The Minnesota Vikings entered the 2022 NFL Draft with no fourth-round pick. It’s tough to have such a hole during the meat-and-potatoes portion of the draft. Thanks to trades on Day 2, the Vikings managed to fill that hole. They entered Day 3 with a pick in the fourth round. Not only did they have a fourth-round pick, at various times they had three different fourth-round picks. Trades. The Vikings made a bunch of them over the draft’s three days.
Trader Kwesi.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded his way through his first NFL Draft. The Vikings made six trades over the three days.
Day 1:
Vikings trade: #12 and #46
Lions trade: #32, #34, #66
Day 2:
Vikings trade: #34
Packers trade: #53 and #59
Vikings trade: #53, #77, and #192
Colts trade: #42 and #122
Day 3:
Vikings trade: #156 and 2023 fourth-round pick
Browns trade: #118
Vikings trade: #122 and #250
Raiders trade: #126 and #227
Vikings trade: #126
Raiders trade: #165 and #169
For the most part, each trade made the next trade possible.
I was a moderate fan of the Day 1 trade. When the Vikings couldn’t get one of the two elite cornerbacks, I was expecting a trade back. Dropping back 20 spots was a little much. Getting Lewis Cine at #32 made the drop a little easier to take.
I was a big fan of the Day 2 trades. The Day 1 trade made those trades possible. The Vikings were able to add a corner in Andrew Booth Jr. with first round talent and they filled that fourth-round hole.
The fourth-round dance was dizzying. The Vikings clearly targeted Missouri cornerback Akayleb Evans as they sent a 2023 fourth-round pick to the Browns to get him. I was a little surprised that the #122 pick wasn’t part of the deal rather than the future pick. They apparently had other plans for that pick. Actually, it was the Raiders that had plans for that pick. The trades with the Raiders were a little wacky. The Raiders traded the #126 pick to get the #122 pick and then immediately traded sixth-round picks to retrieve that #126 pick.
Through the flurry of trades, the Vikings did make some picks on Day 3.
4(118). Akayleb Evans, CB, Missouri
5(165). Esezi Otomewo, DL, Minnesota
5(169). Ty Chandler, RB, North Carolina
6(184). Vederian Lowe, OT, Illinois
6(191). Jalen Nailor, WR, Michigan State
7(227). Nick Muse, TE, South Carolina
I really like the selection of Akayleb Evans. He was on my mind throughout the pre-draft process. He was on my mind because he was a mid-round consideration in every draft simulation that I did. I don’t think that I ever picked him. More often than not, I’d already selected an early-round corner and Houston’s Marcus Jones. My mock draft cornerback stable was always full when I got to the middle rounds. With all that pre-draft consideration, I couldn’t help but fall for Evans. He’s big. He’s fast. He’s just scratching his potential. Cornerback was the Vikings biggest pre-draft weakness. They’ve yet to do a thing in the NFL but adding Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans could soon turn cornerback into a team strength.
Esezi Otomewo sure looks the part. He’s 6’6” and 285 lbs. Explosive and long-limbed. He’s far from a finished product and his ceiling is quite high.
At a glance, running back is a team strength. It was actually a draft need as Alexander Mattison is a free agent after the season. It’s easy to think that he’ll be seeking a starting role elsewhere. Ty Chandler brings speed to the backfield. He and Kene Nwangwu are a blur. Chandler is a versatile back. He should also be a factor on special teams. And he’s fast.
The selection of Vederian Lowe makes me want to go find that NFL 360 profile of him. There are character concerns with second-round guard Ed Ingram. There are no character concerns with Lowe. He was a semi-finalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award. He’s a father of two. He adopted his younger brother after the passing of their mother. As for football, he’s big. 6’6” and 320 lbs.
I like the selection of Jalen Nailor. The Vikings are in pretty good shape at receiver but he’ll battle for a roster spot. Winning the punt return job might be his best route to the 53-man roster.
The Vikings finally added a tight end in the seventh round. At the start of Day 3, I was hoping for Iowa State’s Charlie Kolar or Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah Likely. They were both gone before the fourth round was done. Nick Muse has a shot. His draft profile presents a player with route-running and after-the-catch upside. He has decent speed and is a willing blocker. I like Irv Smith Jr. and free agent addition Johnny Mundt at the top of the tight end depth chart. Muse will compete with raw, second-year Zach Davidson and Ben Ellefson for a roster spot. Davidson’s 6’7” size and athleticism is so intriguing but Muse has a real shot at the 53-man roster.
The 2022 NFL Draft is in the books.
After the draft, the Vikings supplemented their 10-member draft class with eight players that went undrafted.
Luiji Vilain, Edge, Wake Forest
Mike Brown, S, Miami (OH)
Thomas Hennigan, WR, Appalachian State
Bryant Koback, RB, Toledo
Zach McCloud, LB, Miami
Josh Sokol, C, Sacred Heart
Tyarise Stevenson, DT, Tulsa
Ryan Wright, P, Tulane
I hope that Luiji Vilain makes the team simply for his fantastic name. The Vikings paid heavily (in UDFA dollars) for Vilain and Zach McCloud. Money is always a strong indication of a team’s commitment to a player. Speaking of names, Josh Sokol landed with the right team. He’s yet to punt in the NFL but Ryan Wright is an easy pick as the UDFA with the best shot at the roster. Incumbent Jordan Berry had a solid first season in Minnesota. The Vikings wouldn’t be bringing in an undrafted rookie if he had the job locked down.
It was reported soon after the draft that Virginia Tech receiver Tre’ Turner was the Vikings ninth UDFA. At some point during or after the initial signings, the Las Vegas Raiders swooped in and plucked Turner from the Vikings. Deals aren’t done until they’re done.
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