2022 Minnesota Vikings NFL Team Mock Draft Breakdown

Back again to break down my NFL Mock Draft 5.0, this time from a team-by-team viewpoint. After Mock Draft 4.0 came out in March, I started this series with the Jets, Giants, Lions, Eagles, Jaguars, Dolphins, Bills, and Patriots. Now with just 23 days left until the NFL Draft – I am on a quest to rip through the final 20 teams. Today features the Minnesota Vikings. If you want to see your favorite team next, go to Twitter @CarpentierNFL and leave me a comment on what team you want to see broken down next. Below you will find an explanation for each mock draft selection made for the Minnesota Vikings, thanks for tagging along.

Minnesota Vikings

No. 12 – Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE – Oregon

I can’t express how much it hurts me to see the top prospect on my Top 300 Big Board drop to Pick No. 12. From Nick Fairley to Warren Sapp and Laremy Tunsil, sometimes guys fall for a number of reasons. The 11-15 range is where they land. Here comes the value of the draft. Minnesota doesn’t need EDGE as bad as they did a month ago, but you can’t pass up on this talent. We have heard whispers of Danielle Hunter being on the trade block in Minnesota. If a team jumps at that opportunity on draft night and Thibodeaux falls, the Vikings would be in a slam dunk situation. The Vikings also have D.J. Wonnum and Za’Darius Smith coming off of the edge.

Kayvon Thibodeaux was the No. 1 prospect in the 2019 recruiting class. He finished with 19 sacks and 35.5 tackles for loss over the last three seasons. A lot of questions have been placed on his lack of effort on plays that go away from him, or putting forth one hundred percent energy on every down like other players in this class in Aidan Hutchinson and Travon Walker. But being the most talented isn’t a question.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuO93BALXZs&t=42s

No. 46 – Daxton Hill, S – Michigan

Another top prospect from the 2019 recruiting class, this time from Michigan. Daxton Hill is a burner, eclipsing 4.40 in the 40-yard dash and finishing with a 97th-percentile Agility Score. Hill finished with 149 tackles, and 15 pass breakups over the last three seasons. The Vikings lost Xavier Woods at safety, who played 17 games next to Harrison Smith in 2021. Woods was let go this spring and signed with Carolina. With the versatility that he brings, playing anywhere from free safety to nickel corner (where Minnesota has struggled the last few seasons), Hill has the ability to cover big tight ends in-line. But his lack of strength and true size throughout does hinder him.

Daxton Hill Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile

No. 77 – Zyon McCollum, CB – Sam Houston State

In Round 3, the best cornerback in the FCS comes off the board. Zyon McCollum from Sam Houston State entered college at 6-0 and 170-pounds before hitting a growth spurt at Sam Houston. Now 6-2 and 199-pounds, he ran a crisp 4.33 (98th-percentile) 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine last month. But he wasn’t done with just the 40. He finished with a 91st-percentile Burst Score and 100th-percentile Agility Score. The Vikings cornerback room has struggled to regain its MOJO since 2018 when Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes had wide receivers taking detours all around the city of Minneapolis. Since 2018, the Vikings have drafted six cornerbacks. Mike Hughes, and Jeff Gladney were both first-round picks and neither are on the roster. Patrick Peterson resigned just last week. And third-year third-rounder Cameron Dantzler looks to lead them on the outside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQRdzlospRk&t=2s