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DAILY CLIPS

THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2020 LOCAL NEWS: Thursday, April 23, 2020

Pioneer Press

Former Vikings guard Milt Sunde dies at 78 By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2020/04/22/former-vikings-pro-bowl-guard-milt-sunde-dies-at-78/

Draft depth at various positions will affect how active Vikings are with trades By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2020/04/22/depth-of-draft-at-various-positions-will-play-into-how-active-vikings-will-be- with-trades/

Can someone hack the NFL draft? Local expert weighs in By Dane Mizutani https://www.twincities.com/2020/04/22/can-someone-hack-the-nfl-draft-local-expert-thinks-itll-be-tough-to-wreak- havoc/

Chris Tomasson’s NFL mock draft: Vikings take a at No. 22 By Chris Tomasson https://www.twincities.com/2020/04/22/chris-tomassons-nfl-mock-draft-vikings-take-cornerback-at-no-22/

Star Tribune

Vikings offseason roster 'evolution' only begins with the NFL draft By Ben Goessling https://www.startribune.com/round-1-of-nfl-draft-only-the-beginning-of-offseason-evolution-of-vikings- roster/569876862/

Mock Draft: , , and then the fun starts By Mark Craig https://www.startribune.com/nfl-mock-draft-two-vikings-picks-joe-burrow-chase-young-and-then-the-fun- begins/569848402/

Draft is important, the NFL says — but not all-important By Jim Souhan https://www.startribune.com/draft-is-important-the-nfl-says-but-not-all-important/569875432/

Former Vikings WR says he wants to make NFL comeback By Michael Rand https://www.startribune.com/former-vikings-wr-percy-harvin-says-he-wants-to-make-nfl-comeback/569855482/

Eight potential Vikings first-round draft picks By Staff https://www.startribune.com/eight-potential-vikings-first-round-draft-picks/569876082/

Vikings need immediate help on defense from this draft By Sid Hartman https://www.startribune.com/vikings-need-immediate-help-on-defense-from-this-draft/569870712/

Former Gophers, Vikings guard Milt Sunde dies at 78 By News Service https://www.startribune.com/former-gophers-vikings-guard-milt-sunde-dies-at-78/569868642/

SKOR North

5 home run scenarios for the Vikings on draft night By Matthew Coller https://www.skornorth.com/2020/04/5-home-run-scenarios-for-the-vikings-on-draft-night/

Should Vikings have interest in bringing back Percy Harvin? By Judd Zulgad https://www.skornorth.com/2020/04/should-vikings-have-interest-in-bringing-back-percy-harvin/

Vikings draft simulation: All seven rounds By Matthew Coller https://www.skornorth.com/2020/04/vikings-draft-simulation-all-seven-rounds/

The Athletic

Vikings 2020 Mock Draft 7.0: On draft day, here are our best-case scenarios By Chad Graff and Arif Hasan https://theathletic.com/1768200/2020/04/23/vikings-2020-mock-draft-7-0-on-draft-day-here-are-our-best-case- scenarios/

8 later-round NFL Draft prospects who might be a fit for the Vikings By Arif Hasan https://theathletic.com/1765511/2020/04/22/vikings-2020-nfl-draft-late-round-prospects-sleepers/

What I’m hearing about the Vikings on the eve of the 2020 NFL Draft By Chad Graff https://theathletic.com/1765177/2020/04/22/vikings-2020-nfl-draft-what-im-hearing-needs-rumors/

NATIONAL NEWS: Thursday, April 23, 2020

ESPN

Vikings' NFL draft: What they could do with each pick By Courtney Cronin https://www.espn.com/blog/minnesota-vikings/post/_/id/29806/vikings-nfl-draft-what-they-could-do-with-each-pick

Maven Media

Vikings Seven-Round Mock Draft 5.0: One Last Attempt By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/vikings-seven-round-mock-draft-final

2020 NFL Draft Preview: Final Cornerback Tiers By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/vikings-2020-nfl-draft-preview-cornerback-rankings

2020 NFL Draft Preview: Final Tiers By Will Ragatz https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/2020-nfl-draft-preview-wide-receiver-rankings

MULTIMEDIA NEWS: Thursday, April 23, 2020

Pick 6 Mailbag Featuring PA: Packaging Both 1st Round Picks To Move Up, , Drafting A QB To Backup Cousins, More By Vikings Entertainment Network https://www.vikings.com/video/pick-6-mailbag-featuring-pa-packaging-both-1st-round-picks-to-move-up-trent-will

Spielman: We're Very Prepared and Ready To Go By Vikings Entertainment Network https://www.vikings.com/video/spielman-we-re-very-prepared-and-ready-to-go

#VikingsAtHome: Cronin & Krawcyznski Answer Fan Questions, Preview The Draft By Vikings Entertainment Network https://www.vikings.com/video/vikingsathome-cronin-krawcyznski-answer-fan-questions-preview-the-draft

How The Unknowns of This Offseason Could Impact The Vikings' Draft Strategy By Vikings Entertainment Network https://www.vikings.com/video/how-the-unknowns-of-this-offseason-could-impact-the-vikings-draft-strategy

PA Looks At Potential Mid-Round QB Options For Vikings | 2020 Draft Preview By Vikings Entertainment Network https://www.vikings.com/video/pa-looks-at-potential-mid-round-qb-options-for-vikings-2020-draft-preview

Path From The Draft: By Vikings Entertainment Network https://www.vikings.com/video/path-from-the-draft-eric-kendricks

Milt Sunde Passes Away at 78 By KARE http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=de8caf12-ef46-45b8-8c07-9317f07602b2

VIKINGS ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK: Thursday, April 23, 2020

Within Reach: Looking at Recent Picks & Vikings History at 253 By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/within-reach-looking-at-recent-picks-vikings-history-at-253

Rick Spielman Explains Challenges, Unique Opportunities of Virtual Scouting Process By Lindsey Young https://www.vikings.com/news/rick-spielman-explains-challenges-of-virtual-scouting

Vikings Mourn Passing of Guard Milt Sunde By Craig Peters https://www.vikings.com/news/milt-sunde-vikings-mourn-passing-of-former-guard

Lunchbreak: Kiper's Final Draft Answers Include Vikings 1st-Round Options By Eric Smith https://www.vikings.com/news/mel-kiper-final-nfl-draft-answers-include-1st-round-options

PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 4/23/20

Former Vikings Pro Bowl guard Milt Sunde dies at 78

By Chris Tomasson

Former Vikings Pro Bowl guard Milt Sunde died Tuesday at his Bloomington home after being ill for a long period. He was 78.

The native had battled Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. His friend and former Vikings teammate Bob Lurtsema said he had been in hospice care.

Sunde, taken out of the University of in the 20th round of the NFL draft, played for the Vikings from 1964- 74. He was a starter for most of his tenure, and made the Pro Bowl in 1966.

“He had a big, warm heart,” said Lurtsema, a Vikings defensive lineman from 1971-76. “I was lucky to play with a man of his character. He had a great work ethic and you respected that. And when you respect that as much as we did, you can say, ‘We loved the guy.’ He had the utmost respect of everybody on the team.”

Sunde played in Super Bowls after the 1969 and 1974 seasons. He remains the lowest-drafted player to make the roster in Vikings history, and that won’t change. The last 20-round draft was in 1966; the draft now is seven rounds.

“Milt didn’t make mental mistakes no matter who he played against,” Lurtsema said. “He knew exactly what players on both sides were going to do. He didn’t guess, he knew.”

Sunde is survived by Barb, his wife of 54 years, his brother Edward, four daughters and eight grandchildren. PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 4/23/20

Draft depth at various positions will affect how active Vikings are with trades

By Chris Tomasson

It’s a good draft to be in the market for wide receivers and . It’s not such a good one to be looking for offensive tackles and defensive ends.

Since those positions are among the Vikings’ top needs entering Thursday’s start of the three-day NFL draft, they will deliberate how that factors into decisions to trade up or down or to stand pat. They will head in holding the Nos. 22 and 25 picks in the first round, the No. 58 selection in the second round, plus nine other picks.

“What we’re going to be looking at in the first round and second round is the depth of the positions of some of these areas,” general manager said.

The draft begins with the opening round at 7 p.m. Thursday. The second and third rounds will be held Friday, beginning at 6 p.m. The final four rounds begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. The draft will be televised on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

The wide receiver class is so deep the Vikings could afford to not take one in the first round and still get a potential starter in the second round or beyond. At cornerback, the two top prospects — Ohio State’s Jeff Odudah and ’s C.J. Henderson — are sure to be gone by No. 22.

There’s a good-sized group of cornerbacks expected to be taken late in the first or early in the second round. They include Utah’s , TCU’s , Clemson’s A.J. Terrell, Alabama’s , LSU’s Kristian Fulton and Auburn’s .

“There’s enough depth in this draft where you don’t have to address (cornerback in the first round),” former Vikings defensive back Corey Chavous, a draft analyst for DraftNasty.com, said Wednesday. “There’s going to still be some quality personnel later on.”

However, Chavous said that hardly precludes the Vikings from taking a cornerback late in the first round. They might have targeted a certain player and, if there is a run on cornerbacks early in the second round, “you don’t want to risk” being left out.

At and defensive end, the run could be over by the second round. The top four tackles — Alabama’s , Iowa’s , Louisville’s and Georgia Andrew Thomas — are expected to be gone by No. 22. Then there’s a drop-off in talent before it becomes more of a gamble in the late first round and early second round. Players in that range include Houston’s , USC’s Austin Jackson, Boise State’s and Georgia’s .

At defensive end, there’s also a lack of depth. The top two players there — Ohio State’s Chase Young and LSU’s K’Lavon Chaisson — will be gone by No. 22. Then there’s a drop-off before the next two guys, Penn State Yetur Gross-Matos and Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa. Both are expected to go late in the first round.

At wide receiver, a big drop-off might not show up until Saturday. Spielman doesn’t deny the Vikings could wait until after the first round to take a receiver, and said there is depth “even into the fourth and fifth round.” One source said the Vikings want a very fast guy to stretch defenses.

“This has to be one of the deepest classes that I’ve seen in a long time,” Spielman said. “I would say there’s all kinds of flavor.”

Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and , and III of Alabama will be gone by No. 22 — and LSU’s could be, as well. After that, candidates for late in the first round or in the second round include Arizona State’s , Baylor’s Denzel Mims, TCU’s , Colorado’s Jr., USC’s Michael Pittman, Clemson’s , Penn State’s K.J. Hamler, Notre Dame’s Chase Claypool and South Carolina’s Bryan Edwards.

It’s also worth noting that many receivers taken later in the draft have turned out better than those selected in the first round. In the past four drafts, none of the 11 receivers taken in the first round has made a Pro Bowl while seven taken in later rounds have. PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 4/23/20

Can someone hack the NFL draft? Local expert weighs in

By Dane Mizutani

It’s still unclear how exactly the NFL draft is going to function over the next three days.

While every team in the league has made the transition to virtual communication during the coronavirus pandemic, conducting news conference over Zoom and other platforms over the past couple of weeks, there are growing concerns about cybersecurity leading up the actual event.

The main concern: Can someone hack the NFL Draft?

It’s a simple question that elicits a complicated answer when looking at some of the different scenarios.

That said, according to Brad Nigh, who works for a locally based information security management company, it’s probably going to be pretty tough to do.

“If someone wants to wreak havoc, there’s always going to be a risk that they’re able to do that,” said Nigh, who serves as director of professional services and innovation at FRSecure. “But I think it’s safe to assume the NFL has put a lot of resources toward this and done about everything they can to minimize the risk of that happening.”

No doubt the biggest concern is rooted in the fact that Zoom already has been compromised during the pandemic. Forbes reported last week that half a million hacked Zoom accounts are being given away for free on the dark web.

That shouldn’t be an issue over the weekend since Zoom won’t be used “for league-to-club or club-to-league communications” during the draft, according to a recent report published by USA Today.

It’s likely that teams will still use Zoom to conduct news conference, and while that could open the door for hackers to stealthy join those conversations, it wouldn’t necessarily put information from the front office at risk.

“Assuming the NFL has put proper measures in place with the password protections and things like that, I think the biggest risk will simply be rooted in human error,” Nigh said. “It could be something as simple as a team not muting and then everyone being able to hear that conversation over the main broadcast.”

Though he thinks it’s unlikely someone will hack the draft over the weekend, Nigh stressed that it’s impossible to completely eliminate that risk.

“If someone wants to truly get in, it’s only a matter of time before they can do that,” he said. “Can they do that in the time frame of this weekend? That, we can’t really forecast. I would just assume the NFL has done everything they can to minimize the risk.” PUBLICATION: Pioneer Press DATE: 4/23/20

Chris Tomasson’s NFL mock draft: Vikings take a cornerback at No. 22

By Chris Tomasson

Not much is certain in this NFL draft except one thing: Joe Burrow should fare better than the only other LSU to have been the No. 1 pick.

That was JaMarcus Russell, who was taken by Oakland in 2007. One of the biggest busts in NFL history, he flamed out after three seasons and 31 games.

It will be no surprise when Burrow goes No. 1 to Cincinnati. But after that, there could be lots of surprises in the NFL’s first virtual draft.

Here’s one man’s opinion on how the first round might unfold when the three-day draft gets underway at 7 p.m.Thursday on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network:

1. CINCINNATI: JOE BURROW, QB, LSU The only other quarterback to go No. 1 to Cincinnati was Carson Palmer in 2003. He made two Pro Bowls with the Bengals but never won a playoff game.

2. WASHINGTON: CHASE YOUNG, DE, OHIO STATE He was first a quarterback when growing up. Now, he devours them from the other side of the ball.

3. : , CB, OHIO STATE The Lions were last in the NFL in passing yards allowed in 2019. They’re desperate to change that.

4. N.Y. GIANTS: , LB, CLEMSON For a team that has had Sam Huff, and Harry Carson, why not grab another dominant ?

5. MIAMI: , QB, OREGON Vegas oddsmakers now have Herbert the favorite to be the second quarterback taken over . Worth a bet.

6. L.A. CHARGERS: TUA TAGOVAILOA, QB, ALABAMA Wake the Chargers up when they pick. They’ll take the best quarterback left.

7. CAROLINA: DERRICK BROWN, DT, AUBURN Brown was a business management major in college. He can use that when endorsement offers roll in.

8. ARIZONA: TRISTAN WIRFS, OT, IOWA He’s from Iowa, so of course he wrestled. He was great at that, too.

9. JACKSONVILLE: JEDRICK WILLS, OT, ALABAMA He’s from Kentucky, so not surprisingly was his first love. He turned out to be a lot better in football.

10. CLEVELAND: MEKHI BECTON, OT, LOUISVILLE The run on tackles is in full swing. Becton might not be the best but, at 6-foot-7, 364 pounds, he’s the biggest.

11. N.Y. JETS: CEEDEE LAMB, WR, OKLAHOMA The moribund Jets offense needs some life. How about a guy who averaged 21.4 yards a catch in college?

12. LAS VEGAS: HENRY RUGGS III, WR, ALABAMA Late Raiders owner Al Davis loved speed burners. This one’s for Al. Ruggs ran a 4.27 40 at the combine.

13. SAN FRANCISCO: JERRY JEUDY, WR, ALABAMA The 49ers haven’t had a 1,000-yard wide receiver since 2014. Hello Jeudy, who had 1,315 yards in 2018 and 1,163 in 2019.

14. TAMPA BAY: ANDREW THOMAS, OT, GEORGIA He won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which, if you didn’t know, is a big deal for an offensive lineman.

15. DENVER: JUSTIN JEFFERSON, WR, LSU He put up crazy numbers in 2019 (111 catches, 1,540 yards, 18 TDs), and he’s even known as a good blocker.

16. ATLANTA: C.J. HENDERSON, CB, FLORIDA He’s a low-key guy but every cornerback has an ego. He says, “I’d definitely rank myself No. 1’’ among corners in the draft.

17. DALLAS: K’LAVON CHAISSON, DE, LSU Chaisson, 20, is raw but ready to mature. Shades of DE , who joined the Vikings out of LSU in 2015 at age 20.

18. MIAMI: , DT, SOUTH CAROLINA Inspiring story. Moved around as a youth and was homeless for a while. Worked his way up after starting at junior college.

19. LAS VEGAS: JAYLON JOHNSON, CB, UTAH Johnson is still recovering from shoulder surgery. The Raiders never have worried about taking risks.

20. JACKSONVILLE: YETUR GROSS-MATOS, DE, PENN STATE Yannick Ngakoue is rooting for this pick. The desperately wants to be traded, and this could facilitate that.

21. PHILADELPHIA: BRANDON AIYUK, WR, ARIZONA STATE He’ll give the Eagles a much-improved YAC attack. That’s yards after catch.

22. MINNESOTA: JEFF GLADNEY, CB, TEXAS CHRISTIAN He’s undersized but is an aggressive Terence Newman-type player. And Vikings coach has loved few players more than Newman.

23. NEW ENGLAND: A.J. EPENESA, DE, IOWA A quarterback to replace ? Not here. Instead, here’s a guy to go after .

24. : A.J. TERRELL, CB, CLEMSON Never mind he got torched in the national title game in New Orleans; most DBs looked bad against Burrow and LSU.

25. MINNESOTA: JOSH JONES, OT, HOUSTON It might not be goodbye to starting left tackle , but it could mean him switching to guard or taking a pay cut.

26. MIAMI: AUSTIN JACKSON, OT, USC Jackson, 20, is the youngest player in the draft, but the rebuilding Dolphins have time to wait.

27. SEATTLE: KENNETH MURRAY, LB, OKLAHOMA The Seahawks always trade down, but just maybe this versatile linebacker might be worth them standing pat.

28. BALTIMORE: CESAR RUIZ, C, MICHIGAN Ravens coach John Harbaugh has a good reference on Ruiz. That would be his brother, Wolverines coach .

29. TENNESSEE: KRISTIAN FULTON, CB, LSU The Titans remember how Patrick Mahomes carved them up in the playoffs. Help is on the way.

30. GREEN BAY: , LB, LSU This makes five LSU players picked in the first round. Alas, it falls one short of Miami’s record: six in 2004.

31. SAN FRANCISCO: TREVON DIGGS, CB, ALABAMA That’s five for Alabama, as well. Diggs is Stefon’s brother, and the 49ers play Buffalo in 2020.

32. KANSAS CITY: ROSS BLACKLOCK, DT, TCU There’s little concern about the Chiefs’ offense, but the defense could use some help to stop falling behind in playoff games. PUBLICATION: DATE: 4/23/20

Vikings offseason roster 'evolution' only begins with the NFL draft

By Ben Goessling

The sizable shift that’s coming for the Vikings’ 2020 roster, as General Manager Rick Spielman characterized it this week, is a natural part of the NFL life cycle, planned out years in advance and carefully managed by a front office that rarely lacks for diligence.

Spielman used the word “evolution” three times in his pre-draft news conference Tuesday to describe an offseason where the Vikings parted ways with four long-term defensive starters, as well as cornerback . Little of it, in his telling, caught the team off guard, and much of it can be managed by the processes the Vikings used to build their defense in the first place.

“I know as we were evolving and even as we roster planned — we always roster plan two years out — we knew there was going to be turnover going into this year,” he said. “I have a great amount of faith in the process that we do and the coaches and all the work that they put into this.”

What the Vikings could not have seen coming, though, was a global pandemic that forced the team’s IT department to recreate draft boards in Spielman’s home and could leave NFL practice facilities shuttered through much of the summer. The Vikings, who have two choices in Thursday’s first round and 12 picks overall, could lean more heavily on the draft than they usually do to find immediate contributors; their desire to get younger and find cost-controlled starters is no secret around the league.

If the Vikings are forced to count on young players while adjusting the time they have to prepare them, they’ll be stretched (on defense especially) in a way they haven’t been in some time.

“We’ve prepared just as hard for other drafts as we have for this draft. The difference is that a lot of these guys that we’re bringing in are going to have to probably contribute and play for us next year as we fill some holes on our roster,” Spielman said. “The one thing I do know is that the strength of this coaching staff is the development of these young players. Now it’s going to be totally different … I don’t know when we’re going to be able to see these rookies or when we can get them on the field or what lies ahead.”

Depleted secondary will be site of big changes

The Vikings, who have drafted two corners in the first round and one in the second round since Mike Zimmer became head coach in 2014, ordinarily have preferred a longer incubation period for rookies at the position.

Trae Waynes played just 195 snaps on defense as a rookie in 2015, and Alexander got only 68 in 2016 (his first season in the league), as the Vikings leaned on Terence Newman and to help them bring their rookies along slowly. Mike Hughes played 243 snaps in six games before tearing his ACL in 2018, but injuries to Alexander and Waynes helped hasten Hughes’ entry into the lineup somewhat.

The secondary — the position where Zimmer first made his mark as an NFL coach and the one he’s perhaps coached the most fastidiously in Minnesota — could be the spot where the Vikings’ defensive changes are most evident in 2020.

With Hughes now the most experienced corner on the roster, the Vikings have done quite a bit of work on the top corners in the draft (including Florida’s C.J. Henderson, LSU’s Kristian Fulton, TCU’s Jeff Gladney and Utah’s Jaylon Johnson). They could pick one of those players Thursday or Friday with an eye toward putting him on the field sooner than they would ordinarily do with a rookie corner — even though they could be waiting longer than usual to work with their rookies on the field.

“Next week we’ll start our virtual offseason program with our virtual meetings with the coaches and players, and then we’ll have a virtual rookie minicamp,” Spielman said. “But I do know that with the time and energy that the coaches have put into this as well as the scouts, that they’ll be able to get a head start at least virtually on learning the playbook and things like that. Coach Zim has really thought through how we’re going to approach this when we do get the players back in the building, how we’re going to have to get these guys ready to line up and play.”

Some around the league expect veterans who haven’t found a home yet to have more suitors after the draft, since teams could be looking for players who can step in and play with minimal preparation time, so the Vikings could add a player such as former Bengals cornerback — who played for both Zimmer and new defensive backs coach Daronte Jones in Cincinnati.

The last time he spoke to reporters at the NFL combine in February, Zimmer suggested the Vikings could implement different coverages to help their secondary this season, and Spielman said Tuesday the presence of — who has until July 15 to sign his franchise tag or agree to a new deal with the team — could help solidify the secondary with Harrison Smith.

At least for now, though, the luxury of cornerbacks who have logged thousands of snaps in the Vikings’ defense is gone.

“We’re not going to cry because we don’t have some of those [veterans],” Zimmer said at the combine. “Our job is to figure out how to get guys in there and get them to play.”

Rebuild? Not quite

Though the evolution Spielman described is significant, it is not all-encompassing; it comes after the team signed quarterback to a new three-year deal, and precedes the team’s apparent plans to work on a new deal with .

For the moment, nine of 11 starters from the NFL’s eighth-ranked offense remain on the roster (with Josh Kline gone for salary cap reasons and Stefon Diggs traded to Buffalo). Gary Kubiak, who helped Kevin Stefanski build the team’s offense last year, took over as the play-caller to ensure stability. That, coupled with the fact both Spielman and Zimmer are working into the final years of their deals, suggests the Vikings are trying to rework their roster on the fly rather than undertake a complete rebuild a year after they were one of the NFC’s final four teams.

They’ve got $12.2 million in cap space, a number of key spots on the roster to fill and an uncertain practice schedule over the next few months. The success of the Vikings’ evolution will depend on how well they can adapt.

“A lot of it will come from the draft. But I know we’re not going to be done building this roster after the draft,” Spielman said. “We’ve talked to some teams. After the draft, I think you’ll be able to potentially fill some needs with some minor trades maybe. There’s still some guys available out there in free agency that you’ll look at. So once this draft is over, we’re going to continue to add and build to this roster.” PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 4/23/20

Mock Draft: Joe Burrow, Chase Young, and then the fun starts

By Mark Craig

How good is Joe Burrow? So good that the world’s 100 bazillion, jillion NFL mock drafters will be collectively — but separately, of course — pumping their fists as they kick off Thursday night’s virtual festivities by going 1-for-1.

This particular NFL mock 1.0-and-done features three projected trades; 16 offensive players, led by six tackles, including four in the top 10; and 16 defensive players, led by five cornerbacks, including the start of a desperately needed reload for Zim at 25.

Five players are from Louisana State and five from Alabama, including four Crimson Tide picks in the top 13.

The Dolphins have three of the top 26 picks and a league-high 14 overall. The Chiefs and Saints are tied with a league-low five. The 49ers, Vikings, Jaguars and Raiders each have two first-round picks while the Bears, Rams, Steelers, Bills, Colts and Texans have Thursday night off but could be tempting the Seahawks, 49ers and Chiefs with offers to move into the final six picks.

And, of course, teams will grapple for quarterbacks. Three of the top six picks here are QBs. And all three projected trades are made with quarterbacks in mind as the Dolphins and Patriots land their new, young quarterbacks and the Buccaneers move up to protect a certain new, old quarterback.

1. BENGALS JOE BURROW, QB, LSU Let’s assume not even Cincinnati can be tempted into blowing the easiest No. 1 pick in years.

2. REDSKINS CHASE YOUNG, DE, OHIO STATE Washington gets the next sure thing from THEE Defensive End University.

3. DOLPHINS (Projected trade with Lions) JUSTIN HERBERT, QB, OREGON Miami tried way too hard to tank to be outbid by the Chargers for the franchise quarterback it wants. Detroit gets the 39th and 70th picks, and maybe more, to move back two spots. The Dolphins then throw a curveball, taking Herbert instead of the huge medical risk that comes with the brittle Tua Tagovailoa.

4. GIANTS MEKHI BECTON, T, LOUISVILLE Yes, he had a drug test flagged at the combine. But he is also 6-7½, 365 pounds and plays left tackle with the feet of a ballerina. If he does start one of those classic draft-day freefalls, the Vikings will be crossing their fingers and toes that he lands at 23.

5. LIONS (Projected trade with Dolphins) ISAIAH SIMMONS, LB, CLEMSON What position do you play when you’re 6-4, 238 pounds and run a 4.39 40? All of them. Edge rusher, inside backer, safety, nickelback. He gives Matt Patricia the ultimate Patriots-style hybrid weapon.

6. CHARGERS TUA TAGOVAILOA, QB, ALABAMA The Chargers stay put and still get their man.

7. PANTHERS JEFF OKUDAH, CB, OHIO STATE Carolina won’t let perhaps the third-best player in the draft fall any further.

8. CARDINALS JEDRICK WILLS JR., T, ALABAMA Arizona fills a key need by acquiring an offensive tackle.

9. BUCCANEERS (Projected trade with Jaguars) TRISTAN WIRFS, T, IOWA When your new QB is a 43-year-old G.O.A.T., you do whatever it takes to protect him. NOW. The Bucs will overpay a little bit by giving the Jaguars the 45th overall pick to drop five spots in the first round. Wirfs is a massive force and a gifted athlete that can play either tackle spot.

10. BROWNS ANDREW THOMAS, T, GEORGIA After landing prized free agent RT in free agency, the perennial offseason champions add a bookend left tackle.

11. JETS CEEDEE LAMB, WR, OKLAHOMA With four tackles gobbled up in the top 10, the Jets start the run on the best receiver class in years.

12. RAIDERS JERRY JEUDY, WR, ALABAMA Whether it’s Lamb or Jeudy here, the Raiders get the No. 1 receiver they need.

13. 49ERS (From Colts) HENRY RUGGS III, WR, ALABAMA They lost 33-year-old Emmanuel Sanders. But they gain a sure-handed receiver with 4.27 speed.

14. JAGUARS (Projected trade with Buccaneers) DERRICK BROWN, DT, AUBURN The run on tackles and receivers pushes the best defensive tackle outside the top 13. The Jaguars get top-10 caliber value after trading out of the top 10.

15. BRONCOS JUSTIN JEFFERSON, WR, LSU Denver will be tempted to trade up with Cleveland at No. 10 to get ahead of the run on receivers. The Browns might do it because they probably can get Thomas at 15. If the Broncos stay put, they still get quite a receiver.

16. FALCONS C.J. HENDERSON, CB, FLORIDA Atlanta has other needs but can’t resist when the second-best corner falls this far.

17. COWBOYS K’LAVON CHAISSON, LB, LSU Dallas gets a versatile defender and the second-best edge rusher behind Young.

18. PATRIOTS (Projected trade with Dolphins/via Steelers) , QB, UTAH STATE New England isn’t going to sit by with Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer while the Bucs and Tom Brady load up for a in their own stadium. The Patriots will be aggressive, too. To get this prototypical, albeit polarizing, prospect, they will overpay, giving division foe Miami the 87th and 125th picks for moving down five spots. It might take even more, considering the Dolphins have spent the past 20 years being tormented by a New England quarterback.

19. RAIDERS (From Bears) KRISTIAN FULTON, CB, LSU Another pick from the trade. The Bears had a league-low five picks last year and have only seven this year.

20. JAGUARS (From Rams) XAVIER McKINNEY, S, ALABAMA The best safety in the draft, although the Winfield family might disagree.

21. EAGLES JAVON KINLAW, DT, SOUTH CAROLINA They need a receiver, but Kinlaw at 21 is tremendous value. If Kinlaw falls one more spot, the Vikings probably take him.

22. VIKINGS (From Bills)

MICHAEL WYKE, AP JOSH JONES, T, HOUSTON A long, athletic left tackle fits the outside-zone run scheme and allows Riley Reiff to be moved to left guard, where Pat Elflein has struggled.

23. DOLPHINS (Projected trade with Patriots) EZRA CLEVELAND, T, BOISE STATE The move down doesn’t cost Miami the tackle it needs.

24. SAINTS PATRICK QUEEN, LB, LSU Value and need match up for a Saints team with only five picks.

25. VIKINGS JAYLON JOHNSON, CB, UTAH It’s hard to imagine the Vikings making it out of the first round without taking a cornerback. Assuming Johnson had no long-term issues with his shoulder surgery in February, he’s a good fit. He’s got the instincts, toughness and necessary skill set that Mike Zimmer looks for.

26. DOLPHINS (From Texans) A.J. EPENESA, DE-LB, IOWA Could be a reach pick for an edge rusher in a year there aren’t many worthy of the first round.

27. SEAHAWKS CESAR RUIZ, C-G, MICHIGAN Considering Seattle GM John Schneider has traded down in the first round eight years in a row, this pick probably will belong to someone else.

28. RAVENS KENNETH MURRAY, LB, OKLAHOMA Signing Jake Ryan won’t keep the Ravens from landing an explosive inside backer.

29. TITANS ROSS BLACKLOCK, DT, TCU Might be considered a reach by some but Tennessee needs to replace the traded Jurrell Casey.

30. PACKERS TEE HIGGINS, WR, CLEMSON Is the guy who tied Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins for most catches in school history (27) fast enough to take the next step?

31. 49ERS A.J. TERRELL, CB, CLEMSON With no picks in the second, third and fourth rounds, the 49ers will almost certainly trade down.

32. CHIEFS ANTOINE WINFIELD JR., DB, MINNESOTA With only five picks, the Chiefs also will look to trade down. But if the world champs stay put, they have a need for a versatile defensive back. Winfield is versatile. He’s got the pedigree, obviously. And the Honey Badger, , is on record as saying he wants to team up with the former Gopher. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 4/23/20

Draft is important, the NFL says — but not all-important

By Jim Souhan

Remember, the NFL draft is all-important. The TV tells us so.

There is no way to win if you do not move up in the draft to land the sure thing, or move down in the draft to accumulate assets, or take the player that you were so surprised to see available when you picked. You absolutely must take a great player with your first pick.

There is only one thing wrong with the previous two paragraphs: They’re lies.

The draft feels important because the NFL has made it feel important, and because the draft is filled with mystery and speculation, and every once in a while your team drafts and all things become possible.

Drafting well is always useful, but “drafting well” is a relative term. No team hits on all of its picks, or even all of its first-round picks. It just doesn’t happen. And it’s not necessary. And in a salary-cap league, no team that drafted all superstars could afford to pay them all, anyway.

Take New England, the NFL’s most dynastic team for two decades. The Patriots have maintained their dominance while picking at the bottom of the draft order, and have frequently swung and missed.

The last time they took a Pro Bowl player in the first round? 2012. They did have a run of successful first-rounders in the 2000s. They also used a first-round pick on Laurence Maroney in 2006 and didn’t have a first-rounder in 2009, and their greatest draft “success” was luck.

If the Patriots knew that Tom Brady was going to be a good starting quarterback, they never would have waited until the sixth round to pick him. If they had an inkling he would be great, they were fools to give every other NFL team five chances to take him.

The Patriots draft a reasonable number of quality players who fit their schemes, then they develop them, then they get rid of a bunch of them like the depreciating assets they are.

The Vikings have gone on extended runs of success even when they have missed on picks, or missed having picks.

The Vikings included seven picks in the first three rounds over the 1990-92 drafts in the Herschel Walker trade. From 1986 through 1992, the Vikings made one quality first-round pick — Randall McDaniel in 1988.

That sequence crushed them to the extent that they made the playoffs in 1987, ’88, ’89, ’92, ’93, ’94, ’96, ’97, ’98, ’99 and 2000, going to NFC title games following the 1987, ’98 and 2000 seasons.

Missing on first-round draft picks merely forces quality franchises to find other ways to acquire quality players.

Think of many of the best players in recent Vikings history. They claimed Cris Carter off waivers for $100. Brad Johnson was a ninth-round pick. John Randle and were undrafted free agents. Danielle Hunter went in the third round, Stefon Diggs in the fifth, Dalvin Cook in the second. The Vikings traded for Jared Allen and signed Brett Favre, and Pat Williams as free agents. And their only 13-win season since 1998 was delivered by a free-agent backup quarterback, .

They got it last season on offense; this year, several players in the secondary and on the defensive line must be replaced. Drafting well is the most convenient way to build a team, and the most celebrated, because football teams and fans spend so much time obsessing about the draft. But missing on first-round picks is hardly fatal. Look at the 2015 draft. The first round must be filled with players who are in their prime and valuable, right?

The first three picks were , and . Winston is a free agent; Mariota is a backup with his second team; Fowler is with his third team.

Of the 32 first-round picks that year, only two have made Pro Bowls and remain with their original team: Washington’s and New Orleans’ Andrus Peat, both offensive linemen who haven’t broken the bank.

The Vikings used their 2015 first-round pick on cornerback . In the second round, they took Pro Bowl linebacker Eric Kendricks. In the third, they landed Hunter, a future Hall of Famer. In the fifth, they got Diggs.

Ideally, in the first round Thursday the Vikings will take a left tackle and cornerback and both will become immediate starters and eventual stars.

But if that doesn’t happen, it’s not the end of the world, franchise or season. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 4/23/20

Former Vikings WR Percy Harvin says he wants to make NFL comeback

By Michael Rand

The Vikings figure to be doing their final draft evaluations on a number of wide receivers in their early 20s in hopes of the likely intersection of opportunity and need leading to an upgrade at that position during the NFL draft Thursday- Saturday. We talked about that at length on the most recent Access Vikings draft preview podcast.

But another receiver a decade older than those prospects has also tossed his helmet back into the ring.

Former Vikings standout Percy Harvin told ESPN that he is “ready to return to the NFL” and has “that itch” to return to a league in which he hasn’t played since 2016.

He says he’s been training with a former Olympian. A video of Harvin sprinting accompanied a tweet by ESPN’s Josina Anderson announcing the Harvin news. He does look quite fit, though the comments on the sprint — which is shown in slow-motion — amusingly note that he looks slow because of the camera speed.

I’m not sure if this should make you feel old or young, but Harvin is ONLY 31. He was a huge part of the Vikings’ success in 2009 as a rookie. In 2012, he was a legit MVP candidate for the first half of the season before injuries and dissatisfaction with the Vikings ultimately led to him being traded in March 2013.

(That was the first time Vikings GM Rick Spielman said he wasn’t going to trade a receiver, only to do it shortly thereafter. The same thing happened last month with Stefon Diggs).

His post-Vikings career was, to put it bluntly, a mess. He played four seasons for three teams, amassing just 724 yards receiving before leaving the league in 2016 after playing with Buffalo. In an interview last year with Bleacher Report, Harvin said he was high during every game he played in his NFL career.

But Harvin is pitching a chance at redemption.

“My body is feeling good,” Harvin said, per ESPN. “Mentally I’m better. My family is good. The timing is right.”

Those first three points could be true and I hope they are. But that last part is questionable. When healthy and engaged, Harvin was a breathtaking player. But he’s also eight years removed from his last productive season and will be competing against both established NFL receivers and a highly touted draft class for a shot on a roster during a time when NFL teams are idled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Still, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Harvin get some sort of chance. Harvin is one of the three most electrifying Vikings offensive players of the last 25 years, with Randy Moss and being the others.

With players like that, you never say never. PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 4/23/20

Eight potential Vikings first-round draft picks

By Staff

T Josh Jones, Houston: He’ll need some time to develop in the NFL, but his size and mobility make him an intriguing fit as a tackle who can handle professional pass rushers and get out to block in the Vikings’ outside zone scheme.

C Cesar Ruiz, Michigan: Might be the best interior lineman in the draft. If the Vikings are looking for a player to plug in at guard, Ruiz has the footwork to fit in (though he’d likely need some time to adjust to powerful interior pass rushers).

WR Justin Jefferson, LSU: In a deep wide receiver class, the LSU product could be one of the best receivers left on the board by the time they pick. He can play in a number of spots, but could excel as a slot receiver in the NFL.

CB Jeff Gladney, TCU: The question might be whether Gladney (5-10, 191 pounds) is big enough to play outside, but he’s the same height and two pounds heavier than cornerback Mike Hughes, the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2018.

CB Jaylon Johnson, Utah: The fact Johnson has had three shoulder surgeries already could concern some teams, but he fits as a press-man cornerback who plays with the physical nature Mike Zimmer typically wants in his corners.

CB Kristian Fulton, LSU: Another physical corner who won’t get pushed around. He missed all of the 2017 season after falsifying a urine sample in a PED test, and there are questions about whether he’ll turn into an elite corner in the NFL.

CB A.J. Terrell, Clemson: He got roasted in the national championship game against LSU, but at 6-1 and 198 pounds, he’s got prototypical size. The Vikings likely would have some work to do with Terrell on his footwork in the NFL.

DE Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State: Gross-Matos could pique the Vikings’ interest as a pass rusher whose dimensions (6-5, 266 pounds, 34-inch arms) closely mirror Danielle Hunter’s. He could turn into the team’s next productive pass rusher.

PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 4/23/20

Vikings need immediate help on defense from this draft

By Sid Hartman

Last season was a good one by most measures for the Vikings as they finished 10-6 and won a road playoff game, but one of the biggest keys to that success was the performance of a few key rookies, especially on offense.

And now one of the biggest questions for the franchise heading into the draft Thursday is if the Vikings can find similar draft success on the defensive side of the ball.

Looking back to 2019, first-round pick finished the season playing the most snaps of any player on offense with 989 at center, which was 96.6% of the offensive plays.

Tight end Irv Smith Jr., who was taken in the second round at No. 50 overall, played 59.8% of the offensive snaps, which ranked ninth on the team ahead of stars such as Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen.

Even wide receiver Olabisi Johnson, a seventh-rounder selected No. 247 overall, played 52.5% of offensive snaps. That was the second-most snaps of any receiver on the club last season, trailing only Stefon Diggs, who was traded to the Buffalo Bills in the offseason.

Still the fact is that the Vikings are going to need to get just as much production out of the draft this year if they’re going to keep this championship window open.

And a lot of that production will have to be on the defensive side of the ball, where they have lost key players Trae Waynes, Linval Joseph, , Mackensie Alexander, , , and most likely Everson Griffen, who is still unsigned.

They have never had turnover on defense like this before under coach Mike Zimmer and General Manager Rick Spielman.

Holes to fill

Spielman said in is pre-draft news conference this week that he knows how important this draft is in terms of getting players who can come in and play right away.

“We have prepared just as hard for other drafts as we have for this draft. I know the difference is that a lot of these guys that we’re bringing in are going to have to probably contribute and play for us next year as we fill some holes on our roster,” Spielman said. “The one thing I do know is that the strength of this coaching staff is the development of these young players.”

Not only do the Vikings need to add a number of players who can play next season but they also are going to have to find a way to get those players ready without the benefit of working with them in person at the start of the offseason.

“It’s going to be totally different, even if you go back to the lockout year [which lasted until July of 2011], I don’t know when we’re going to be able to see these rookies or get them on the field or what lies ahead,” Spielman said.

“But I know next week we’ll start our virtual offseason program with our virtual meetings with the coaches and players and then we’ll have a virtual rookie minicamp. But I do know that with the time and energy that the coaches have put into this, as well as the scouts, that they will be able to get a head start at least virtually on learning the playbook and things like that.”

Spielman added that Zimmer already has started putting together the plan for how he will get the new draft picks up to speed when they do come to TCO Performance Center in Eagan.

“Coach Zim has really thought through how we’re going to go about this when we do get the players back in the building with how we’re going to get these guys ready to line up and play,” Spielman said.

“… We have been fortunate to have on the defensive side, where there has been a lot of changes, we have had that group together for almost six years. It’s just a natural evolution of a roster. But I know that knowing this draft board and the depth of this draft, especially at some positions of need, that we feel not only in the first round but throughout the draft that we’ll be able to get guys that come in and contribute right away.”

Yes, this will be a unique and challenging offseason for the Vikings front office and coaching staff, and they must be counting their lucky stars that they have Spielman and Zimmer working together for the seventh consecutive offseason.

There’s no doubt their history together will make a big difference in getting the squad prepared.

Spielman talks U

While this is a big draft for the Vikings, it is also going to be a big one for the Gophers and head coach P.J. Fleck, who should see a number of his players selected.

There seems to be a good chance that safety Antoine Winfield Jr. will be a first-round selection, and Carter Coughlin, Tyler Johnson and Kamal Martin could also all hear their names called this week.

The fact is that the Gophers are building off the success of last season in huge ways.

As of Wednesday, the Gophers had 13 commitments for the Class of 2021 and 247Sports.com ranked them No. 5 in the nation in recruiting. The only teams ahead of them are Ohio State, North Carolina, Florida and Clemson.

This is uncharted territory for the Gophers. And having a bunch of players drafted can have a huge impact on recruiting going forward, as well.

After the NFL combine in Indianapolis earlier this year, Spielman gave his opinion on what he saw from the players who performed there.

“They all had phenomenal workouts,” Spielman said. “Carter Coughlin did a great job, you know he had a great Senior Bowl, as well, so I think he’s going to keep rising up the charts here. How he fits in, as a linebacker or potential defensive end or a designated pass rusher, I know teams are figuring that out. But he has had a really, really positive offseason as far as his pre-draft process through the Senior Bowl and at the combine.

“Winfield blew up the combine. He ran fast, he looks good in drills, so anxious to see where he ends up, but another good football player. Kamal Martin did not do anything, I think he is still coming off his knee [injury].

“There are some guys that the Gophers have this year who weren’t at the combine that will get an opportunity to play in the NFL or get an opportunity to get signed and have their opportunity, as well.

“P.J. has done a phenomenal job over there bringing that crew together. They had such a phenomenal season and the big win against Auburn [in the Outback Bowl]. I imagine as we go forward there will be a lot more Gophers that we will have an opportunity to look at as potential prospects.” PUBLICATION: Star Tribune DATE: 4/23/20

Former Gophers, Vikings guard Milt Sunde dies at 78

By News Service

Milt Sunde, who played 11 seasons for the Vikings and was a Pro Bowl guard after starring for the Gophers, died Tuesday at age 78. Sunde had Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Born in Minneapolis, Sunde went to Bloomington High School before playing for the Gophers.

He was taken in the 20th round of the 1964 draft by the Vikings, the same year they took his Gophers teammate, , with the sixth overall pick.

Sunde played in 147 games, starting 113, for the Vikings. He also played in 11 playoff games, including two Super Bowls, and was in the 1967 Pro Bowl.

The team, in a statement, said, “He was part of the foundation that helped shape the and contributed significantly to the development of an NFL expansion team into a Super Bowl participant.”

“He wasn’t big enough, strong enough or fast enough, but he built up his weight, speed and strength to become a starter on some great Vikings teams,” former Vikings coach told vikings.com.

Playing for the Gophers from 1961-63, Sunde was on a team that won a Rose Bowl following the 1961 season. He was team captain in 1963.

In 1974, Sunde was presented the YMCA-Brian Piccolo Award for Humanitarian Service for his work as chairman of the Walk for Mankind in the Twin Cities, which provided assistance for people in poverty.

In retirement, Sunde owned a sporting goods store. He was a head coach of the girls’ basketball team at Trinity, and an assistant coach at Augsburg.

In a 1998 Star Tribune story, Sunde said, “Some of the guys I played with could still play today. [Center Mick] Tingelhoff could play anytime, anywhere. I would have had a lot of trouble adjusting to the size and speed of the game today.

“One of the highlights of something like that was playing with people who are Hall of Fame level. You look back and there aren’t that many people at that caliber.”

He and his wife, Barbara, had been married for 54 years. He is also survived by four daughters and eight grandchildren. PUBLICATION: SKOR North DATE: 4/23/20

5 home run scenarios for the Vikings on draft night

By Matthew Coller

Draft night is finally upon us and the Minnesota Vikings have far more options than in previous years. What are the best possible outcomes? Let’s have a look…

Land a top tackle and cornerback prospect at 22 and 25

Run 50 draft simulations on whatever website you like and there’s always a common theme: One top prospect falls through the cracks. Sometimes that’s a player that doesn’t help the Vikings much like LSU linebacker Patrick Queen but other times a player at the biggest positions of need — tackle and cornerback — ends up remaining on the board. It only takes one team surprising us by taking a QB earlier than expected or going off the board with a projected second rounder in the first to set up the Vikings in prime position.

At corner there are two players standing well above the rest in Jeff Okudah and CJ Henderson. It would be stunning if either sunk to 22 but players like Jeff Gladney, AJ Terrell, Kristian Fulton and Jaylon Johnson could be ranked higher by the Vikings depending on their potential fit. There’s a good chance that one of them ends up in that spot.

Along the offensive line most are projecting between four and six players will be taken in the first round. But the value of right tackles will be put to the test with a player like Jedrick Wills of Alabama, who might not be in the same category as left tackles Mekhi Becton and Andrew Thomas. Another ascending tackle is Josh Jones of Houston, who emerged in his final year as one of the best pass blockers in the class.

Any combination of corner and tackle who are first-round talents would check off major areas of need for the Vikings.

Trade down to late first or early second round, pick up another Day 2 pick

Another simulation theme: Trading down almost always looks good. In this particular draft, the talent between the 20th and 40th best prospects has been hotly debated and may largely depend on scheme fit. That gives the Vikings an opportunity to pick up another third-round selection by sliding back from the 25th pick.

With multiple corners, multiple O-linemen, at least one receiver and possibly a safety needed, the Vikings could hit a home run by gathering more top 100 selections while sacrificing little to nothing in terms of their second selection off the board.

Trade Anthony Harris for a second-round pick

The combination of Anthony Harris and Harrison Smith helped the Mike Zimmer’s defense still rank fifth in points allowed despite below average cornerback play but signing Harris to a long-term contract extension might be too rich for the Vikings’ blood as they overhaul the defense. Zimmer said at the Combine that safety isn’t exactly at the top of the positional value chart. So if the Vikings do go hunting for a new partner for Harris, they would win draft night by coming away with another second-round pick where they could potentially grab his replacement in someone like Antoine Winfield Jr. or wait until the second round to pick a receiver in a very deep class.

The likelihood of a team paying out a second for Harris isn’t high but the pressure on teams to improve on draft night always ends up ramping up when picks are flying off the board.

Trade 22 or 25 for a current star player

You never know who is going to suddenly end up on the trade block. The day before the draft, Pittsburgh’s Ju Ju Smith-Schuster reportely came up for sale and Odell Beckham Jr.’s name was tossed around earlier in the week. Add them on top of players like Trent Williams, Jamal Adams and Alshon Jeffery, who have been on the block for awhile.

The Vikings might not be in a spot to be in Super Bowl or bust mode for 2020 but they can alter their timeline with a move that would push the chips to the middle of the table, whether that’s for a Stefon Diggs replacement or a game- changing lineman like New England’s Joe Thuney.

Draft capital is nice and so are players who project as stars but the certainty of adding a current star — especially in a year where offseason programs are altered — could be a home run for the Vikings.

Take the receiver who slips

There are more receivers ranked in the first round than teams who are going to select first-round receivers. It’s highly likely that none of the top ranked players like Jerry Jeudy or Henry Ruggs land at 22 but a player like LSU’s Justin Jefferson could slide just enough to put the Vikings in position to land a player who would be ranked in the top two or three in a normal year.

Kubiak’s system the Vikings might feel confident in their ability to fill around Adam Thielen and wait to select receivers in the third or fourth round. However, if the right player ends up at 22, they would be foolish to avoid another weapon for Cousins. PUBLICATION: SKOR North DATE: 4/23/20

Should Vikings have interest in bringing back Percy Harvin?

By Judd Zulgad

The Vikings are in need of help at wide receiver and one of the team’s former standouts wants to return to the NFL after three-year absence. So should the Vikings consider bringing back Percy Harvin?

That’s a question that general manager Rick Spielman could have been asking after ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported Wednesday that Harvey told her he wants to play again. The Vikings’ first-round pick in 2009, Harvin played for Minnesota until 2012. He spent time with Seattle, the Jets and Buffalo before retiring after appearing in only two games for the Bills in 2016. That marked the second time he retired.

Harvin battled migraine headaches during his time with the Vikings and also had other injuries during his career. He was limited to nine games in 2012 because of an ankle injury. Harvin told Anderson this week that he is “ready to return to the NFL,” adding, “I thought I was done, but that itch came back.”

Harvin, who will turn 32 on May 28, underwent hip surgery in August and, according to ESPN’s story, doctors found a blockage that could have been there since high school. Harvin now weighs 185 pounds and is training with a former Olympian. “(I’m ready to join) any offense that’ll just let me go,” he told Anderson. “My body is feeling good. Mentally I’m better. My family is good. The timing is right.”

Harvin had 280 receptions for 3,302 yards with 20 in 54 games and four seasons with the Vikings before he was traded to Seattle for three drafts pick in March 2013. Harvin’s departure from Minnesota wasn’t exactly a smooth one so it’s highly unlikely that Spielman will want to give him another chance.

Harvin was a dynamic player during his time with the Vikings, returning five kickoffs for touchdowns. As a rookie, he caught 60 passes for 790 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games on a Vikings team that advanced to the NFC title game. PUBLICATION: SKOR North DATE: 4/23/20

Vikings draft simulation: All seven rounds

By Matthew Coller

Mock drafting is great but simulating the draft is better. Websites like PFF.com, FanSpeak and The Draft Network have functions that combine draft boards and team needs to estimate how things will play out in the 2020 NFL Draft. We at SKOR North will be simulating the draft from a Minnesota Vikings perspective as we lead up to when the Vikings are on the clock.

Here is our final draft sim, all seven rounds, a trade down and an eye on players who can step in right away…

The picks

About the picks CB, Jeff Gladney

A three-year starter at TCU who gave up just 54 receptions on 130 targets over the last two seasons (per PFF) and passed every test at the NFL Combine by running a 4.48 40-yard dash and benching 17 reps. While he’s only 5-foot- 10, Gladney has a 37-inch vertical jump. As one of the most experienced players in the draft, he could be expected to play right away.

C/G, Cesar Ruiz

This might be considered the least exciting pick in the entire first round but it would also give the Vikings the No. 1 interior lineman in the draft. The guard position has been a disaster for the entirety of the Mike Zimmer era and drafting high might be the only way to turn that around. Ruiz showed at the Combine that he has the athleticism to fit in Gary Kubiak’s system and the size (6-foot-3, 307-pounds) to face off with the NFC North’s interior beasts.

WR, Jr.

An exciting player with the ball in his hands, Bowden’s catch numbers went down because he was called upon to play quarterback at Kentucky and rushed 168 times. PFF compares him to because he isn’t a polished receiver but can be placed into an offense as a Swiss army knife weapon that the Vikings could move all over the field.

S, Terrell Burgess

With the pick we gained from trading down, we find a potential replacement for Anthony Harris. Utah’s star safety has the versatility that every team is looking for, splitting snaps between the slot, deep safety and playing in the box. He doesn’t have impressive length but ran an impressive 4.46 40-yard dash and benched 20 reps.

DB, K’Von Wallace – A tenacious defensive back who tied for Clemson’s team lead in pass breakups. Might have potential in the nickel.

T, Tega Wanogho – A raw tackle with some medical concerns but second-team All-SEC at Auburn.

DT, – Lanky and explosive interior D-lineman who played a big role in LSU’s defense.

OT, – Very impressive athlete who might develop as a guard

QB, Josh Love – Developmental QB who showed some downfield accuracy at San Jose State

RB, AJ Dillon – Bruising running back who weighed in at 247 pounds but still ran a 4.53 40-yard dash

WR, Austin Mack – Injuries limited his production and raw speed isn’t impressive but is known for route running.

S, Reggie Floyd – Box safety with special teams potential

Who else was available? At 25/27

There were several quality cornerback prospects on the board, including Jaylon Johnson and AJ Terrell. Which player the Vikings would actually pick in that instance would depend on fit. We could have gone with two first-round corners, which would be justifiable considering the Vikings only have Mike Hughes, and Kris Boyd on the roster.

Otherwise, instead of taking Ruiz we could have selected two boom-or-bust players in Mekhi Becton (who is very likely to be gone) and Denzel Mims or taken home one of the best safety prospects in the draft in Antoine Winfield Jr. or solid Clemson receiver Tee Higgins. The reason for taking Ruiz instead is that there are other quality safeties and receivers in the draft who have potential for fitting right into the mix.

At 58/64

Rather than picking up a playmaking receiver, we could have added to the cornerback pool with of Ohio State or plugged in an interior pass rusher with Jordan Elliott. Surprisingly tackle Austin Jackson was still available. That pick certainly would be welcomed with open arms at that spot but if our focus was on instant-impact receivers. Chase Claypool was also an option.

At 89 – Damien Lewis, KJ Hill, Robert Hunt, Van Jefferson, Matt Peart, Lucas Naing

Instead of adding to the defensive back group, we could have taken the direction to pick up another offensive lineman or receiver like Hill or Jefferson.

The takeaway There is rarely a scenario where trading down is a poor play for the Vikings. If they can find a suitor, the available players on the board in the late first or early second round are still quality prospects who fit their needs.

We will see which positions they double down on. In this case we went with defensive back in order to restock the secondary but they could elect to spend more along the defensive line, which lost Everson Griffen and hasn’t replaced from his exit in 2018.

Since there are receivers of all types available, we will get a good sense of whether they want a route runner or playmaker in the mix.

This might be the most difficult draft in recent Vikings history to project because the options are endless. PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 4/23/20

Vikings 2020 Mock Draft 7.0: On draft day, here are our best-case scenarios

By Chad Graff and Arif Hasan

With the draft now just hours away, it’s time for, yes, one final mock draft. But this time we’re doing things a little bit differently. There’s already enough out there to add to your stress. So instead, let’s look at the bright side.

What are the best-case scenarios for the Vikings? We’ll keep things as realistic as we can with the unpredictable nature of the draft and at least not write about Joe Burrow falling to No. 22. But we’ll also keep things positive. It is “best-case,” after all.

If things break the right way for the Vikings, here are our takes on what a perfect fantasy draft could look like for them.

Looking for a less rose-colored mock? Check out our full complement of Vikings simulations for the 2020 draft.

First round: No. 22 overall pick Chad: Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

The massive (6-foot-7, 364-pound) offensive tackle might have the most upside of any of the tackles in this class. He’s someone scouts have loved projecting and coaches want to try to mold. He’s athletic enough to throw down reverse dunks on the basketball court, so I can’t imagine a zone rushing scheme would give him too much trouble.

And while it would’ve been unimaginable a week ago that Becton would slip to the Vikings, there might just be a chance after it was revealed this week that Becton had a drug test flagged at the scouting combine. Our resident draft expert Dane Brugler, though, still doesn’t think there’s much of a chance that Becton falls all the way to No. 22. Arif’s Consensus Big Board has him 13th.

If that’s the case, the Vikings might be looking at tier-two tackles here, including Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland, a player I keep hearing they’re high on. But if we’re talking best-case scenarios with at least an outside shot of reality, Becton is that.

Arif: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

There’s some indication that the top tackles could all go in the top 10, making it possible that a receiver falls — especially as executives think it’s not necessarily wise to take one in the teens this year. Should one of them fall, the Vikings should pounce. They have a bigger need at cornerback and don’t want to neglect the offensive line yet again, but the best way to improve the offense is a playmaker and there’s hardly a better one in the draft than Jeudy, whose precise route-running and high-level athleticism could make him the rare rookie contributor.

We’re still talking about “best-case” scenarios and we know this is unlikely, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Any of those top three receivers — along with Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb and Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III — falling would be a big boon for the Vikings and could improve their team more than players at positions of bigger need. Minnesota probably doesn’t want to take a receiver right away given the nature of this year’s draft, but that could change if Jeudy, Lamb or Ruggs fell to 22.

Mekhi Becton Mekhi Becton (Jamie Rhodes / USA Today) First round: No. 25 overall pick Chad: Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

After really reaching for a positive scenario with my pick at No. 22, let’s keep things more reasonable here. The true best-case scenario might be that only two corners have been picked when the Vikings are on the clock here, allowing them to trade back a few picks while still being confident that they’d get a tier-two corner.

But if not, Fulton could be exactly what the Vikings are looking for. It’s been difficult to get a sense of how the Vikings rank a jumbled group of corners that includes Clemson’s A.J. Terrell, TCU’s Jeff Gladney and Utah’s Jaylon Johnson. Each evaluator seems to rank this group differently.

But I think the Vikings might just be scared off from Terrell’s performance in the national championship, Gladney’s projection in the slot and Johnson’s three shoulder injuries. Because of that, the pick here is Fulton. He may not have the upside of someone like Terrell, but he should be a steady corner that Mike Zimmer can work with.

Arif: CJ Henderson, CB, Florida

I can’t really disagree with Chad here, I think the best-case scenario involves a cornerback and specifically Fulton. But if I’m going to construct a different scenario — and Chad gets to go first — then I’ll have to create some latitude for myself and have another player fall. Instead of a top-10 guy, it’ll be a top-20 guy in CJ Henderson. If concerns about his tackling force executives to turn up their nose, the Vikings could take advantage of a slide.

Does Zimmer seem like the kind of coach that would embrace a player that seemingly refuses to tackle? No, but there’s a feeling among some personnel people, per The Athletic’s Bob McGinn, that there doesn’t seem to be an inherent aversion to contact or physicality, and that he can be made to tackle — which evidently happened as the season progressed in Florida. In the meantime, he could be the best cover player in the draft, with the best coverage numbers in the FBS in 2018, falling behind in 2019 because of some early struggles due to an ankle injury. With no athletic weaknesses, an incredible instinct for man coverage, smooth footwork and scheme diversity, Henderson could emerge as a potential Pro Bowler. After all, Deion Sanders — who also played under Zimmer — didn’t exactly love tackling either.

CJ Henderson CJ Henderson (Kim Klement / USA Today) Second round: No. 58 overall pick Chad: Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU

If the Vikings don’t address wide receiver in the first round (and I’m thinking they won’t), they’d be wise to pick someone at the position on Friday.

In selecting Reagor, the Vikings would be getting a playmaker to help replace Stefon Diggs. Reagor may not be Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk, but even in a best-case mock draft, it seems a bit too ambitious to think Aiyuk will fall to this spot.

So instead, we’ll go with Reagor, who was the flanker at TCU and could help Adam Thielen get more snaps in the slot. He played with a true freshman quarterback in 2019, so his stats dipped (611 yards in 2019 compared to 1,061 in 2018), but he’s an explosive athlete even if he’ll have to improve his route running.

Plus, the Vikings could get him on the field in a variety of ways since Reagor was a standout returner in college and the Vikings may need a new punt returner if Mike Hughes is playing every defensive snap.

Arif: Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State

In my scenario, I’ve envisioned an early run on tackles, which of course leaves me in a bind for the second round. I can’t honestly expect someone like USC’s Austin Jackson, who team personnel seem to love and ranks very highly on the forecaster board, to fall all that far. But as much as there’s first-round steam on someone like Cleveland, he’s behind Jackson, Georgia’s Isaiah Wilson and potentially Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz as far as potential first-round offensive linemen go in Bob McGinn’s rankings and happens to rank around 41 on the forecaster board and 55 on the consensus board. That means a best-case scenario — even one that sees an early run on tackles — could have him fall in the second round. It’s entirely possible that Ruiz, Wilson, Jackson and Houston’s Josh Jones go ahead of Cleveland, giving the Vikings another athletic tackle to fit into their zone system.

Cleveland is an accomplished pass protector who was tasked with playing on an island in true pass sets more than most other prospects, with a lot of movement capability and some technical skill out of the box. While he needs to add weight — just like Brian O’Neill did — and clean up his approach to bull-rushing, he’s capable of improving the Vikings right away.

Jalen Reagor Jalen Reagor (Kevin Jairaj / USA Today) Third round: No. 89 overall pick Chad: , DT, Oklahoma

The Ottawa native could immediately improve the Vikings’ defensive line, which has only one true weakness — three-technique. That’s the position that Brugler projects for Gallimore, and this is also where Brugler projected Gallimore going in his latest mock.

Gallimore moves well enough to rush the passer, which would help the Vikings, but can also chase down running backs horizontally.

In his great draft guide, Brugler wrote, “Gallimore isn’t the most technically sound player, but he is an athletic, charged-up big man with the explosive hands to reset the line of scrimmage or pass off blocks on his way to the pocket.” If there’s one position that the Vikings have shown they can draft players who aren’t “the most technically sound,” it’s defensive line. It would be fun to see what Zimmer and co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson could do with Gallimore.

Arif: Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia

The Vikings will pounce on a cornerback that probably would have gone in the first round had he declared in 2019, in much the same way that Henderson likely could have been a top-five player in the same scenario — after all, the top cornerback in that draft went at No. 30.

Most of the time when you hear about a cornerback’s background as a former wide receiver, it’s a puffed-up way to argue he has better ball skills than he actually does. But in this case, it bears out — 24 pass deflections in a single season is mind-boggling. The top two cornerbacks combined didn’t put together that many in their best single seasons.

Hall isn’t the athlete that Henderson is, but he’s got an incredible sense for route development, ball tracking and great length to pair with it. His speed isn’t elite, but his size and physicality would be perfect for bigger receivers — including the physical players that occupy the NFC North in Davante Adams, and Marvin Jones. In this scenario, the only true slot cover player they’d have is Mike Hughes, but it still gives them more answers to more types of receivers than they’ve maybe ever had.

He’ll have to prove that his dropoff before injury in 2019 isn’t alarming, that he can handle zone handoffs better than he did in college and that he doesn’t have long-lasting concerns in his ankle, but he could immediately help out the Vikings — something you don’t often see in a third-round pick.

Bryce Hall Bryce Hall (Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today) Third round: No. 105 overall pick Chad: Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State

After already addressing their four most pressing positions of need, the Vikings could go a number of ways here. One is at guard where the Vikings may need two new starters, but I’m not too confident either of Brugler’s top two guards (Louisiana-Lafayette’s Robert Hunt and Clemson’s John Simpson) perfectly fit the Vikings’ zone rushing scheme.

So instead, I went back to cornerback where the Vikings have major work to do. It may be a bit of a stretch to think Arnette will be available at the end of the third round (Brugler has a second-to-third round grade on him), but, hey, once again — this is a best-case scenario mock draft.

In Arnette, the Vikings would be getting a three-year starter who was one of the most improved players in the country as a senior. There are concerns about his maturity on the field, which perhaps could drop him to this spot. And if he’s here, it would be hard for the Vikings to pass on him.

Arif: Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M

I can’t complain about the liberties Chad takes here when I grabbed the second-best corner with the 25th pick, I suppose. I’ll grab a defensive tackle that seems to be grouped just outside that second tier of interior linemen, according to McGinn’s reporting. That said, forecasters ranked him high, around 50th and a lot would have to happen for him to drop. He might be the best athlete at the position, automatically making him more enticing to the Vikings than to other teams — who seem to value athleticism even more than the rest of the NFL when it comes to the defensive line, and that could be the foundation to have a true competition there.

Madubuike has a solid record of production in college as well as burst and length that they can work with. He’s not quite as agile on film as some of their recent acquisitions — like Tom Johnson, , Hercules Mata’afa and others — but his testing numbers in those drills were solid, so it may be a technique problem. With all of that combined, plus his long levers, the Vikings would have a lot to work with, provided that he improves his conditioning and his hand-fighting technique.

Justin Madubuike Justin Madubuike (John Glaser / USA Today) Day 3 Chad: Help at guard, depth in the secondary and a playmaker

The Vikings have had success with late-round wide receivers and have plenty of opportunity again this year in a deep class. They’ll need another wide receiver (or even two) on Saturday. It would also help if they draft a receiver who’s a capable returner as well. And perhaps a deep threat that they could develop. Options include Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson, Michigan’s Donovan Peoples-Jones and Wisconsin’s .

It would also help the Vikings if they’re able to draft a guard in the middle rounds that they could develop for a year. It’s not a particularly great year to need a guard (especially for a zone scheme), but there are some mid-round options like Oregon’s Shane Lemieux, Fresno State’s , and Ball State’s Danny Pinter.

Even if the Vikings keep Anthony Harris, they’ll need a backup safety from this draft. While they may have the best duo in the NFL at safety, they have no depth there.

Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to get another edge rusher even if Ifeadi Odenigbo plays well after losing Everson Griffen and Stephen Weatherly.

Arif: Help at special teams, competition at skill positions and depth on the offensive line

One storyline we probably should have covered more in the lead-up to the draft was how much the Vikings have been decimated on the special teams front this offseason. Losing Jayron Kearse, , , Andrew Sendejo, Stephen Weatherly and others means losing a lot of their core there. Their top two special teams snap-getters — Kris Boyd and Eric Wilson — still return, but losing out on those players as well as, in all likelihood, Hughes as he ramps up his first-team responsibilities, means they need good tacklers who can get downfield quickly. They also want a punt returner and competition at kick return to take over for , who seems like a stopgap more than a solution.

That typically means finding backup , safeties and playmakers with return potential. Returners in this draft include receivers Joe Reed from Virginia and Lynn Bowden from Kentucky; cornerbacks John Reid from Penn State and from Massachusetts; and running backs from Appalachian State and Levante Bellamy from Western Michigan. Those players would also provide adequate competition for skill positions, where the Vikings need to fill out the back end and seriously challenge players like Boyd and .

They also just need safety and linebacker types both for depth there and for special teams capabilities. The top safety/linebacker available on the third day with special teams potential might be Clemson S/LB Tanner Muse, who has all the athletic ability and tackling capacity of a top-tier special teamer and the ability to provide depth at both positions. So too with S/LB hybrid Brian Cole II from Mississippi State and from Michigan, whose athletic profiles are just as appealing. Pure linebackers like Gophers prospect Kamal Martin, Michigan State’s Jr., Francis Bernard from Utah and from Purdue all have the specific skillsets of good special teamers, while safeties like Iowa’s Geno Stone, Utah’s and California’s all could fill that role.

I don’t have much to add to Chad’s analysis of the offensive linemen, except to reinforce the idea that Pinter seems like a quintessential Vikings pick here. I’d be comfortable throwing in names like Justin Herron from Wake Forest and Jon Runyan Jr. from Michigan. PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 4/23/20

8 later-round NFL Draft prospects who might be a fit for the Vikings

By Arif Hasan

As the draft approaches, teams finalize their “back boards” and “side boards,” filled with players they plan on contacting in undrafted free agency, or those who would have a draftable grade if not for a red flag. Those boards can see heavy usage as the draft winds down on Day 3, with some players graded as priority free agents picked in the final rounds of the draft or others deemed an acceptable risk at a position that needs a boost.

While these players are always longshots, they sometimes produce the most fascinating stories, making it easy to root for their success. They also provide a good deal of variety when it comes to talking about the draft, after the players at the top have been discussed to death. With that in mind, it should be a fun exercise to take some dart throws at the types of players the Vikings might target in the final rounds, or even undrafted free agency.

Last year, we nailed zero of them. This year, with even less data as a result of canceled pro days — only 25 players in the top 300 of our Consensus Big Board were able to schedule a workout with scouts present — we should be even less accurate, if that’s possible. Freed of the burden of expectations, let’s make some guesses about sleepers at various positions that seem like they could be Vikings targets in the back end of the draft.

Wide receiver: Josh Pearson, Jacksonville State (Consensus Rank: 382)

Pearson’s one of the lucky few players to have the ability to perform a pro day before lockdowns prevented scouts from conducting them. He was even more fortunate to blow scouts out of the water with his performance, highlighted by a 41.5-inch vertical befitting his above-the-rim style of play. No receiver coming in at 6-foot-2 or taller beat the 6- foot-4 receiver’s vertical at the combine or the other pro days conducted around the country.

The rest of his workouts showcased an above-average athlete, with a 4.49-second 40-yard dash, 2.50-second 20- yard split, 10-foot-8 broad jump and 4.18-second short shuttle. Those measurables showed up on film for the two- time FCS All-American and current Jacksonville State record-holder for single-season receiving touchdowns for his 17-score 2018 campaign.

In 2019, he could only grab the second-place spot with 13 such scores. He also holds the No. 2 and 4 spot in school history for receiving yards and receptions — quite the accomplishment for a player who was rendered academically ineligible and lost his scholarship just three years prior. After turning his life around, he earned a spot on the 2019 AFCA Good Works Team for his work with students.

A good athlete with contested-catch capability, speed to separate and great intuition for ball-tracking, Pearson needs more experience running a variety of routes and more technical development as a general route runner before he can contribute — but he’s well worth watching.

Others: , Georgia Tech — 4.38-second 40-yard dash at his pro day; Shane Zylstra, Minnesota State- Mankato — Brother to former Vikings receiver Brandon Zylstra holds Mankato’s first and second-place single-season receiving yardage records, the top three spots in single-season receiving touchdowns (47 in three years) and the reception record, eclipsing Adam Thielen.

Running back: A.J. Dillon, Boston College (Consensus Rank: 113)

A 4.43 40-yard dash is quite good. Pair it with a 41-inch vertical and 10-foot-11-inch broad jump and the markings of an incredible athlete begin to take shape. But knowing that all of these feats were accomplished at 247 pounds defies belief. Like Andre Williams before him, Dillon carried an immense workload for Boston College, racking up over 4,000 rushing yards in three years.

Dillon isn’t the most versatile back in the draft, with only 21 total receptions in the past two years, but his sheer power and speed make him a potential battering ram that could be hard to stop. In this draft, only Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor and Utah’s Zack Moss have broken more career tackles than Dillon, and he averaged nearly 3.5 yards after contact, per Pro Football Focus. While not necessarily a creative runner, he can either convert to fullback and follow in the footsteps of former halfback and current Viking C.J. Ham or he could operate as a goal-line complement to and Michael Boone if the Vikings have difficulty satisfying Dalvin Cook’s contract demands.

Others: , TCU — 770-pound max squat; , New Mexico State — 4.40-second 40, 39.5- inch vertical and 10-foot-11 broad jump.

AJ Dillon A.J. Dillon (Charles LeClaire / USA Today) Offensive line: , Washburn (Consensus Rank: 398)

An athletic tackle at the Division-II level, Hinton may need to switch to guard in the NFL because of his length. To do so, he’ll have to add some size onto his 295-pound frame. Nevertheless, he falls well within the Vikings’ thresholds for the position, putting together numbers that rival the most athletic offensive linemen at the combine — he ran a faster 40-yard dash than anyone at the position but Tristan Wirfs, and he maintains that position even after adjusting for weight.

Only three guards ran faster short shuttle times at the combine than he did at his pro day (4.66 seconds), and he didn’t sacrifice explosion or strength to get those speed numbers. With 34 bench press reps, he compares favorably to the rest of the guard class and he still had the ability to put together the second-highest vertical leap, again just behind Wirfs.

It’s always concerning when a prospect outside of the FBS isn’t considered the best player in his division, so it’s one of the rare times where a player making second-team All American can be considered a bit of a flag, but he does have a lot of technical work to do along with the work he has to put in the weight room. Nevertheless, he has a lot of potential.

Others: Danny Pinter, Ball State — 4.62-second short shuttle is an elite time for guards, and he backed that up with a 4.88-second 40-yard dash and 9-foot-2 broad jump; John Simpson, Clemson — pro day performance was remarkable for a 321-pound guard, especially his 4.61-second short shuttle.

Defensive tackle: Nick Coe, Auburn (Consensus Rank: 205)

While not the more celebrated of the two defensive linemen from Auburn in this year’s draft, he might be a more reasonable target for Minnesota. Coe projects either as a big defensive end or small defensive tackle. Luckily, “small defensive tackle” is something the Vikings seem to specialize in.

He looked like he might break out after a seven-sack season in 2018, but he largely didn’t demonstrate consistent ability to rush the passer, with only 12 additional pressures besides. He never took that step in 2019, missing time in the spring due to a ligament injury and then losing his starting job and dropping to a rotational role. He lined up everywhere for Auburn, which says a lot about his athleticism but may have stunted his development.

His athletic measurables compared to edge defenders are marginal, but are among the best in the class along the interior defensive line and it could be the case that moving to one spot and focusing on development there could unlock his athletic potential. He would already enter the meeting room as the best run defender of the sub-300 pound defensive tackles the Vikings have and just needs to harness pass-rush capability. With uncommon length for the position, there’s a lot to work with.

Others: T.J. Smith, Arkansas – above average in every single workout category, especially 10-yard split (1.69 seconds). Team captain and extensive off-field work with multiple charities.

Nick Coe Nick Coe (Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today) Defensive end: James Smith-Williams, NC State (Consensus Rank: 255)

NC State is quietly turning into a defensive line factory in the shadow of the much more well-known Carolina defensive line factory. 2018’s draft saw all four starting defensive linemen drafted, with one () going No. 5 overall to the Broncos. Part of the next crop of defensive linemen, Smith-Williams could turn into a late- round steal for a team willing to absorb the risk of his injury history. Another member of the 2019 AFCA Good Works team, Smith-Williams has a history of off-field and academic accomplishments that might remind the Vikings of Stephen Weatherly. Though he doesn’t have the complete athleticism of the former Vanderbilt product, he’s an incredible athlete nevertheless.

Smith-Williams didn’t get a pro day to improve on his worrisome agility scores — which correlates pretty highly with edge rusher production — but he could have the potential to be the most explosive edge rusher on the roster. In the previous offseason, he registered a vertical jump of 40 inches. He didn’t hit that mark at the combine, but he hit his other offseason workout marks, including a blazing 40-yard dash with a 10-yard split to match (4.59/1.62 seconds) and 28 reps of 225.

Adding another Wolfpack member to the team with center Garrett Bradbury, this time on the defensive side of the ball, could pay dividends. He missed substantial portions 2015, 2016 and 2019 seasons due to injury and may fall out of the draft as a result, but his on-field strength is remarkable.

Others: Chase Harrell, Arkansas — converting from TE, ran a better pro day three-cone than any edge defender at the combine and tied Minnesota DE Carter Coughlin for fastest 10-second split, also tying Florida’s Jabari Zuniga for furthest broad jump at 10-foot-7; (NDSU) and Alton Robinson (Syracuse) are also late-round candidates.

Linebacker: , Colorado (Consensus Rank: 148)

Two linebackers ran sub-4.40 40-yard dashes at their pro days or the combine: Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, a likely top-five pick in this year’s draft, and Taylor from Colorado. Taylor did have the advantage of running his workouts lighter than Simmons did, but he nevertheless looks like the closest athlete to the Clemson phenom. And, to Taylor’s credit, he completed all of the drills.

Isaiah Simmons 238 4.35 2.49 1.51 39" 11'0" Davion Taylor 228 4.39 2.52 1.52 21 36" 10'7" 4.26 6.96 Taylor put together a performance that would rank in the top five at each workout at this year’s NFL combine among linebackers, a comprehensiveness no other linebacker could match.

The Colorado product has a lot of work to do — he only played one game of football in high school, with religious restrictions preventing him from playing after sundown on Fridays. After going through the JUCO route and transferring to Colorado, he finally earned significant playing time in 2018 and put together an impressive season against the run, which he replicated the following year.

Like former Florida State linebacker Telvin Smith, he might be the rare undersized linebacker that does much better against the run than in coverage, but he just has so much more seasoning to do at the position that it would be foolish to argue that the book on him is complete. His speed shows up on the field and he could transition into a cover linebacker with enough coaching. In the meantime, his speed, excellent tackling form and instincts might make him the best special teams add outside of returner or specialist in the draft.

Others: , Fresno State — above-average all-around athlete, boasting a 7.09-second three-cone and 1.97-second “flying 20,” who doesn’t miss many tackles and has a lot of blitzing upside as a former edge rusher.

Davion Taylor Davion Taylor (Troy Wayrynen / USA Today) Cornerback: Madre Harper, Southern Illinois (Consensus Rank: 352)

A former Saluki, like general manager Rick Spielman, Harper could be the latest in a long line of late-round or undrafted defensive backs that head coach Mike Zimmer has developed, joining Holton Hill, Andrew Sendejo, Anthony Harris, Jayron Kearse and George Iloka. Harper has the size and athleticism that the Vikings look for, with an eye-popping 33 7/8-inch arm measurement and nearly hitting 6-foot-2 at his pro day.

Unlike most tall cornerback prospects, Harper ran a blazing fast three-cone at 6.88 seconds that would have been the second-fastest among all corners at the combine. Given his elite “flying 20” of 1.80 seconds — faster than anyone with a measurement in the 2020 class — 40-inch vertical and 11-foot-2-inch broad jump, Harper leads most categories among corners with size to match.

Not only that, he registered the eighth-best mark in the FBS in forced incompletion rate on targets over the last two years, according to Pro Football Focus, tied with Alabama’s Trevon Diggs and just behind TCU’s Jeff Gladney, ahead of Florida’s CJ Henderson. His 14 pass deflections in 2019 are genuinely impressive — statistics he racked up in a variety of coverages, both in press and off with man and zone responsibilities, like the Zimmer defense. On top of all of that, he’s an aggressive tackler with sound form without many missed tackles.

The biggest worries are his injury history, which includes an Achilles injury last year, and questions about why he was dismissed from Oklahoma State — which might be why he hasn’t been talked about as a mid-round sleeper all too often.

Others: , Iowa — another tall cornerback with a fast three-cone (6.87 seconds), Ojemudia could ride the coattails of the recent success Iowa has had putting defensive backs in the NFL; , Wake Forest — a shorter cornerback with blazing fast straight-line and agility times that has a fair bit of explosive capability. Slot cornerbacks aren’t always the most athletic players on their defense, but Bassey could be an exception.

Safety: Marc-Antoine Dequoy, Montreal (Consensus Rank: 537)

Canadian prospects typically have quite a bit of an uphill battle to fight to get a shot, but Dequoy had some unique issues getting a shot — with injuries throughout high school preventing him from playing all but five games before redshirting as a freshman, he didn’t get opportunities to prove himself. When he earned an invite to the East-West Shrine Game, he was held out of the actual game because of an arm fracture — one he still had while he worked out at his pro day, an event where he also had to fight through a flu that was bad enough that he had to get tested to see if it was the coronavirus, bedridden for weeks after he showed off for scouts.

Nevertheless, he ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, faster than all but one defensive back at the NFL combine. He also turned in a faster three-cone time than any other defensive back as well, with a 6.65-second performance, just outside the range of a top-10 time at any position all-time. Supplementing that with a 37-inch vertical, it’s clear that Dequoy has all the physical tools to compete in the NFL.

Like any prospect from the U Sports football league in Canada, he has a fair amount of learning to do, especially as he played neither safety nor corner but rather a hybrid role as the 12th man on defense, often called the defensive halfback. He also might have a little less time to learn as he will turn 26 years old early in the NFL season, something that will certainly keep general managers away.

Others: Tanner Muse, Clemson — another sub-4.40 40-yard dash player that played nearly every backfield position for Clemson, Muse also put in above-average scores in the other workouts; Chris Miller, Baylor — a great series of workouts that make up for length issues, Miller showcased great short-area capability, with a 1.53-second 10-yard split and incredible 4.12-second short shuttle. PUBLICATION: The Athletic DATE: 4/23/20

What I’m hearing about the Vikings on the eve of the 2020 NFL Draft

By Chad Graff

As far as the rumor mill goes, little matches the scouting combine on the NFL schedule. Drinks are flowing, and executives, coaches, and reporters are all within a couple blocks of each other for days on end.

But outside of that, the days leading to the draft yield more discussion and speculation than any other time. Add to that the fact that no one is leaving their home and it seems calls and texts are a little more likely to get answered.

So, given all that, we figured we’d empty the digital notebook here with the rumors and speculation that we keep hearing from those around the league with a few predictions sprinkled in.

It would take a lot for the Vikings to trade up in the first round They’ve got two first-round picks and five in the first three rounds, so they’ve got the ammunition to move up in the draft if they want to. But it sounds like it would take some unlikely circumstances for that to happen.

The Vikings know that they’ve got several areas of need — most notably offensive line, wide receiver, cornerback, and defensive tackle. With so much work to do, the belief entering the draft is that they’ll resist moving up in the first round.

What could change that plan? Perhaps a massive run on wide receivers where, say, six go before they pick. Or maybe one of the consensus top four offensive tackles falling into the late teens or early 20s. Same for cornerback CJ Henderson.

But the most likely scenario is that the Vikings opt against trading up.

There’s little consensus at cornerback Since it’s the Vikings’ biggest area of need, I find the topic coming up in just about every discussion with people around the league. And while most agree on two things — that Jeff Okudah is a top-5 pick and CJ Henderson is a first-round pick — there’s little agreement beyond that.

Depending on how the Vikings view the second tier of cornerbacks, that could be a good thing for Minnesota.

For example, our resident draft expert Dane Brugler has LSU’s Kristian Fulton as the class’ seventh-best corner with a second-to-third round grade. Yet I’ve heard from others who think he could go in the top-15, and he’s the player I selected for the Vikings in our beat writer mock draft.

The other that I’ve heard mixed things on is TCU’s Jeff Gladney. Some love his tenacity. He’s 5-foot-10, shorter than some coaches like, but has a mean streak and plays physical, qualities Mike Zimmer loves. Others question whether he can play on the outside and whether he has the coverage skills of a first-round pick, saying that he’s a bit too “grabby,” and noting that he’s 23, the oldest of the top corners in this class.

A.J. Terrell (Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today) Three corners I keep hearing in connection to the Vikings: Utah’s Jaylon Johnson, Clemson’s AJ Terrell, and Fulton. Let’s go through all three.

As Arif Hasan noted last month, the Vikings tend to pick corners with three-cone drills under 7 seconds. While Johnson missed that number, he ran his in 7.01 seconds, which I don’t think will be a big detriment for the team. He’s impressed teams in interviews and is mature for his age. But teams haven’t been able to conduct their own physicals with players and teams are concerned about Johnson’s right shoulder, which underwent surgery seven weeks ago, part of why Johnson could slip to the second round.

Terrell, at 6-foot-1 with a 4.4 40-yard dash, looks the part of what Zimmer and Spielman usually like in a corner. The biggest hurdle he’ll have to overcome within the Vikings’ scouting department? Spielman loves seeing how players do in their biggest games against the best competition. Garrett Bradbury’s strong performance against Clemson last year was a deciding factor in the Vikings picking him in the first round. Why could that hurt Terrell, another ACC product? His two worst games last season were in the college football playoffs, including a poor outing in the national championship game against LSU.

Fulton, meanwhile, is the only of the three who participated in all the official workouts at the combine and scored within the guidelines of what the Vikings generally like in a corner. He’s a good athlete and it’s easy to see how Zimmer could mold him into a very good starter. The knock on Fulton? He spent four years at LSU. One of them he was ruled ineligible for swapping his urine (which tested positive for marijuana) with someone else. The other two were cut short by season-ending injuries. And Spielman likes to avoid risk (off-field issues and injuries) with early draft picks. That all makes it difficult to know how the Vikings rank the second tier of cornerbacks.

And then, of course, there’s Trevon Diggs, Stefon’s younger brother. The Vikings met with him and in a lot of ways, he’s just what the team is looking for. But that also means bringing in the younger brother of a player who was so disgruntled he essentially tweeted his way out from the team. Even their mother Stephanie admitted, “I think going to Minnesota would be a little weird,” in this great story by Ben Standig.

There’s going to be some late-round steals Given the pandemic and the lack of pro days, there’s just less data for teams to look at. There’s no opportunity for in- person interviews. And for those prospects who either weren’t invited to the combine or chose not to participate in workouts there, there’s no baseline measurements like the 40-yard dash and three-cone drill that teams often use to compare players.

The guess here is that those with the best scouts who did a lot of heavy lifting during the college football season will excel. It’ll help to have scouts who have already met these prospects and have relationships with them when there are no in-person interviews. And those who can best decipher video should have a leg up.

In a few years, it won’t surprise me if we’re looking back at some late-round picks and thinking, “How did everyone miss this guy?”

Tyler Johnson (Jesse Johnson / USA Today) Tyler Johnson likely won’t go until Day 3 At first, I thought canceled pro days might help players like Johnson — ones who made great plays in college even if evaluators questioned their athleticism. With less data to go on, I thought teams might be inclined to just lean on the video, which, I figured, would help a college star like Johnson.

But after talking to others around the league, it appears I was wrong. Teams are concerned about Johnson’s speed. He didn’t participate in combine workouts and then his pro day got canceled. While agents have sent teams the 40- yard dash and other times they claim their client ran, teams are wary of trusting such information from someone who stands something to gain.

So the bottom line is that players like Johnson could slip in the draft after not having a chance to prove evaluators wrong with a faster-than-expected 40-yard dash.

It may seem crazy to Minnesota fans who watched the Gophers all season, but I would be surprised if Johnson’s name is called before Saturday.

The wide receiver board will surprise people While wide receiver is the deepest position in the draft, it’s also one of the most convoluted. There are three wide receivers — Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb, along with Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III — who are widely ranked as the top three. And yet, I don’t think it’s a guarantee that they’re the first three receivers off the board.

Some teams love LSU’s Justin Jefferson. Others see him as a decent slot receiver, but not someone worth a first- round pick. Some love Baylor’s Denzel Mims and others wonder why he wasn’t able to get more separation in college.

I think this will be the position that will be the most interesting to follow on draft night. Will teams resist taking a receiver in the first round since the draft is so deep there? Or will there be a big run on receivers that yields six or even seven receivers going in the first round? I think I’d guess the latter.

For what it’s worth, the Vikings have conducted interviews with almost every receiver projected in the first three rounds and several of them went well. I would expect the Vikings to come away from the draft with one of Jefferson, Mims, Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk, TCU’s Jalen Reagor, Colorado’s Laviska Shenault Jr. or USC’s Michael Pittman Jr. Things can change depending on how the draft board falls. But right now, the guess here is that they draft a cornerback and offensive tackle with their first two picks and wait on getting a wide receiver.

A few notes: Aiyuk may have the best chance to be a game-breaker among the bunch. He can turn short catches into big gains and got open in college easier than any others on that list, something that’s an important trait to quarterback Kirk Cousins. Mims has been the fastest riser on draft boards since the season ended and he showed at the Senior Bowl that he can run more routes than Baylor asked him to. Spielman watched live perhaps the best game of Shenault Jr.’s career. On the eve of the Vikings’ 2018 season opener, the Vikings GM watched Shenault Jr. notch 182 yards and two touchdowns on 12 touches against Nebraska, where Spielman’s son JD plays. Depending on how the draft falls, I could see the Vikings potentially trading up in the second round to pick Reagor or Pittman.

I don’t think the Vikings will draft a quarterback There’s been ample speculation that they could be in the market for a quarterback, potentially as early as the third round. But I don’t see it happening. Maybe in the seventh round. But the guess here is the Vikings avoid the position altogether.

The main allure to a rookie quarterback is the four years that you have them on a cheap contract. Cousins’ contract runs for three more years and while it’s easier to get out of than before (you can now trade him), it won’t be easy. And even if you draft his eventual replacement, that’s not for two or, more likely, three more years. And then by that point, it’s almost time to pay the new quarterback.

So I don’t see the Vikings drafting a quarterback. They like having Sean Mannion as Cousins’ backup and they’re looking forward to seeing how plays in training camp after they essentially redshirted him last year.

James Lynch James Lynch (Jerome Miron / USA Today) I have no idea what to expect at defensive tackle The position isn’t the Vikings’ biggest need, but it’s up there.

I don’t think they’ll luck into having Auburn’s Derrick Brown or South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw falling to them at No. 22, but it’ll be really interesting to see how pressing of a need the team thinks three-technique is.

Zimmer is notably higher on incumbent than most are, and he credits some of Eric Kendricks’ success to Stephen’s play. But three-technique is still one of the most easily-upgraded spots on defense and the Vikings would do well to draft a defensive tackle with their third or fourth pick.

Three names I’ve heard in connection with the Vikings: Baylor’s James Lynch, Missouri’s Jordan Elliott and Nebraska’s Carlos Davis.

Some predictions Let’s have some fun. Here are some predictions. Feel free to laugh at these after the draft.

The Vikings don’t draft a wide receiver until Friday.

The Vikings trade back with pick No. 25.

The Vikings trade up on Friday.

Terrell gets picked before Gladney.

The Vikings draft either offensive tackle Austin Jackson from USC or Ezra Cleveland from Boise State.

The Vikings draft a receiver early on Day 3 who can return punts and kicks.

The Vikings end up with six selections in the first three rounds.

Jefferson is the third receiver off the board.

The Vikings draft two cornerbacks in the first three rounds.

Thanks for reading These are crazy times. People (rightly) aren’t leaving their houses. They’re less inclined to spend time surfing the web and reading weird stories like this one. And yet, you’ve still read what Arif and I have written about the Vikings the last month. Our numbers show you’re still following. Thank you for that. We run on your support.

This should be a really fun draft and hopefully a three-day reprieve from all that’s going on. Arif and I will have plenty of stories this weekend breaking down all that goes on.

Thanks for following along. PUBLICATION: ESPN DATE: 4/23/20

Vikings' NFL draft: What they could do with each pick

By Courtney Cronin

The Minnesota Vikings enter the 2020 NFL draft with a haul of 12 picks, and the opportunity to find immediate contributors for a roster undergoing a period of evolution.

Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman is notorious for accumulating more draft capital than he started with. Three of his picks came from the Buffalo Bills (Nos. 22, 155, 201) in the March trade of Stefon Diggs. The virtual nature of the draft may present challenges for teams trying to execute trades, but it's possible the Vikings still move around frequently, particularly in the first round.

Without projecting trades, we stuck with the Vikings' current picks. Here's a look at the ideal and the realistic scenarios for Minnesota with each of its picks along with a couple spots where the team could decide to pursue a trade.

Round 1, No. 22 overall (from Buffalo)

Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell could be an option for the Vikings with their 22nd or 25th pick. Ben Margot/AP Photo The ideal: If one of the top four offensive linemen (Iowa's Tristan Wirfs, Georgia's Andrew Thomas, Alabama's Jedrick Wills, Louisville's Mekhi Becton) falls to No. 22, the Vikings would be over the moon in getting some immediate help. The same goes for Florida cornerback CJ Henderson. South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, a surefire first-round pick, would fall into the best player available category if he drops all the way to No. 22.

The realistic: With Riley Reiff still under contract, the Vikings don't need a new left tackle now but may want to bring in a developmental prospect like Houston's Josh Jones, who could potentially move to guard for the time being.

Cornerback is the next position to address. Clemson's A.J. Terrell has the prototypical size (6-foot-1, 195 pounds) that coach Mike Zimmer likes with his cornerbacks. He's a long, press-man corner with strong cover skills. LSU's Kristian Fulton, Utah's Jaylon Johnson, Alabama's Trevon Diggs and TCU's Jeff Gladney could also fit.

The rest: If the Vikings believe they can get the offensive lineman and cornerback they want later in the first round, they could look to move back to No. 26 (Miami could want to trade up to get one of the draft's top edge rushers) or later in the first round.

Round 1, No. 25 overall play 0:46 Josh Jones' NFL draft profileFormer Houston tackle Josh Jones' highlights show his versatility and ability to drive defenders off the ball. The ideal: LSU's Justin Jefferson may be the best slot receiver in the draft, which means he's likely gone before 25. The Vikings will have plenty to choose from on Day 2, but Jefferson would be a slam-dunk pick to help fill the void left by Diggs.

The realistic: Josh Jones is also probably gone by 25, so USC's Austin Jackson might be the best available offensive tackle. Cornerback is the safest bet. Keep an eye on the aforementioned names to compete for one of the outside spots left vacant by free agency.

The rest: Spielman made it sound like the Vikings are set at safety and plan to work out a long-term deal with Anthony Harris, who was franchise tagged. If Harris ends up being part of a draft-night trade, the Vikings could swipe University of Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr., whose versatility as a multidimensional defender would benefit the secondary as a whole.

Round 2, No. 58 overall 2020 NFL draft coverage

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The ideal: The Vikings have two rounds on Day 2 to tap into one of the deepest wide receiver classes in draft history and the capital to go after more than just one player to replace Diggs. USC's Michael Pittman Jr. would give Minnesota an instant threat on the perimeter. Clemson's Tee Higgins' 65% catch percentage on deep routes (posts, corners, go balls) is elite. Arizona State's Brandon Aiyuk averaged 10.5 yards after the catch. All three of these receivers would be terrific picks.

The realistic: Aiyuk has the best chance to be available at 58. Penn State's KJ Hamler is smaller (5-foot-9) but fast and an ideal fit in the slot. Notre Dame's Chase Claypool is the opposite, a big-bodied (6-foot-4, 238 pounds) vertical threat on the outside who can also create a headache of a mismatch when moved around. He has the added benefit of being a special-teams threat.

Round 3, No. 89 overall The ideal: The Vikings could walk away from the first two days with two cornerbacks, one taken in the first round and another in the third. If Ohio State's Damon Arnette is still around at No. 89, he's a perfect fit in Minnesota's defense.

The realistic: It's more likely that Virginia's Bryce Hall, Iowa's Michael Ojemudia and Notre Dame's Troy Pride Jr. are available if Minnesota wants to draft a cornerback who could eventually play a rotational role but needs time to develop. If the Vikings are intrigued by Michigan OLB Josh Uche or small-school offensive tackle (St. John's in Minnesota), this is where they could be drafted. play 0:36 With the 25th pick in the NFL Nation mock draft, the MinnesotaWith the 25th pick in the NFL Nation mock draft, the Minnesota Vikings select... Video by Courtney Cronin Round 3, No. 105 overall (compensatory) The ideal: Spielman traded back four times in the third round last year before landing on running back Alexander Mattison. The Vikings could add to their draft capital by trading their second third-round pick for a fourth and a fifth.

The realistic: The depth of the receiver class could push someone like Minnesota's Tyler Johnson to Day 3, and depending on how they come off the board in Rounds 2 and 3, the Vikings may scoop up the big-play threat. The third and fourth rounds are also the sweet spot to land an interior offensive lineman. Keep an eye out for LSU's , Clemson's John Simpson, Michigan's Ben Bredeson and Kentucky's at this spot.

Round 4, No. 132 overall Positions to consider: History shows the Vikings like to address the defensive line in the fourth round, from Everson Griffen in 2010 to Jaleel Johnson and Jalyn Holmes more recently. Minnesota may turn over Griffen's duties to Ifeadi Odenigbo in 2020, but it also needs to build depth at edge rusher. Prospects like Tulsa's Trevis Gipson and Charlotte's Alex Highsmith could go from developmental prospects to rotational pass-rushers in a season or two.

Round 5, No. 155 overall (from Buffalo) Play ESPN Draft Challenge for free Presented by Caesars Rewards

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Positions to consider: The Vikings still have room to add another receiver depending on how many they select on Day 2. Ohio State's K.J. Hill, Michigan's Donovan Peoples-Jones or even the aforementioned Tyler Johnson could still be around at this point. Minnesota may want to find a quarterback, and the fifth round could yield the likes of Iowa's or Florida International's James Morgan.

Round 6, Nos. 201 (from Buffalo) and 205 overall Positions to consider: If Minnesota hasn't found a safety by this point, keep an eye out for Georgia's J.R. Reed, XFL standout Kenny Robinson or Clemson's Tanner Muse. Beyond Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris, the Vikings do not have any safeties on the roster. The Vikings can also look to the sixth round to find more interior offensive linemen.

Round 7, Nos. 219, 249 (compensatory), 253 (compensatory) overall Positions to consider: Spielman and his scouts found a star in in the seventh round last year. Again, given the depth of this year's receiver class, there's a chance Minnesota can find a diamond in the rough this late in the draft. Players drafted in these rounds typically find their way on to the roster via special- teams/return abilities. Developmental linebackers and cornerbacks are positions to keep an eye on, as are running backs.

PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 4/23/20

Vikings Seven-Round Mock Draft 5.0: One Last Attempt

By Will Ragatz

At long last, draft day is finally here, and a country starved for sports is about to get three days of the next best thing. It's going to be a lot of fun. It also means that pre-draft season – over three months of mock drafts, scouting reports, and rumors – is coming to an end.

InsideTheVikings has two big pieces of content for you today to help pass the time until 7 p.m. central. One is our Mock Draft Roundup 8.0, which compiles and assesses the Vikings picks in over a dozen final mock drafts posted by major national analysts over the past couple days. If you're reading this early in the morning, that's coming very soon.

The other is our fifth and final seven-round Vikings mock. This is my last attempt to predict what Rick Spielman might do over the next three days, with trades and semi-educated selections based on past tendencies and player buzz. For comparison, here are my past two seven-rounders:

Mock 3.0 (no trades, first two picks are Kristian Fulton and Josh Jones) Mock 4.0 (lots of trades, first two picks are Jedrick Wills and Jalen Reagor) One last time before the real thing. Let's go.

Trade: Vikings send picks 22 and 89 to the Colts for picks 34 and 44 This deal benefits both sides. The Colts need a quarterback of the future, as neither nor Jacoby Brissett are under contract after this season. With Utah State's Jordan Love still on the board, Indianapolis jumps ahead of the similarly QB-needy Patriots and Saints to get their guy. The Vikings have two corners they like at 25 and are able to stock up on second-round picks with this move.

Round 1, Pick 25: Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU I'd be surprised if the Vikings don't take a corner on Thursday night. The three most likely candidates appear to be Gladney, Jaylon Johnson, and A.J. Terrell, although Kristian Fulton, Noah Igbinoghene, and Damon Arnette are also in play. Terrell went to the Raiders at 19 in this mock, so the Vikings have a choice between Johnson and Gladney. There's been a ton of buzz that they like Johnson, but that could be a smokescreen. Gladney comes without Johnson's injury concerns and is a perfect Mike Zimmer corner with his physicality and ball skills.

Round 2, Pick 34 (via IND): Austin Jackson, OT, USC The Vikings were hoping to see an athletic left tackle fall to them at this spot in Jackson or Ezra Cleveland. Cleveland went one pick earlier to the Bengals, so the Vikings pounce on Jackson. The 20 year-old has the elite athletic traits to be a perfect fit in Gary Kubiak's zone-blocking scheme, but needs plenty of work with offensive line coach Rick Dennison on his technique.

Trade: Vikings send picks 44 and 205 to the Jets for picks 48 and 120 Spielman loves to trade back and add draft capital if he feels like he'll still be able to get a guy he covets. "A lot of that manipulation on the draft board depends on what's up there, how you have the draft board stacked and how far are you willing to go back without risk of losing a particular player," he said on Tuesday. Here, the Vikings move back four spots and turn a sixth-rounder into a fourth.

Round 2, Pick 48 (via NYJ): Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M Madubuike is one of the best three-technique gap penetrators in this draft, and the Vikings are thrilled to put him next to nose tackle Michael Pierce in the middle of their defensive line. The 293-pound Madubuike (who has met virtually with the Vikings) ran a 4.83 40 and put up 31 bench press reps at the combine. His explosive first step and powerful upper body helped him record 11.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and four forced over the past two seasons.

USATSI_13430752_168388404_lowres Round 2, Pick 58: Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson This is a big-time slide for Higgins, who was thought of as a consensus first-round pick not long ago. Lackluster testing numbers at Clemson's pro day are the reason he fell this far. But the 6'4" Higgins caught 25 touchdown passes over the last two seasons, never drops anything, and has the length and physicality to make contested catches. He has a great understanding of how to position his body to shield off defenders. Even without top-notch speed, Higgins would be an excellent deep threat for Kirk Cousins.

Trade: Vikings send picks 105 and 132 to the Lions for pick 85 With a run on interior offensive linemen having taken place, Spielman decides to go get a high-ceiling guard.

Round 3, Pick 85 (via DET): Netane Muti, IOL, Fresno State This is a high-risk, high-reward trade up. Muti could be an absolute steal if stays healthy; he is PFF's top-graded interior OL in this draft and is an outstanding scheme fit. Muti has great movement ability and a very powerful punch, which he showed by becoming the first player to do 44 bench press reps at the combine since 2012. He suffered three injuries in four years so durability is a major concern, but Muti has a ton of upside as both a pass-protector and a run blocker.

Round 4, Pick 120 (via NYJ): II, CB, Tulsa I thought about going with a nickel corner like Michigan State's Josiah Scott here, but the Vikings already have two smallish CBs in Mike Hughes and Gladney on the roster. Robinson has good size (6'1", 205) and plenty of physicality to play press coverage on the outside. He's also a great athlete with 4.44 speed who knows how to play the ball in the air. Robinson needs to improve his footwork and become less grabby in coverage, but the hope is that Zimmer and DBs coach Daronte Jones can unlock his potential.

Trade: Vikings send pick 155 to the Jaguars for picks 165 and 223 It wouldn't be a Spielman draft without a move down on Day 3 to add an extra seventh-round pick.

Round 5, Pick 165 (via JAX): Trevis Gipson, EDGE, Tulsa Tulsa hasn't had a player drafted since 2011. This year they have two in Robinson and Gipson, and they both happen to end up on the Vikings. Gipson is an exciting developmental prospect at defensive end who has flashed some nice bend on the edge. He's the next project for Andre Patterson.

USATSI_13469196_168388404_lowres Round 6, Pick 201: Julian Blackmon, S, Utah Blackmon is a solid late-round safety prospect with some good versatility, toughness, and acceleration. He recorded nine over the past three years. Blackmon will need to contribute on special teams to see the field right away.

Round 7, Pick 219: Joe Reed, WR, Virginia Reed will quickly find a role on special teams and has a chance to eventually compete for snaps at receiver if he continues to improve in that facet of his game. He had just 52 catches in three years coming into last season, and then broke out with 77 catches for nearly 700 yards. Reed is a dynamic playmaker in the open field who returned five kickoffs for touchdowns in college and should take that job from Ameer Abdullah as soon as this season.

USATSI_13540831_168388404_lowres Round 7, Pick 223 (via JAX): Sewo Olonilua, RB, TCU With both Dalvin Cook and only under contract for one more year, the Vikings could look to add a late- round running back. They've met virtually with Olonilua, who is a big back with some pass-catching ability.

Round 7, Pick 249: Chris Williamson, CB, Minnesota The Vikings land an intriguing local prospect in Williamson towards the very end of the draft. He has a ton of experience at the college level and could compete for snaps at either slot corner or safety. Williamson is an aggressive tackler who doesn't offer much in coverage right now.

USATSI_13467687_168388404_lowres Round 7, Pick 253: Cohl Cabral, IOL, Arizona State The 12th and final pick of the Vikings' draft is Cabral, a high IQ center prospect with the theoretical upside to become a depth piece in the NFL.

Full seven-round draft haul CB Jeff Gladney, TCU OT Austin Jackson, USC DT Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M WR Tee Higgins, Clemson G Netane Muti, Fresno State CB Reggie Robinson II, Tulsa EDGE Trevis Gipson, Tulsa S Julian Blackmon, Utah WR Joe Reed, Virginia RB Sewo Olonilua, TCU CB Chris Williamson, Minnesota C Cohl Cabral, Arizona State Happy draft day! Make sure to stick around for our coverage all weekend.

Join the conversation at InsideTheVikings by clicking the follow button in the upper right-hand corner of this page (mobile users, tap the bell icon), and follow @WillRagatz on . PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 4/23/20

2020 NFL Draft Preview: Final Cornerback Tiers

By Will Ragatz

Ahead of the beginning of the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday, we're putting together some final tiered rankings of players in each of the Vikings' major areas of need. These are not my rankings, but rather the consensus of over 60 big boards, as compiled by Arif Hasan of The Athletic.

Wide receiver tiers Offensive tackle tiers Defensive tackle tiers At this point, it goes without saying that the Vikings need to reload their corner room. Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, and Kris Boyd is not an inspiring top three. Here are the best options available in the 2020 draft, with brief commentary on the top four tiers.

Tier 1: The cream of the crop 1. Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State

Elite, borderline flawless corner prospect who will go in the top five picks.

2. C.J. Henderson, Florida

Clear No. 2 with 4.4 speed and length. Only question is ability/willingness as a tackler. Potential top-ten pick but could also be trade-up target for Vikings if he falls into the late teens.

Tier 2: Potential first-round picks 3. Kristian Fulton, LSU

Evaluators are split on Fulton, who has all of the traits but didn't record much ball production in college. Might be a questionable scheme fit for Vikings.

4. Jeff Gladney, TCU

Undersized at 5'10" but plays with a bulldog mentality and great instincts. Feels like a Mike Zimmer type of corner.

5. Trevon Diggs, Alabama

Converted WR with elite length, physicality and ball skills. Had some ugly moments on tape and is best suited for zone-heavy scheme. Vikings likely to stay away after trading his older brother.

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6. A.J. Terrell, Clemson

Great athlete with good length. Strength/physicality isn't his calling card. Struggled in College Football Playoff against OSU/LSU but is a very polished, versatile prospect. Could go as high as late teens.

7. Jaylon Johnson, Utah

Physical, lockdown corner with ball skills – fits Vikings mold. Primary concern is medical situation after shoulder surgery in early March. High ceiling if shoulder checks out.

Tier 3: Likely Day 2 picks 8. Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn

Former WR with just two seasons of experience at corner. Still very raw from a technique standpoint. Explosive athlete with a sky-high ceiling if he keeps learning the position.

9. Damon Arnette, Ohio State

Experienced starter with good footwork and movement in man coverage. Broke out in 2019 after so-so seasons before that. Doesn't have elite long speed and isn't a major presence in run support. Could wind up a steal in second or third round.

10. Bryce Hall, Virginia

Was seen as a first-round lock after dominant 2018 season, but hurt his ankle as a senior and only played six games. Great length and ball skills (led country with 22 PBUs in '18). Movement and speed post-injury are main concerns.

11. , Mississippi State

PFF darling who showed flashes of greatness in the SEC. Needs to get stronger. Length and height are more of an asset in zone coverage than in man.

Tier 4: Mid-round picks and the best nickels 12. Amik Robertson, Louisiana Tech (nickel)

The consensus top slot corner in the draft, Robertson is dynamic playmaker (14 INTs in three years) and surprisingly hard-hitter at just 5'8". Reminiscent of Antoine Winfield. Would likely go much higher if he were a few inches taller.

Read: Three Slot Corners The Vikings Could Take in the Middle Rounds of the NFL Draft

13. Troy Pride Jr., Notre Dame

Versatile player with 4.4 speed who shined at Senior Bowl. Could appeal to Vikings with ability to succeed in press, off-man, and zone. Slightly undersized and has major question marks in ball skills and run support.

14. Darnay Holmes, UCLA (nickel)

Highly athletic player with eight INTs over the last three seasons. Good movement ability but can get overaggressive at the line of scrimmage. Not an elite downhill tackler. Could develop into an outstanding slot corner.

15. Reggie Robinson II, Tulsa

Great size, physicality, and competitiveness that show up in press coverage. Needs plenty of work from technique standpoint, but has upside.

16. Michael Ojemudia, Iowa

Excellent zone corner due to his football IQ and ball skills. Scheme-specific prospect with limited upside in man coverage.

17. Josiah Scott, Michigan State (nickel)

Good quickness, mirror ability and instincts. Limited physically by 5'9" frame, but shows all the traits of a starting nickel at the next level.

Tier 5: Day 3 picks with upside 18. Dane Jackson, Pittsburgh

19. , Georgia Southern (nickel)

20. A.J. Green, Oklahoma State

21. , Temple

22. Lamar Jackson, Nebraska

23. John Reid, Penn State (nickel)

Tier 6: The best of the rest 24. , Michigan (nickel)

25. Javaris Davis, Auburn

26. Stanford Samuels III, Florida State

27. Essang Bassey, Wake Forest (nickel)

28. Javelin Guidry, Utah

29. L'Jarius Sneed, Louisiana Tech

30. Trajan Bandy, Miami PUBLICATION: Maven Media DATE: 4/23/20

2020 NFL Draft Preview: Final Wide Receiver Tiers

By Will Ragatz

Ahead of the beginning of the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday, we're putting together some final tiered rankings of players in each of the Vikings' major areas of need. These are not my rankings, but rather the consensus of over 60 big boards, as compiled by Arif Hasan of The Athletic.

Cornerback tiers Offensive tackle tiers Defensive tackle tiers After trading Stefon Diggs, the Vikings are in serious need of talented receivers to complement Adam Thielen. Expect them to bring in multiple players to compete with and Bisi Johnson for secondary roles. Here are the best options available in the 2020 draft, with brief commentary on the top four tiers.

Tier 1: The cream of the crop 1. CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

Has it all: contested catch ability, route-running, explosive YAC. 4.5 speed but plays faster than that. Should be a No. 1 option early in his career.

2. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama

Best route-runner in the draft, hands down. Separation ability is reminiscent of his training buddy Stefon Diggs. Great acceleration after the catch. Deep threat potential. Neck and neck with Lamb. Vikings could trade up to get him.

3. Henry Ruggs III, Alabama

Ridiculous, all-world athlete. 4.27 speed, 42-inch vertical, 131-inch broad jump. Large, sticky hands and a threat to score whenever he touches the ball. A notch below Lamb and Jeudy because of lack of elite production, but won't make it out of the top 15 picks.

Tier 2: Potential first-round picks 4. Justin Jefferson, LSU

Monster senior year (1,500 yards, 18 touchdowns) and surprising combine performance (4.43 40) have made him close to a first-round lock. Extremely polished route-runner but may be limited to the slot in the NFL, making the fit next to Thielen an iffy one.

5. Denzel Mims, Baylor

This dude has absolutely skyrocketed up draft boards since the 2019 season ended. Was outstanding at the Senior Bowl and then posted D.K. Metcalf-like numbers at the combine. Combination of size and speed will probably entice a team late in the first.

6. Tee Higgins, Clemson

27 career touchdowns at Clemson, the same number as DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins. Great length, hands, and toughness. Underwhelming 40 and vertical jump at pro day are concerning. Vikings may be wary of a repeat.

7. Jalen Reagor, TCU

Remarkably explosive athlete in the open field. Three punt return TDs last season. Not just a speed guy; also a great route-runner with major contested-catch prowess at just 5'11".

8. Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State

Similar to Reagor in that he's a big-time YAC threat with added value as a returner. Good length and jumping ability. Needs to get stronger and work on releases versus press coverage.

Tier 3: Day 2 picks with upside 9. Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado

Big, strong, and quick with good hands. Versatile, gadget-type player with question marks about his route tree and durability after several injuries in college. Upside is through the roof if he improves the technical aspects.

10. Michael Pittman Jr., USC

Big (6'4"), physical wideout with great hands and high-pointing skills that will make him a major red zone threat. Not an elite separator. NFL seems to be higher on him than this ranking.

11. KJ Hamler, Penn State

Lightning-quick slot receiver with crazy burst and change-of-direction ability. Fun to watch in the open field.

12. Chase Claypool, Notre Dame

Combine numbers are bananas: 4.42 speed, 40.5-inch vert at 6'4", 238. That's -esque. However, his upside is limited by a lack of agility. Some have suggested a move to .

13. Bryan Edwards, South Carolina

Similar to Pittman and Claypool in that he's big and physical but may struggle to separate. Smart player who knows how to use leverage and is excellent at the catch point. Might be best as a "big slot."

Tier 4: Middle-round targets 14. Van Jefferson, Florida

One of the better route-runners in this class. He can get open and catch the ball through contact. Good competitiveness and some short-range burst. Limited upside due to his age (turning 24 in July) and lack of long speed.

15. Devin Duvernay, Texas

Super shifty, bursty slot receiver who finished fifth in NCAA in yards last season. 4.4 speed makes him a weapon after the catch. Undersized and needs to improve his releases and route-running to reach his NFL ceiling.

16. Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan

Has the size, speed, and athleticism scouts salivate over. 44.5-inch vert and 139-inch broad jump are 99th-percentile figures. Really good ball skills but lacked production in college and doesn't have much experience against press coverage.

17. Tyler Johnson, Minnesota

Super productive college player who could be a steal early on Day 3. Crafty route-runner with contested-catch skills. Decision not to do athletic tests at the combine may scare some teams off. Might be best suited in the slot.

Tier 5: Intriguing day 3 picks 18. Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty

19. Lynn Bowden Jr., Kentucky

20. K.J. Hill, Ohio State

21. Gabriel Davis, UCF

22. , Texas

23. James Proche, SMU

24. Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State

Tier 6: The best of the rest 25. John Hightower, Boise State

26. , Texas A&M

27. Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin

28. Isaiah Coulter, Rhode Island

29. Joe Reed, Virginia

30. Jauan Jennings, Tennessee

Join the conversation at InsideTheVikings by clicking the follow button in the upper right-hand corner of this page (mobile users, tap the bell icon), and follow @WillRagatz on Twitter. PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 4/23/20

Within Reach: Looking at Recent Picks & Vikings History at 253

By Lindsey Young

EAGAN, Minn. — The 2020 NFL Draft could present the Vikings with the chance to select from the 253rd overall spot for the third time in franchise history.

Minnesota hasn't picked at No. 253 since the 1969 NFL Draft, when the team grabbed defensive back Tom McCauley in the 10th of 17 rounds. The defensive back out of Wisconsin never played a game for the Vikings. He instead spent three seasons with the Falcons.

The Vikings also had the 253rd selection in the franchise's inaugural draft in 1961. They picked Presbyterian fullback Bill Hall, but he never appeared in an NFL game.

Thanks to an expansion of the NFL to 32 teams and a truncation of the draft, the 253rd spot is now in seventh round near the event's conclusion.

Through the Years: Every Vikings First Round Draft Pick View every Vikings first round NFL Draft picks through the years.

What type of player might be within reach this time around when they go on the clock at No. 253 (if Minnesota keeps the pick)?

Vikings.com is taking a look at players drafted at corresponding spots that Minnesota is scheduled to pick from between April 23-25. Earlier in the series, we covered picks No. 22, No. 25, No. 58, No. 89, No. 105, No. 132, No. 155, No. 201, No. 205, No. 219 and No. 249.

In addition to players selected 253rd overall since 2015, we're taking a look at the players who were selected a pick before and after No. 253 in each draft. We'll also mention a couple of notable names that landed with other teams.

Stats are from pro-football-reference.com.

2015

252. Josh Furman, DB, DEN – has not played in an NFL game

253. Xzavier Dickson, LB, NE – has not played in an NFL game

254. Rory Anderson, TE, SF – has not played in an NFL game

2016

252. Beau Sandland, TE, CAR – spent time on practice squads for Carolina, Green Bay and Arizona from 2016-18 but has not played in an NFL game

253. , CB, TEN – played in seven games for the Titans in two seasons

254. The 2016 NFL Draft did not have a 254thpick.

2017

252. Matthew Dayes, RB, CLE – returned 18 kickoffs for 437 yards for Cleveland as a rookie; played just seven games for the 49ers in 2018 and returned one kickoff for 17 yards

253. , QB, DEN – the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame QB ; played in one game for the Broncos in 2018 as the backup to Case Keenum but was released in October; currently on the Colts roster

254. The 2017 NFL Draft did not have a 254thpick.

2018

252. Rod Taylor, G, CIN – placed on Injured Reserve by the Bengals in August 2018; has not played in an NFL game

253. , WR, CIN – started 10 games in 2019 and totaled 40 catches for 575 yards and a touchdown

254. Korey Cunningham, T, ARI – has played seven games for the Cardinals and the Patriots

2019

252. Ken Webster, CB, NE – started five of eight games played as a rookie; totaled 19 tackles (17 solo) and a pass defensed

253. , DE, WAS – was placed on Injured Reserve by Washington in September

254. , TE, ARI – the 2019 Mr. Irrelevant selection spent time with the Cardinals and Redskins last season; currently on Washington's roster

Players Predicted To Go To The Vikings In Mock Drafts View photos of players who NFL expects believe the Vikings could select in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Others of Interest at 253

2010: – DE Erik Lorig, Stanford

Lorig transitioned from defensive end to fullback/tight end in the NFL and started 30 of 66 games played for the Bucs and Saints from 2010-14. In 2012, he helped block for Doug Martin's 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns. Lorig scored his first career touchdown at Minnesota in October 2012.

2007: – DB Nedu Ndukwe, Notre Dame

Ndukwe played in 14 games (two starts) as a rookie for the Bengals and snagged a career-high three interceptions. He played under Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer, who served as Cincinnati's defensive coordinator, from 2008-10, during which he started 29 of 39 games and totaled 213 tackles, three interceptions, 5.5 sacks, 12 passes defensed and two recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

2000: – DT Alfonso Boone, Mount Junior College

Boone was drafted by the Lions but ended up with a division rival, playing the majority of his 10-season NFL career with the Bears (2001-06). The JUCO product played 129 total games (41 starts) and recorded 194 career tackles and 15.5 sacks. In 2007, he started all 15 games he played for the Chiefs.

1987: – DB Chris Goode, Alabama

Goode built a respectable NFL career, starting 66 of 96 games played for the Colts from 1987-93. The Alabama native recorded seven interceptions and six fumble recoveries. PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 4/23/20

Rick Spielman Explains Challenges, Unique Opportunities of Virtual Scouting Process

By Lindsey Young

EAGAN, Minn. – Just like the 2020 NFL Draft will have a new look and feel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vikings scouting process leading up to the three-day event also has a different pulse this year.

Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman spoke to media members Tuesday afternoon via video conference call and addressed certain challenges – while also acknowledging unique benefits – that come from conducting all business virtually.

Spielman said the "hardest thing" about the current situation is the fact that college pro days were eliminated due to coronavirus concerns, meaning players who did not participate in the NFL Scouting Combine weren't able to make their final pitch in-person to NFL teams.

"I can tell you, we've had a record number of videos sent to us on people working out and people timing [40-yard dashes]," Spielman said with a smile. "I had one agent ask me, 'What's the best way to do it?' And I said, 'Just shoot the whole 40 from a wide angle, and we'll try to time it as best we can from watching the [video].

"Our times were a little different than some of the times that were shown on the YouTube video, but at least you got some kind of sense, some kind of estimate," he added. "And most of the time, the estimates we had going into the season were pretty close, so I feel a good sense of that."

Spielman reminded, however, that some players who weren't at the combine were still seen by Vikings coaches and scouts at the Reese's Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine Bowl or the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

He emphasized that the Vikings interview players and obtain measurables at each all-star game.

"Back then, I would have never predicted a pandemic – but we had enough information gathered at those places to feel comfortable with some of these guys that didn't go to the combine," Spielman said. "And there are a couple what I call 'rat hole players,' where our scouts dig up a guy that they know isn't going to get drafted or is not going to go to the combine, so we've done a pretty good job of digging as best as we can on getting the information on those guys, as well."

One aspect Spielman and the Vikings have worked to capitalize on is the extra availability of college coaches and players during a difficult time when teams are not able to meet for workouts and practices.

"The other thing that's good about – well, I won't say good, but opportunities we took advantage of – was the ability to FaceTime with these players because we weren't able to meet with them in-person," Spielman explained. "And the ability to get a hold of coaches around the country because they're in the same position we're in. They're not out there in spring ball."

Spielman generally disclosed that he has had "numerous calls," including one that lasted "probably two hours" over recent weeks with college head coaches were spent time going over in details players from their roster who are draft- eligible.

Because of the extra time and with the help of technology, Spielman is confident that he and his staff have been able to accomplish their necessarily homework through virtual means.

It's no secret that Minnesota has several needs on its roster heading into the draft, which will kick off tomorrow night at 7 p.m. (CT).

Taking into consideration the needs, the number of Vikings draft picks (12, including two first-rounders) and the unprecedented nature of this year's event, does the 2020 NFL Draft hold even more weight for Minnesota?

"I think, truly, every draft is important to us," Spielman said. "And we've prepared just as hard for other drafts as we have for this draft."

The difference, he added, is that a larger number of rookies will be asked to not only contribute but possibly play significant roles in the Vikings upcoming season. And with no rookie minicamp or in-person team activities currently on the horizon, that admittedly presents its own set of hurdles.

But Spielman has confidence in the Vikings coaching staff to execute the necessary prep work virtually with the young players.

"I don't know when we're going to be able to see these rookies or when we can get them on the field or what lies ahead," Spielman said. "But I know next week we'll start our virtual offseason program with our virtual meetings with the coaches and players, and then we'll have a virtual rookie minicamp.

"I do know that with the time and energy that the coaches have put into this, as well as the scouts, that they'll be able to get a head start at least virtually on learning the playbook and things like that," he added.

According to Spielman, Head Coach Mike Zimmer already has thought through scheduling and the best approach moving forward until restrictions at team facilities are lifted – and then how to move forward at that point.

"Coach Zim' has really thought through … how we're going to have to get these guys ready to line up and play," Spielman said. "Knowing this draft board and the depth of this draft, especially at some positions of need, that we feel not only in that first round but throughout the draft, we'll get guys who will be able to come in and contribute right away." PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 4/23/20

Vikings Mourn Passing of Guard Milt Sunde

By Craig Peters

EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings are mourning the death of Milt Sunde, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 78.

Sunde, who courageously battled Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, is the second legend that the Vikings family has lost in the span of 10 days. Former QB Tarvaris Jackson died April 12 in a car accident in Alabama.

Sunde was Minnesota through and through and through. Born in Minneapolis in 1942, he attended Bloomington High School and then the University of Minnesota before he was selected by his hometown Vikings in the 20th and final round of the 1964 NFL Draft.

The fledgling Vikings selected Sunde's teammate from the Gophers, Carl Eller, with the sixth overall pick the fourth NFL Draft in franchise history that year. Some 265 picks later, Minnesota found another player who would go on to start 113 games and appeared in 146 regular-season contests over the course of 11 seasons.

The Vikings issued the following statement:

"Milt Sunde was a legend in Minnesota through his high school days in Bloomington, his college career at the University of Minnesota and his time at the Vikings. He was part of the foundation that helped shape the Minnesota Vikings and contributed significantly to the development of an NFL expansion team into a Super Bowl participant. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

Sunde is one of three guards in franchise history to start more than 100 regular-season games and trails only Randall McDaniel and Dave Dixon.

Sunde also played in 11 postseason contests, including Super Bowls IV and IX, as well as the 1967 Pro Bowl, becoming the first guard in team history to appear in the all-star game.

"He wasn't big enough, strong enough or fast enough, but he built up his weight, speed and strength to become a starter on some great Vikings teams," said former Vikings Head Coach Bud Grant. sunde-3 Hall of Fame quarterback , who overlapped with Sunde at the Vikings from 1964-66 and 1972-74, described the guard as "quiet, smart, tough" and a "model" teammate.

"He exceeded his ability during his football career," Tarkenton said. "He was never the biggest or fastest, but he was the smartest and toughest and was a starter for a long time. Above all, he was a great teammate. The most misunderstood part of football in the NFL is what it means to be a teammate — and Milt was a model one."

A three-year letter winner with the Gophers (1961-63), Sunde's time in included playing for the Rose Bowl champion squad that finished 8-2 and ranked No. 6 nationally, as well as the team that followed with a 6-2-1 record and finished 10th in national polls. In 1963, Sunde was the captain of the Gophers, but that team finished 3-6.

Sunde bulked up from playing at about 220 pounds in college to 250 pounds for the Vikings. He described putting on the weight in a 1989 "Where have they gone?" feature for the Star Tribune:

"My dad said that I was not big enough if I wanted to play professional football, so he took me to a club downtown and paid my membership. Those guys were serious, they were into body building, whereas I just wanted to bulk up. You didn't have to be built like a statue. We were just a bunch of linemen out there bumping bellies." sunde-1 Sunde and his two brothers (Gerald and Edward) were raised by their father, George, after their mother, Marie, passed away. George owned Oxboro Automotive Co. in Bloomington.

In 1974, Sunde was presented the YMCA-Brian Piccolo Award for Humanitarian Service for his work as Chairman of the Walk for Mankind in the Twin Cities to provide medical assistance for people living in poverty. He also was involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Hope Presbyterian Church, IFI Prison Ministries, Wheels for the World and founded the Roundball Classic Summer Camp.

Sunde followed his playing career by working in a sporting goods store and eventually owned his own store. He also coached girls high school basketball.

In addition to his brother, Edward, Sunde is survived by his wife of 54 years, Barb, four daughters and eight grandchildren. PUBLICATION: Vikings Entertainment Network DATE: 4/23/20

Lunchbreak: Kiper's Final Draft Answers Include Vikings 1st-Round Options

By Eric Smith

The hype and anticipation for the 2020 NFL Draft is unmistakable throughout the league.

Yet as the football world counts down by Thursday night, all we can really do is wait.

Longtime ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper, Jr., tried to fill the void by answering the most compelling last-minute questions surrounding the draft, and included the Vikings in his list.

The Vikings now have two first-round picks. Whom should they target?

Minnesota is currently scheduled to have a pair of first-round selections with the 22nd and 25th overall picks. Kiper responded that he could see the Vikings addressing the passing game on offense, while trying to slow down an opponent's passing game with a defensive pick.

Kiper wrote:

Minnesota traded away Stefon Diggs, and now it has a huge hole at wide receiver after Adam Thielen. The Vikings have to get another wide receiver with Nos. 22 or 25. Brandon Aiyuk would be a great fit. The other pick could be a cornerback or defensive end — we know Mike Zimmer is always looking for new toys to upgrade his defense.

And speaking of Aiyuk, Kiper has the former Arizona State standout as one of the most buzzworthy prospects a little more than 24 hours before the draft kicks off.

There are a few teams that are high on Arizona State wideout Brandon Aiyuk, who is dynamic with the ball in his hands. He's only 5-foot-11, but he has a huge wingspan. Expect him to be picked in the 20s.

Kiper later mentioned a pair of players who played collegiately in Minnesota as favorites of his.

He called Minnesota's Antoine Winfield, Jr., a "likely" first-round pick, and added he likes Winfield's versatility.

Winfield is more of a versatile ball-hawking center fielder, and he also could play some slot corner.

And he gave Ben Bartch some love, as the offensive tackle hails from St. John's (MN), a Division III school located roughly 80 miles northwest of downtown Minneapolis.

Kiper wrote:

The former tight end really impressed at Senior Bowl practices in January, and he could be a steal in Round 3.

Kiper ended his list of answers with a prediction and projected that the first round will be "chaotic" because of the unique aspect of this year's draft being virtiual.

No one really knows how all of these general managers and coaches are going to handle doing everything at their own homes. Making picks, executing trades, even signing undrafted free agents — it's going to be strange for everyone. And with no pro days for the majority of prospects, there are a lot of unknowns on draft boards. I can't wait.

The 2020 NFL Draft begins at 7 p.m. (CT) Thursday with a singular broadcast by ESPN and NFL Network, as well as unique coverage by ABC.

Carter to answer questions tonight on Facebook Live

Have you ever wanted to ask personally ask Cris Carter how he had so many spectacular catches? Or what it meant to him to go into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

You have that opportunity Wednesday night as the Pro Football Hall of Famer and Vikings Ring of Honor member will answer questions on Facebook Live at 5 p.m. CT.

The chat is hosted by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in which Carter was enshrined in 2013.

The Facebook Live event can be found here.

The wide receiver currently ranks fourth all-time with 130 touchdown catches, is sixth in the NFL with 1,101 career catches and is 13th in league history with 13,899.

Carter joined the Vikings before the 1990 season, and played in Purple until 2001. He compiled eight straight 1,000- yard seasons from 1993-2000, recording double-digit scores in five of those years.

Carter ranks first in Vikings franchise history in receptions (1,004), yards (12,383) and touchdowns (110).