The latest round of mock drafts — 20 collected from various draft media personalities around the web — seem dead set on giving the Minnesota Vikings an offensive tackle.
Minnesota does need offensive line help, and the pressure they allowed this season was masked by quarterback Case Keenum’s ability to escape oncoming defenders and get rid of the ball.
Nevertheless, it does seem odd that the Vikings would draft an offensive tackle shortly after signing two in free agency for a decent amount of money. Most of the analyses around the web do acknowledge the acquisition of both Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers, but project Remmers to play inside like he did at the end of the year to take over for the injury of Nick Easton.
Either way, it provides the Vikings with an upgrade at a critical position.
The next most common position mocked, naturally, is guard. Even with Remmers potentially on the inside, the Vikings not only have to deal with the upcoming retirement of Joe Berger, but they should seriously consider providing competition to Easton.
That means, even if Remmers fills one guard position, they have to add another guard to fill the other spot.
Seventy-five percent of the gathered mock drafts selected an offensive lineman for the Vikings, which means that a few draft analysts felt that Minnesota could have improved elsewhere, with a good chunk selecting players on the other side of the line.
Some of that has to do with the fact that Tom Johnson, turning 34 later this year, might not be with the Vikings or the NFL for very long. Despite a career year, he’s an unrestricted free agent who could retire soon — and upgrading at defensive tackle next to Linval Joseph could be enormous for an already stacked defense.
But one analyst — Daniel Jeremiah at the NFL Network — decided to give the Vikings a defensive end, which seems a bit odd.
There were also two defensive backs chosen. One was a safety and the other a cornerback, both positions that could use competition but don’t seem to be clear priorities. The breakdowns are below:
| Player | Position | School | Count | Percentage |
| Mike McGlinchey | OT | Notre Dame | 4 | 20% |
| Kolton Miller | OT | UCLA | 4 | 20% |
| Billy Price | OG | Ohio State | 3 | 15% |
| Will Hernandez | OG | UTEP | 2 | 10% |
| Connor Williams | OT | Texas | 1 | 5.0% |
| Isaiah Oliver | CB | Buffalo | 1 | 5.0% |
| Arden Key | DE | LSU | 1 | 5.0% |
| Da’Ron Payne | DT | Alabama | 1 | 5.0% |
| Derwin James | S | Florida State | 1 | 5.0% |
| Taven Bryan | DT | Florida State | 1 | 5.0% |
| Tyrell Crosby | OT | Oregon | 1 | 5.0% |
| Position | Count | Percentage |
| Offensive Tackle | 10 | 50% |
| Offensive Guard | 5 | 25% |
| Defensive Tackle | 2 | 10% |
| Cornerback | 1 | 5.0% |
| Defensive End | 1 | 5.0% |
| Safety | 1 | 5.0% |
| Mock | Player | Position | School |
| Todd McShay – ESPN | Mike McGlinchey | OT | Notre Dame |
| Mel Kiper – ESPN | Connor Williams | OT | Texas |
| Will Brinson – CBS | Kolton Miller | OT | UCLA |
| Chris Trapasso – CBS | Kolton Miller | OT | UCLA |
| Walter Cherepinsky – Walter Football | Isaiah Oliver | CB | Buffalo |
| RJ White – CBS | Billy Price | OG | Ohio State |
| Daniel Jeremiah – NFL | Arden Key | DE | LSU |
| Bucky Brooks – NFL | Da’Ron Payne | DT | Alabama |
| Charley Casserly – NFL | Derwin James | S | Florida State |
| Lance Zeirlein – NFL | Mike McGlinchey | OT | Notre Dame |
| Chad Reuter – NFL | Kolton Miller | OT | UCLA |
| Josh Norris – NBC | Will Hernandez | OG | UTEP |
| Luke Easterling – Draft Wire | Billy Price | OG | Ohio State |
| Dan Kadar – SB Nation | Billy Price | OG | Ohio State |
| Matt Miller – Bleacher Report | Kolton Miller | OT | UCLA |
| Dane Brugler – NFLDS | Taven Bryan | DT | Florida State |
| Rob Rang – NFLDS | Mike McGlinchey | OT | Notre Dame |
| Nate Davis – USA Today | Mike McGlinchey | OT | Notre Dame |
| Josh Edwards – 247 | Will Hernandez | OG | UTEP |
| Steve Palazzolo – PFF | Tyrell Crosby | OT | Oregon |
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