With the NFL Combine taking place in Indianapolis this weekend, the best of the best incoming rookies will have an opportunity to showcase their talents — on and off the field — to all 32 teams. Some teams such as the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers have decided against sending their coaching staffs to take part in the festivities, but those organizations will still be able to conduct interviews with prospects virtually.
Let’s be real: Can you really blame Rams head coach Sean McVay for choosing Cabo over Indiana in early March?
McVay’s former offensive coordinator and current head coach of the Minnesota Vikings Kevin O’Connell is attending the combine, along with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the rest of Minnesota’s brass. And with a roster that has holes on both sides of the ball, the Vikings can go myriad ways with the 12th-overall pick.
Tyler Linderbaum from Iowa could help beef up the interior offensive line.
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner from Cincinnati, Derek Stingley Jr. from LSU (Justin Jefferson‘s teammate in 2019), or Trent McDuffie from Washington would fill an overwhelming need at cornerback.
Should the Vikings decide to reward O’Connell with a shiny new toy for his receiver-laden offensive scheme, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave from Ohio State, Treylon Burks from Arkansas, Jameson Williams from Alabama, or Drake London from USC could provide Minnesota with a long-term No. 2 receiver alongside Jefferson. With Adam Thielen turning 32 next season and having missed 11 games due to injury over the past three seasons, receiver presumably will be addressed sooner rather than later in this year’s draft.
And with O’Connell’s history of utilizing 11-personnel (one running back, one tight end, and three wide receivers) on more occasions than the league average, stemming from his time in Washington and Los Angeles, adding another dynamic threat would provide the offense with advantageous matchups across the board. Ultimately, opposing defensive coordinators can only attempt to take away so many players with double coverage, thus allowing ancillary receivers to win their individual matchups.
And despite this reportedly being one of the weaker quarterback classes in recent memory, Kenny Pickett from Pittsburgh or Malik Willis from Liberty could bring stability at quarterback, regardless of whether or not Kirk Cousins is under center in 2022.
What this draft class lacks in high-end quarterbacks, it certainly makes up for in the number of edge rushers expected to be picked in the first round. Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson and Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux are in contention to be the first-overall pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars, along with Alabama’s left tackle Evan Neal.
And while other edge rushers such as Michigan’s David Ojabo, Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson, and Purdue’s George Karlaftis are intriguing prospects expected to go in the opening round, there’s a particular edge rusher that is quickly ascending draft boards.
Georgia’s Travon Walker is currently slated as the No. 23 player on Pro Football Focus’s big board, but his freakish athletic traits should garner plenty of buzz following his workout on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
For Kirby Smart and Dan Lanning’s national championship Georgia defense, Walker was unleashed all over the field as a tackle, nose, edge, and backer. At 6’5″ and 275 lbs., Walker can best be described as simply “a dude.” And for a Vikings defense that has been without their consummate “dude” in Danielle Hunter for 26 out of the past 33 games, Ed Donatell and Mike Pettine are in desperate need for reinforcements up front.
While there are valid points to be made regarding improving Minnesota’s defense against the pass by adding a cornerback to the secondary, a uniquely talented and versatile edge like Walker can check both boxes by helping the Vikings improve on their No. 26 rushing defense and their No. 28 pass defense. Considering the number of high-level quarterbacks throughout the league — and with Aaron Rodgers in the division (for now) — it’s obviously critical to limit opposing teams’ ability to effectively throw the ball. But as Skoldiers witnessed throughout 2021, if your defense can’t stop the run, opposing offenses won’t be required to throw the ball.
In six games last year, the Vikings’ defense allowed 149-plus rushing yards. In those six games, Minnesota’s opponents averaged 222 passing yards. The Vikings went 0-6 last season when allowing 149 or more rushing yards. Making matters worse, when opposing teams can enforce their will by running the ball down their opponent’s throat, that team is — more often than not — able to control the game by dominating time of possession.
Below is a breakdown of the time of possession from the aforementioned six games.
- Week 1: Vikings – 35:09, Bengals – 34:51 (149 rushing yards allowed)
- Week 4: Vikings – 24:28, Browns – 35:32 (184 rushing yards allowed)
- Week 9: Vikings – 23:40, Ravens – 46:04 (247 rushing yards allowed)
- Week 12: Vikings – 22:53, 49ers – 37:07 (208 rushing yards allowed)
- Week 16: Vikings – 30:00, Rams – 30:00 (159 rushing yards allowed)
- Week 17: Vikings – 21:27, Packers – 38:33 (174 rushing yards allowed)
In total, Minnesota’s opponents held a commanding 222:07 over 157:37 advantage — more than a full game’s worth of clock — in time of possession in those six games.
Circling back on Walker’s versatility as an elite run-stopper, a freakish pass rusher, and someone that can periodically drop in coverage, watch the former five-star (according to 247 Sports) in Georgia’s semi-final playoff game against Michigan. Walker is No. 44 and is lined up as the weak side defensive end in the play below.
Now let’s take a look at Walker’s prowess in getting after quarterbacks. Against Clemson this past season, Walker is lined up inside at the tackle spot. Watch his perfectly executed stunt with the end that allows Walker to get home.
In Walker’s true freshman season from 2019, he’s lined up as the nose against Auburn in the play below. And with another well-executed stunt, Walker gets the sack and helps clinch the SEC East for the ‘Dawgs.
Against Missouri this past season, Walker is lined up in a two-point stance and is isolated against the left guard. Watch him overpower the guard and win with an effective bull rush.
At 6’5″ and 275 lbs., Walker is in a similar mold to Green Bay’s Preston Smith and Rashan Gary — both of whom had overwhelming success in Pettine’s defense with Packers. If Walker shows out during his workout on Saturday at the combine, he might not even be on the board when the Vikings are on the clock with the 12th-overall pick.
While we’re still eight weeks away from the draft, Walker has all the makings of an immediate impact player for a Vikings defense that plans to be multiple with both three- and four-man fronts under Donatell and Pettine. If Walker is still available when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is slatted to make his first selection as GM of the Vikings, the former Georgia Bulldog should be near the top of his big board as a do-it-all menace up front.
