[email protected]'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

Downs falls to 18

Draft Selections
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (MIN)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 56 RND: 2 (MIN)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Keionte Scott Head Shot
PICK: 82 RND: 3 (MIN)
Keionte Scott
CB Miami
Nicholas Singleton Head Shot
PICK: 88 RND: 3 (MIN)
Nicholas Singleton
RB Penn State
Whit Weeks Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (MIN)
Whit Weeks
LB LSU
Eric Rivers Head Shot
PICK: 161 RND: 5 (MIN)
Eric Rivers
WR Georgia Tech
Monroe Mills Head Shot
PICK: 196 RND: 6 (MIN)
Monroe Mills
OT Virginia
James Smith Head Shot
PICK: 234 RND: 7 (MIN)
James Smith
DL Alabama
Shamar Easter Head Shot
PICK: 244 RND: 7 (MIN)
Shamar Easter
TE North Carolina
Draft Picks Received
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 56 RND: 2 (BUF)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Nicholas Singleton Head Shot
PICK: 88 RND: 3 (BUF)
Nicholas Singleton
RB Penn State
Draft Picks Traded
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (BUF)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Players Gained
Head Shot
Ray Davis
RB
Draft Grade — Vikings
Overall B
ValueB+ NeedB+ TradesA- FutureB-
The Vikings checked most of the boxes and earned a B.

You can draft well and still miss the point. The Vikings did plenty of tidy work and somehow never got around to quarterback, which was the need that mattered most. They moved the roster forward and banked a B for it.

The Downs steal is the beam this whole class leans on. If Smith pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about.

Safety is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the quarterback spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Caleb Downs
They let Caleb Downs come to them and pounced at the 18th overall pick. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick56 Rnd2 Jake Slaughter
A quiet steal in No. 56: Jake Slaughter for less than the market said. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick82 Rnd3 Keionte Scott
A slide stopped in Round 3, Pick 18, with Keionte Scott worth more than the price. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick88 Rnd3 Nicholas Singleton
Nicholas Singleton at pick 88 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick97 Rnd3 Whit Weeks
They paid sticker price for Whit Weeks in the 97th pick, and that is fine. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick161 Rnd5 Eric Rivers
Nice patience on Eric Rivers, who had no business lasting to pick No. 161. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick196 Rnd6 Monroe Mills
Monroe Mills in the Round 6 slot is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick234 Rnd7 James Smith
They paid a round early for James Smith in slot 234, more than the board wanted. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick244 Rnd7 Shamar Easter
By-the-book stuff, Shamar Easter at the 244th pick squarely in line with his ranking. The roster fit checks out.