CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
Zone Coverage has new Vikings content posted daily from its growing staff of writers. Here’s what they’ve produced on the NFL Draft.
NFL DRAFT FIRST-ROUND CHEAT SHEET FOR VIKINGS FANS (BO MITCHELL)
Thus, the fact your Minnesota Vikings have multiple first-round picks for the first time in six years makes this Thursday night’s soiree even more mouth-watering for starved fans. Of course, Vikings fans won’t merely be waiting for their favorite team to be on the clock. Oh no! They should be glued to every pick due to the possible ramifications.
A ROUND-BY-ROUND LOOK AT THE VIKINGS’ HISTORY OF DRAFTING OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (JOHN TUVEY)
Since their inception in 1961, the Minnesota Vikings have spent a total of 104 draft picks on offensive linemen. With the 2020 NFL Draft on the horizon, and offensive line help expected to be on the Vikings’ agenda, it’s worth looking back at how drafting the O-line has panned out.
VIKINGS LOOKING FOR MORE SEVENTH-ROUND LUCK (BO MITCHELL)
Spielman’s affinity for seventh-rounders is not just a cliché. Since 2012 when he took over as general manager and assumed full control of the team’s draft, no longer tethered to the whims of their Triangle of Authority, no NFL team has made more seventh-round picks than the Vikings. Actually, it’s not even close.
CONTINUITY — FOR A CHANGE — ALONG THE VIKINGS’ OFFENSIVE LINE (JOHN TUVEY)
Over the past few seasons, the only consistency associated with the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line has been a consistent need for upgrades. But with Gary Kubiak and his long-time offensive line wingman Rick Dennison helming a unit that returns four of five starters and six backups who have all spent at least a season in purple, there’s reason to believe a corner is being turned up front.
BEST AND WORST-CASE SCENARIOS FOR THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS (NICK OLSON)
instead of trying to predict the unpredictable, this mock draft instead will try and look at how the first three rounds of the draft could go for the Minnesota Vikings to see which scenarios are most likely, and how things might shake out if the Vikings get very lucky — or very unlucky.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS ALL-TIME GREATEST DRAFT STEALS (BO MITCHELL)
Their two first-round picks are obviously valuable, but what will ultimately determine the success of this year’s draft is whether the Minnesota Vikings’ brass is able to unearth impactful players in the latter rounds. With that in mind, it feels timely to take a look back at some of the best draft values in franchise history.
UPGRADING THE VIKINGS OFFENSIVE LINE, DAY 1 (JOHN TUVEY)
UPGRADING THE VIKINGS OFFENSIVE LINE, DAY 2 (JOHN TUVEY)
UPGRADING THE VIKINGS OFFENSIVE LINE, DAY 3 (JOHN TUVEY
Every season since 2013, the offseason outcry has been to upgrade the offensive line — and to the credit of the front office, the Vikings have gamely attempted to comply. With little cap space available to pursue big-ticket free agent help, upgrades to the 2020 version of the Vikings’ offensive line will have to come from the NFL Draft.
WHAT WILL THE VIKINGS BE GETTING WITH A FIRST-ROUND RECEIVER? (CHRIS SCHAD)
By an average of this group of mock drafts, the Vikings will be selecting with four receivers off the board. This means if the Vikings want to select a receiver, they would be looking at the fifth-best available. Looking back at the past 10 seasons, such a strategy has had mixed and often disappointing results.
WIN-NOW MODE? REBUILDING? ASSESSING THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS OFFSEASON STRATEGY (LUKE BRAUN)
Moves in the offseason can be divided into two philosophies: moves aimed at rebuilding a roster, and moves aimed at winning now. Many moves fall into both categories, making that somewhat of a false dichotomy, but the tug of war between short- and long-term prioritization is apparent in the Minnesota Vikings’ offseason moves so far. If we look at the moves the Vikings have made so far, with some speculation we may be able to reverse engineer the strategy that Rick Spielman and the Vikings are applying.
HOW THE 2020 DRAFT COULD TURN INTO 2013 DEJA VU FOR THE VIKINGS (SAM EKSTROM)
Coming off a playoff appearance and a 10-6 regular season, the Minnesota Vikings traded away a disgruntled receiver to net them an extra first-round pick. That description applies not only to the present Vikings circumstance but also seven years prior, leading up to the 2013 draft.
IS ANTOINE WINFIELD JR. AN ALTERNATIVE TO ANTHONY HARRIS? (CHRIS SCHAD)
As the Minnesota Vikings offseason continues to unfold, it feels like the team is doing more to create holes on the roster as opposed to filling them. After seeing a large chunk of their starting defense get released and/or move on to greener pastures, the Vikings may have another hole developing with the contract status of Anthony Harris.
DAY 2 CORNERBACKS THE VIKINGS COULD DRAFT (NIK EDLUND)
After cutting Xavier Rhodes, and losing both Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander in free agency, the team finds themselves very thin at the position. This is an area they are likely to address more than once. The Vikings have three picks on the draft’s second day, and there’s a very high probability that one is used on a cornerback.
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
