Which Draft Prospects Are the Vikings Showing the Most Interest In?

And what insight can we draw from that activity?

As we move through the month of April, the Vikings are conducting their last meetings with prospects ahead of the NFL Draft, including Top 30 visits, and will complete their player evaluations in preparation for setting up their draft board.

But throughout the pre-draft process, the Vikings have shown a lot of interest in the following prospects. As we’ve talked about in years past, sometimes that interest is because they’re unsure about a prospect and so they may want to meet with him a few times to clarify or settle questions about him; sometimes the interest could be feigned to create a smokescreen to the league regarding their draft intentions; and sometimes it is genuine and results in the team targeting that prospect in the draft.

We won’t know which of the above is true for these prospects until the end of the month, and not all prospect meetings the Vikings conduct are known publicly, but here are the meetings we know about so far.

As a reminder, the Vikings currently have draft picks #11 and #23 in the first round, #108 and #129 in the fourth round, #157 and #167 near the bottom of the fifth round, #177 at the top of the sixth round, and #230 and #232 in the seventh round. Below is an illustration including all the other draft picks.

Drafttek

Quarterbacks

The Vikings have been doing their due diligence on the top quarterback prospects in this draft, and at this point have met with all the top six quarterback prospects, but only the top six quarterback prospects. But after meeting Caleb Williams at the Combine, no other meetings have taken place, and the Vikings have not met with Jayden Daniels either since the Combine, although QB coach Josh McCown and assistant QB coach Grant Udinski attended his pro day at LSU. The Vikings have tried to setup a private meeting with Daniels but have been rebuffed to this point by the Daniels camp. No word on whether a meeting is still in the works or if Daniels is convinced he’ll be drafted #2 by the Commanders and therefore doesn’t need to do any more private workouts.

So, the Vikings have been exclusively focused on the following four quarterbacks in terms of meetings and workouts:

• Drake Maye
• J.J. McCarthy
• Bo Nix
• Michael Penix Jr.

The Vikings have interviewed all four at the Combine, attended their pro days, and have visited them at their college facilities in a detailed process designed to allow each quarterback prospect to show their ability to learn plays and scheme details in the classroom and transfer that knowledge to the field, in addition to answering questions on their college film, and demonstrating their leadership skills in the building. Albert Breer describes the Vikings’ process in this piece:

I really like the approach the Minnesota Vikings have taken to studying the quarterback class. You might have noticed, over the past couple of weeks, that Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were absent from the big quarterback pro days, which seemed to fly in the face of the aggressive approach they took to position themselves for a trade up after the move with the Texans in mid-March.

The reality? The Vikings were just allocating resources in a different way.

Rather than go to the cattle calls that pro days often become, Minnesota dispatched quarterbacks coaches Josh McCown and Grant Udinski to those, and then rolled out a larger group for a three-day whirlwind tour to work out quarterbacks privately. The itinerary included stops in Chapel Hill to meet Drake Maye, Ann Arbor to get with J.J. McCarthy, Seattle to put Penix through the paces and Eugene to see Bo Nix.

In each case, the Minnesota contingent, with Adofo-Mensah, O’Connell and McCown heading up the traveling party, had extensive meeting time with the quarterbacks before taking them out on the field. The field work included the coaches and players applying what had been taught in the classroom, and then the ability to put what they could explain between the lines.

In the end, you figure it gave the Vikings a really good picture of what each guy might look like in Minnesota’s offense, and the team’s culture, with the officials on the ground knowing that they still had the ability to bring the players to Minneapolis for “30” visits in their back pockets if they needed to know more (those haven’t been scheduled yet, but could be).

Breer also pointed out that the Vikings had Penix make over 100 throws during the workout session- which may have been the same for the other prospects too- as part of their extensive evaluations.

I’ve already done four top six quarterback pieces listed below, so I won’t add more, but you can check them out if you haven’t already.

NFL Draft Top QB Rankings Roundup – Daily Norseman

Which QB Do the Vikings Draft Next Month? – Daily Norseman

Vikings Don’t Need to Trade Up for a QB – Daily Norseman

Stats and Scouting Scuttlebutt on the Top QB Draft Prospects – Daily Norseman

Defensive Linemen

Apart from quarterbacks, defensive linemen – both defensive tackles and edge rushers- have drawn the most interest from the Vikings during this pre-draft period. The Vikings have shown interest in defensive tackles that could go in pretty much every round of the draft, having met with six different prospects.

Similarly, the Vikings have met with six edge rushers, most of which are expected to go on Day 1 or Day 2 of the draft. The Vikings don’t have any Day 2 draft picks.

DT Byron Murphy II

The Vikings have met with Murphy three times now, the most recent being this week in a Top 30 visit. The Vikings also met with him immediately before his pro day, and also had a formal interview at the Combine with him. Murphy is expected to be drafted in the first round, and potentially the top half of the first round. Given the Vikings’ need for a bona fide interior pass rusher, the Vikings’ interest in Murphy seems real and he could potentially be the first player drafted by the Vikings, depending on what happens with the quarterbacks.

Muscular ball of explosiveness with the tools and talent to become a productive three-down defender in the right scheme. Twitchy first-step quickness combined with flexion and power in his lower half create a recipe for disruption as a gap shooter or as a pass rusher. Murphy is powerful and well-schooled at taking on double-teams but lacks ideal mass and length for that role long-term. He’s successful at bypassing protection with sudden hands and quick feet, while his motor and passion create an activity level coaches will love. Forget the average physical traits and modest production and focus on his competitive spirit and disruptive qualities. Murphy is ascending and could become a successful nose tackle or 3-technique in an even front. – Lance Zierlein

DT Braden Fiske

The Vikings met with Fiske before his pro day. He could go somewhere in the second round.

Defensive tackle with below-average mass and length who makes up for it with above-average quickness and a constantly revving engine. Fiske uses sudden hands and nimble feet to whip single blocks. Once he finds daylight, he flies to whoever has the ball. He doesn’t have the anchor to sit down and muddy gaps, so scheme will be important for him. Fiske is a hustle rusher who can win quick or late if opponents don’t play with proper hand usage and match his energy. He lacks ideal measurables but has a chance to become an impact defender. – Lance Zierlein

DT Michael Hall Jr.

The Vikings also have a Top 30 visit with Hall, who could be a plan B option if they don’t draft Murphy. Hall could be there in the fourth round for the Vikings.

There might be a different conversation if Hall was a little bigger, but a lack of size is hard to overcome on the NFL level. Hall plays with good pound-for-pound strength and stands up to bigger players in front of him. He’s twitchy to knock blockers off balance but will also be engulfed by size at times. He rushes with sudden feet and active hands to whip guards with quick wins but appears to lack the lower-body drive to capitalize on early advantages against stronger competition. Hall needs to add mass but should compete for a backup role early on and has immediate sub-rush potential as a 3-technique in a one-gapping scheme. – Lance Zierlein

DT Maason Smith

The Vikings met with Smith on a Top 30 visit. Smith is likely an early Day 3 pick. He is versatile and can play defensive end as well. Good athlete with tremendous length. An intriguing developmental prospect.

Traits-based prospect with an exciting ceiling but a concerning lack of experience and consistency. Smith plays tall and lacks the anchor and hand usage to keep from being mashed out of gaps by double-teams. The measurables and playing style have him best suited to play as a 3-4 defensive end, where he will have an opportunity to better utilize his length at the point of attack. Smith flashes as a pass rusher with a healthy blend of footwork and victories to the edge, which should keep improving with additional skill work. He has early round traits but middle-round tape. Smith requires scheme fit and patience if he’s to reach his potential, but he should be no worse than a viable backup.

DT Taki Taimani

The Vikings also have a Top 30 visit with Taimani out of Oregon, who’s also likely a Day 3 pick- probably later Day 3.

DT Khristian Boyd

Boyd is an FCS prospect out of Northern Iowa and also likely a late Day 3 pick. Good size, but lacking length, he was among the most productive and highest graded pass rushing defensive tackles the last couple seasons. The Vikings had him in for a Top 30 visit.

EDGE Dallas Turner

The Vikings have a Top 30 visit with Turner, who’s expected to go in the top of the first round. No previous meetings or contacts have been reported.

Long and athletic with the explosive traits needed to become an impactful NFL pass rusher. Turner’s first-step quickness and elite closing burst are important building blocks, but he still needs to work on his process from Point A to Point B. He hasn’t learned to create the space and angles needed to consistently attack the edges, but that should come with better hand development and a more diversified approach. A team would be wise to widen him out and allow him a better runway to ignite his burst and overwhelm tackles with his speed. He’s added 20 pounds since coming to Alabama, but he struggles at times to stack and shed run blockers or set a firm edge. Turner’s frame and game are much less developed than Will Anderson Jr.’s coming out of Alabama last year, so it could take time for him to make his mark as a starting 3-4 outside linebacker. – Lance Zierlein

EDGE Laitau Latu

The Vikings met today with Laitau Latu, another top edge rusher likely to go in the first round.

Latu possesses the kind of rare maturity to his game that you usually see from NFL veterans. He rarely stays blocked by tackles as a run defender and dominates blocking tight ends on the collegiate level. His pass-rush approach is both well conceived and instinctive, and he’s brilliant at taking possession of the rep using clever hands and slippery angles to pry open opportunities. His eyes play beyond blockers, and he feeds off of a voracious motor that keeps him pushing forward as a run defender and pass rusher. Concerns surrounding his neck injury (while at Washington) will certainly come into play when he gets to medical exams, but his durability and play at UCLA are certainly promising. Everything about Latu’s skill set and production is translatable to the NFL, and he could become a Pro Bowler as a 3-4 outside linebacker with a heavy influence on the game. – Lance Zierlein

EDGE Adisa Isaac

The Vikings had a formal Combine interview with Isaac and also met with him on his pro day. Isaac could go in the second round.

Heady edge prospect combining traits, tools and motor to create playmaking opportunities. Isaac plays with good recognition and awareness of his surroundings both before and after the snap. His snap quickness combines with active hands/feet to help him work his way around blocks at a solid clip. He’s primarily an outside rusher with a decent inside move, but he needs to do a better job of developing counters and learning to work back under at the top of the rush to keep from being redirected. The anchor strength needs improvement to become a more consistent edge setter and rush finisher, but his production, length and motor could eventually earn him a starting job as a 3-4 rush linebacker. – Lance Zierlein

EDGE Bralen Trice

Trice is a potential Day 2 pick that the Vikings

Team captain with good size who is well-liked by his teammates and coaching staff. Trice isn’t going to be the most skilled edge defender, but he parlays urgency and effort into impressive production. He carries a thick frame but lacks juice as an edge rusher and fails to stack and control tackles as a run defender. He’s a better fit in gaming fronts that allow him to play on the move, but he might lack the athleticism and explosiveness needed to carry his production to the next level. Trice’s try-hard demeanor and play strength give him a chance to become a decent backup end in a 4-3 defense. – Lance Zierlein

EDGE Marshawn Kneeland

The Vikings met with Kneeland at his pro day and also set up a Top 30 visit with him. He’s likely a Day 2 pick, which is problematic for the Vikings given they have no Day 2 picks. He looks to have the versatility Brian Flores covets at all defensive positions, however, so we’ll see what happens.

Kneeland is a former high school tight end and his open-field agility can be seen when he’s pursuing the football around the field. He deals consequential first blows to opponents that often create openings for him to generate movement as a run defender or pass rusher. Teams might drop him in as a 4-3 base end, but he’s actually a more consistent playmaker when he’s standing, surveying and using his athleticism rather than fist-fighting at the point of attack. He’s a forceful rusher with a relatively simple game plan, but he does have enough bend to diversify somewhat. There are some mismatched pieces in his game but he offers toughness and talent to mold. – Lance Zierlein

EDGE Gabriel Murphy

Murphy is scheduled to visit the Vikings on a Top 30 visit. He’s likely a late Day 2 – early Day 3 pick. He had some good reps moving inside which may appeal to Brian Flores as a rotational pass rusher. Very athletic but lacks length.

What Murphy lacks in size and length he makes up for with skill and production. He’s short-armed, which will worry teams on the pro level, but his hands are so sudden and polished that it tends to ease concerns. He works his hands and feet in perfect harmony to elude blockers like a shifty runner eluding tacklers. Murphy could struggle to survive against run blockers who square him up, but he typically finds a way to slither out of sustain attempts on the collegiate level. He failed to dominate one-on-one opportunities at East-West Shrine Bowl practices, but his ability to maneuver into the backfield as a run defender and pass rusher has merit and should give him a shot to become a solid 3-4 edge rusher.

Cornerback

The Vikings have never not taken a cornerback, as far as I can remember, in an NFL draft so it should come as no surprise that the Vikings have met with a few cornerbacks during the pre-draft process, one expected to go early, mid-round, and late in the draft.

The Vikings have also met with one safety too.

CB Quinyon Mitchell

The Vikings had Mitchell in for a Top 30 visit recently. Mitchell is expected to be one of the first cornerbacks drafted, likely in the top half of the first round.

Mitchell possesses a gumbo of traits, with size, strength and speed filling up the pot. He’s built like a running back, tackles like a safety and has the ball skills of a cornerback. Mitchell can play in a variety of coverages and was the clear-cut top cornerback at the Senior Bowl when working against the top receivers in practice. While he needs to trace a more efficient path when hounding the route, his burst to close and physicality at the catch point could create tougher throwing windows for quarterbacks. Mitchell’s traits, play demeanor and special-teams potential should make him attractive to teams in the market for CB help. – Lance Zierlein

CB Kris Abrams-Draine

The Vikings met with Abrams-Draine on his pro day. He’s expected to go around the 3rd – 4th round range.

Abrams-Draine is a talented prospect with good football intelligence and the versatility to fit in with teams desiring to mix up coverages. He’s on the slender side and will need to prove he can handle both man coverage and run-support duties against an upgrade in size. His confidence and cover skills improved last year, but his ball skills and instincts have always been good. He’s very poised in one-on-ones down the field and has the range and field vision teams look for. Abrams-Draine’s on-ball production and general consistency help mitigate concerns over size, and he could come off the board as a Day 2 selection, with the ability to compete for a role as a CB3.

CB Qwan’Tez Stiggers

Stiggers is entering the draft after playing a season in the CFL and named that league’s Most Outstanding Rookie, despite not having played football in college. Stiggers was brought in for a Top 30 visit by the Vikings. He’s probably a late Day 3 range pick.

S Millard Bradford

The Vikings met with Bradford in a Top 30 visit. Likely a late Day 3 pick or UDFA. Small for a safety, but has the athleticism for the position.

Stocky safety lacking the length and speed to make easy scheme projections for him. Bradford’s inconsistencies as a tackle finisher will be a disqualifier for some teams. In coverage, he plays with good field recognition and is fairly athletic in man coverage but lacks the length and burst to make enough plays on the football. His physical limitations could make it an uphill battle to stick on a roster.

Offensive Linemen

The Vikings have met with five offensive linemen, all likely Day 3 picks. Unclear if any could challenge for a guard spot, but hopefully could at least improve depth at the position.

RG Christian Mahogany

The Vikings had a formal interview with Mahogany, expected to be drafted in the 3rd-4th round range, at the Combine.

Big and powerful but lacking the leverage and body control needed to play a more consistent brand of football. Mahogany’s early tape was very problematic due to shoddy footwork caused by a poor stance, but he made a midseason self-correction that led to better tape later in the year. He doesn’t have the short-area movements to be a consistent pass protector against NFL sub-packages, but the hand usage and punch are good. Mahogany is a downhill mauler who needs to continue technique work but also needs to play for a team that values the big power players and allows them to do what they do best in the run game. He has a chance to be a backup with upside early in his career. – Lance Zierlein

OG Donovan Jennings

The Vikings had Jennings in for a Top 30 visit. He played six seasons at tackle for USF but is transitioning to guard. He’s a big guy- 6’4”, 330 pounds- and also ran a sub-5” 40 at that weight, which is 95th percentile, so he’s got some athleticism as well. His arms are a bit short for tackle in the NFL- 32.75” – so that may factor into his decision to transition to guard. He is likely to be a late Day 3 pick.

Jennings played five seasons at USF and looks to be a pretty good athlete as well based on his pro day results:

C Charles Turner

The Vikings also met with Turner in a Top 30 visit. Another likely late Day 3 prospect or UDFA.

Turner is an undersized center-only prospect who relies on his tenacity to overcome his limitations. The LSU offensive line was a physical unit and Turner fit right in. While he held his own for the most part, the step up in competition could strain his ability to keep up as both a run blocker and pass protector. He has good length and is a decent athlete but will need to improve his technique and show that he can play with enough contact balance to grind out reps on the NFL level. – Lance Zierlein

RT Spencer Rolland

Rolland is a Minnesota native who played at Harvard before transferring to North Carolina for the 2022 season. He played right tackle. Likely a late Day 3 pick or UDFA.

OT Garret Greenfield

Greenfield met with the Vikings during the Shrine Bowl. Another likely Day 3 pick or UDFA.

The sixth-year senior has seen his fair share of football and has shown continued improvement over the last three years. He plays with good quickness and is athletic in his lower body but needs to play under control. He’s capable of setting out to rush speed or getting to lateral landmarks as a run blocker. Greenfield has a tendency to play with arbitrary footwork as both a run and pass blocker, which curtails his contact balance and consistency to sustain. He’ll need to improve his core strength and protection technique to play in the NFL, but he has enough talent and athletic ability to compete for a backup role. – Lance Zierlein

Off-Ball Linebackers

The Vikings have also looked at a couple off-ball linebackers to add depth and/or special teams options.

LB Steele Chambers

The Vikings met with Chambers before his pro day. Likely a late Day 3 pick or UDFA.

Chambers is a running back-turned-linebacker with three years of starting experience at his new position. His background seems to have spawned a natural feel for where the runner is headed, and he often ends up in or near that lane. He plays with decisiveness and quick lateral scrape in an attempt to stay ahead of the blocking scheme. He needs to get stronger and improve his block take-on technique, and there is still room for improvement against wide zone running plays. He’s not a burner but is rangy enough for full-field pursuit and coverage duties. The physical traits are average, but his nose for the football puts him in line for a backup role with upward mobility. – Lance Zierlein

LB Jaylon Ford

The Vikings met with Ford during his pro day. Likely late Day 3 pick or UDFA.

Two-year starting linebacker with good size and athleticism but average speed and below-average instincts. Ford’s tackle count is almost evenly split between solo and assisted, which is a little unusual for an inside linebacker with multiple opportunities to play the role of sheriff. He lacks ideal anticipation to mirror the pathway of running backs and tends to be too impacted by encounters with blockers. He pursues the ball with good pace and has become a steady tackler in the open field. Ford has great hands and third-down value but might lack the consistency needed to stick on a roster long term. – Lance Zierlein

Tight Ends – and a Running Back and Wide Receiver Too

The Vikings have also been looking at a few tight ends – and a running back too.

TE Erick All

The Vikings met with All at a Top 30 visit. All transferred to Iowa from Michigan for his fifth season. He is likely a late Day 3 pick or UDFA due to medicals.

The biggest issue with All’s prospects for the NFL isn’t remotely his game, but his medicals. All suffered an ACL tear this year, which will could result in a redshirt year as a rookie. That’s the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario is All’s back injury that led to him getting surgery. All and his medical team spun the procedure as minimally invasive spinal surgery three games into 2022. “Minimally invasive” is a relative term and could mean what All and his surgical team said or it could be minimal for a major operation that could have short- and long-term consequences for his playing days. All told the public that it was “life-saving.” All’s injury was at the center of a debate between All and the Michigan staff on how to address the injury. Medicals at the NFL Combine could have a huge say in All’s draft capital because there’s rumors he had his spine fused. This is typically not what you want for a 20-year-old athlete. It’s very possible this wasn’t what he did, but actually chose a more aggressive plan Michigan had reservations about and went out of network to do it. These two injuries make All a high-risk option and likely a free agent signing after the draft. Think Justyn Ross. And like Ross, it means the team that signs All will find him intriguing enough to give him a redshirt year, but they won’t be counting on him to deliver value to an active roster for at least the next two years. As we know, two years is 67 percent of most career lifetimes in the NFL. So, even with the durability issues that deflate All’s Depth of Talent, he’s still a top-five talent on the pre-draft board.

Another move tight end, All was an H-Back in Michigan’s offense and an in-line option at Iowa. All has quick feet and a variety of footwork and hand counters that he uses at the line of scrimmage and the top of stems. He must cultivate a better balance of patience and suddenness with the footwork to bait coverage successfully in the pros. All’s on-field speed when looking at his top measurements was comparable to Ja’Tavion Sanders, who ran a 4.69-second, 40-Yard Dash and a 4.32-second, 20 Shuttle. When healthy his acceleration up the boundary was notable and he beat more than a few pursuit angles of cornerbacks. His speed breaks have snap and flat turns. His hard breaks need more weight drop, but the potential is there. The best part about All’s routes are how he sets up defenders during his stem. All has strong mitts and makes contested plays. The only lapses seen with his pass-catching are the occasional unnecessary leaps for targets where All didn’t need to leave his feet. He’s a mature runner after the catch. He’s patient in the open field and in traffic and he knows when to take what’s available with the pads low and splitting defenders. All can create in the open field with efficient footwork. All has an effective and versatile stiff arm and he runs at a pace that allows him to carry defenders who wrap him high and break through multiple reaches when they can’t wrap up. All does competent work as a lead blocker, wind-back blocker, and talk blocker. He must work on his punch so he’s not leading with his pads. He has refinements to make as an in-line blocker. If the medicals aren’t an issue, All could be a low-risk, high-reward pick. – Matt Waldman

TE McCallan Castles

The Vikings had Castles in for a Top 30 visit. He started at Cal, transferred to UC Davis for three seasons before transferring to Tennessee for his fifth season. He’s likely a late Day 3 pick or UDFA.

Not the ideal height for a fullback but may function best as a fullback or H-Back based on his work in this capacity at Tennessee. – Matt Waldman

RB Dillon Johnson

The Vikings met with Johnson on a Top 30 visit. He’s likely a mid-Day 3 pick. Johnson didn’t test well for speed/explosiveness during the pre-draft process as he suffered knee, foot, and ankle injuries late in the season and post-season with Washington. Versatile back who could add depth behind Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler.

You scout long enough; you develop self-awareness about what appeals to you most in a player. For running backs, I gravitate toward runners with contact balance, downhill aggression, efficient and dynamic footwork, and creativity in and out of structure. This is what I gravitate toward and not exactly what [my scouting] process prioritizes above all else. If I simply allowed what I valued most from runners to dictate my process, I’d be guilty far more often than I have been with overvaluing runners lacking the requisite explosion to perform as consistent NFL starters. While I have been guilty of this from time to time, more often than not, runners like Spencer Ware, LeGarrette Blount, and Peyton Barber have outperformed much faster backs in the NFL whom the masses rated much higher. I learned to stick to my guns on this because I downgraded Arian Foster due to his timed speed after LOVING what I saw from him on tape at Tennessee and regret it to this day.

The downfall of this approach is that you can overvalue a player’s speed and acceleration just enough that they can’t crack a starting lineup. At this point, Trey Sermon is looking like most recent player to fit this description. Johnson is a prospect this year who best fits this archetype that I gravitate toward personally and his speed and acceleration is the tipping point for his evaluation. Johnson has similar height, timed speed, and vertical as Foster. Like Foster, Johnson is a tough runner with strong pre-snap and post-snap decision-making and pass-catching skills but has endured characterizations attributed by their head coaches of not being tough enough.

If Johnson’s explosion is as projected in this report, he could spend his career as an off-the-bench contributor who can deliver production when called upon due to a starter’s injury. If Johnson’s explosion is worse than projected, he might bounce around the NFL looking for a shot to prove that he’s worth keeping as a reserve. If Johnson is more explosive than measured and playing the end of the year foot, ankle, and leg injuries is a logical reason to be open-minded—so are multiple RFID measurements during Johnson’s career where he reached top speeds between 20.5-21.6 mph—the rest of his game could make him one of the top-two RBs in this class and an instant starter talent.

Johnson plays fast. He reads leverage well, anticipates penetrating defenders, manages situational football well as a runner, and attacks downhill aggressively. He also has the power, contact balance, and footwork solutions of a starter… Johnson’s tape doesn’t look like that of a player who lacks toughness. He played hurt for much of the 2023 season and played well, including Washington’s playoff run. Johnson is a smart, tough, versatile, and powerful runner. If he plays fast enough, regardless of his timed speed, watch out. – Matt Waldman

WR Josh Cephus

The Vikings met with Cephus at the Hula Bowl. He’s likely a late Day 3 pick.

A slippery mover with power, vision, and quickness, Cephus is a player worth monitoring closely if he sticks to a roster and earns a small role in the offense as a rookie. He’s a capable zone receiver with dynamic skill after the catch. He’s also a dynamic pass catcher and can win against tight coverage at the catch point. The road ahead for Cephus is developing the man-to-man skills to leverage his pass-catching promise as an outside receiver. Otherwise, Cephus will only have value as an inside receiver in multiple receiver sets where the offense hopes they’ve created a mismatch with a lesser athlete or a defender with specific coverage weaknesses relative to Cephus’ strengths as a receiver. There’s a legitimate spark to his game as a pass-catcher and ball-carrier. If he can ignite the rest of his game, he could develop into a second-contract contributor in base packages. – Matt Waldman

Bottom Line

In addition to a quarterback, expect the Vikings to spend a couple draft picks on defensive linemen, having met with six defensive tackles and six defensive ends so far, a couple of them multiple times.

The Vikings have seven Day 3 picks along with likely a dozen or more UDFA signings, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they used 1-2 on defensive linemen, a linebacker, a couple more on offensive linemen, a tight-end, running back, and maybe even wide receiver. Maybe even a kicker.

It’ll be interesting to see how many of the above prospects the Vikings have met with so far end up on the roster after the draft.

Stay tuned.

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