Early Draft Crushes

With the Senior Bowl done and the Scouting Combine three weeks away, some draft crashes for the Minnesota Vikings are developing. It’s still early in the draft process but these feelings are impossible to control. It just happens. Most of these crushes are firmly connected to the needs of the Vikings. There are plenty and most are on the defensive side of the ball. 

Edge

Defensive Tackle

Cornerback

For now, I’m excluding the all-important quarterback position. On offense, the biggest need is the interior offensive line and perhaps running back. Other than that, it’s overall depth 

With those needs in mind, here are some of my early draft crushes.

Edge

Dallas Turner, Alabama

Laiatu Latu, UCLA

Jared Verse, Florida State

Adisa Isaac, Penn State

Austin Booker, Kansas 

Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State

Jalyx Hunt, Houston Christian

Defensive Tackle

Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois

Darius Robinson, Missouri

T’Vondre Sweat, Texas

Byron Murphy II, Texas

Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State

Braden Fiske, Florida State

Khristian Boyd, Northern Iowa

Cornerback

Terrion Arnold, Alabama

Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri

Max Melton, Rutgers

Cam Hart, Notre Dame

Mike Sainristil, Michigan

Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Louisville

Interior Offensive Line

Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon

Zak Zinter, Michigan

Graham Barton, Duke

Cooper Beebe, Kansas State

Running Back

Blake Corum, Michigan

Jonathon Brooks, Texas

Kimani Vidal, Troy

Dylan Laube, New Hampshire

Wide Receiver

Ladd McConkey, Georgia

Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky

Ricky Pearsall, Florida

As for that all-important quarterback position. 

Much of the Vikings draft plans are dependent on what they do at quarterback. If they re-sign Kirk Cousins, the draft is probably defensive-centric and maybe grab a promising quarterback that can sit, learn, and develop for a season or two. If they hope to find their quarterbacking future in the draft, everything changes. There are two options, each with pro and cons.

Option 1. Re-sign Kirk Cousins and select a “developmental” quarterback.

The possible QBs:

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Bo Nix, Oregon

My only crush here is for J.J. McCarthy. I currently like him enough that I wouldn’t be disappointed if the Vikings select him with the 11th pick. If they like him enough, there is no reason to risk losing him. 

Option 2. Trade all that it takes to grab one of the Big 3 QBs. 

Caleb Williams, USC

Drake Maye, North Carolina

Jayden Daniels, LSU

If the Vikings love one of the above enough to do what it takes to get him, fine. As for my favorite, it fluctuates often between Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels. I doubt that Caleb Williams is an option as I don’t think that there’s any way the Vikings can pry the #1 pick from the Chicago Bears. 

As for my current favorite 1-2 draft combination from the above crushes:

1. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

2. Darius Robinson, Missouri

-or T’Vondre Sweat, Texas

-or Adisa Isaac, Penn State

-or Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri