'s thoughts.

This class ended up being light on offensive linemen as the Vikings chose to solidify their excellent defense in the middle rounds, but in Round 1 they get an excellent pass-protecting left tackle in Dillard, a selection that allows the Vikings to kick Riley Reiff to guard and find two upgrades at their biggest weakness with one stroke of the pen.

The Vikings start Day 2 with a Mike Zimmer special in Ya-Sin who is still getting better and should be coached up into a starter at corner for the team. Saunders plugs a hole on the inside and should give the team a disruptive presence once he develops.

Rather than waiting until No. 120 to pick, the Vikings package two of their late picks to hop up 11 spots and nab a weakside linebacker in Hanks who can also serve as Anthony Barr insurance thanks to the pass-rush skills he showed in college, where he had 23.5 tackles for loss over the last two years. Ozigbo is a bruiser at running back who can emerge as the team's complement to Dalvin Cook, while Jones is another lottery ticket for the interior of the offensive line.

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My thoughts. 

It's difficult being critical of this mock seeing as I like all of the players that are part of it. The main problem that I have with it is giving up picks to move up for a linebacker. I like Terrill Hanks and the Vikings have spent some time with him. If Anthony Barr had been lost in free agency, I'd love the pick. I'd also love the trade up to secure the pick. However, Barr wasn't lost in free agency. Giving up draft currency for a player that doesn't fill an immediate need just feels like a waste. White calls the pick insurance for Barr. I'm don't much care for trading up for a player that at best might see the field. If the Vikings were to give up picks for a player I'd rather it be for one that played on the offensive line, tight end, or safety. It's damn near impossible to pass up Rock Ya-Sin at #50. The Vikings are currently stacked at corner. That stack is a little shaky with Mike Hughes recovering from a torn ACL and Holton Hill's four-game suspension. Despite having a lot of talented corners there would be a place for Ya-Sin. 

Picks that I liked the most:

Andre Dillard

Khalen Saunders

Devin Ozigbo

I like this mock. It's better than most. Swap the Jacksonville trade for picks of another offensive lineman (perhaps Nate Davis or Dru Samia are still on the board), a tight end (Dawson Knox), and a safety/receiver (Amai Hooker/Jalen Hurd) and I'd love this mock.