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TOP 40 PLAYERS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS NEEDS & TARGETS
POSITIONAL TOP 5 RANKINGS & VIDEO BREAKDOWNS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
INMAN: NFC NORTH WORST CASE DRAFT SCENARIOS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL (PODCASTS, VIDEOS, ARTICLES)
INMAN’S MOCK DRAFT COLLECTION

If you’re looking for an NFL Combine riser, look no further than Noah Fant, who tore up Indianapolis and made a bid to leapfrog teammate T.J. Hockenson in the pecking order. Fant and Hockenson teamed up to form a potent tight end tandem at Iowa. The two coexisted well as Fant earned a greater share of production in 2017, with Hockenson taking the reins in 2018 with a monster season.

Fant’s 4.5 speed makes him a home run threat, and he can operating well from the slot like a modern tight end should. The Omaha product is also a former track athlete and basketball star. Visited the Vikings at their Top 30 event.

Size

6-4, 249 pounds

Combine notables

40-yard dash: 4.5 seconds (1^st at position)
Bench: 20 reps (6^th at position)
Vertical: 39.5 inches (1^st at position)
Broad jump: 127 inches (1^st at position)
3-cone drill: 6.81 seconds (1^st at position)
20-yard shuttle: 4.22 seconds (3^rd at position)
60-yard shuttle: 11.49 seconds (1^st at position)

What the analysts say

“Pass-catching tight end with the length, acceleration and speed to create matchup challenges both short and long. Fant is at his best in open space and on the move as his catch-focus appears to wane when coverage crowds him or he hears footsteps. He needs to get stronger and more competitive at the point of attack to help a run game, but if that never happens, his ability to uncover and hit big plays will still make him a coveted prize for teams ready to add a move tight end as their new matchup toy.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

“For a team in search of that x-factor weapon in the passing game that presents a size-speed mismatch for defenses, they would be well served by investing in Fant. Not only does Fant have exciting acceleration and burst, but his outstanding ball skills and hands make him a dynamic playmaking threat. For a player of his athletic profile, there is technical work needed as a route runner that can be developed to make him even more effective. Additionally, his upside as an in-line blocker is only modest but he does find success on the move hitting blocks.” – Joe Marino, The Draft Network

What PFF says

-7^th in yards per route run
-Bottom-half in drop rate (9.3 percent)
-3^rd in slot yards
-7^th in deep pass receptions

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CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE
ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE

TOP 40 PLAYERS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS NEEDS & TARGETS
POSITIONAL TOP 5 RANKINGS & VIDEO BREAKDOWNS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
INMAN: NFC NORTH WORST CASE DRAFT SCENARIOS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL (PODCASTS, VIDEOS, ARTICLES)
INMAN’S MOCK DRAFT COLLECTION

Sam Ekstrom

Sam Ekstrom is an executive producer and host at Locked On Sports Minnesota. He's previously covered the Vikings for 105 The Ticket, Zone Coverage, Purple Insider, and the Associated Press. He grew up in Vermillion, S.D. rooting for the USD Coyotes (not SDSU) and graduated from Dordt (not "dork") University in Sioux Center, Iowa.

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