It's mid-week, that means it's time to mock draft!
Here is last week's edition.
Now onto the new one
For the tenth time in a row guard Alijah Vera-Tucker was available when Minnesota's pick rolled around. Unlike many of the other times, WR DeVonta Smith was also available while Oklahoma State tackle Tevan Jenkins was on the edge of consideration-range for the first time. As teams near crunch-time it's natural that there would be fluctuation in rankings and a late rise by offensive line would be in Minnesota's favor. At this time last year some were speculating that Cleveland would go in the first round but the Purple got him well into the second. Just considering that I don't know if Jenkins would provide a clearly-superior option to the soon-to-be second-year player.
Selecting Smith would set the team up with a dynamite tandem of receivers for the next decade. That is tantalizing! But this year's group of WRs has been touted as even better than last year's. If that proves true than maybe one of the next rookies will manage to break through as ROY. But for the sake of getting max value out of their only selection until round 3 I still went with AV-T.
The surprises continued at 78 when a pair of new DT were available - from Louisiana Tech, Milton Williams & from Ohio St., Tommy Togiai. One of the pieces that Minnesota has sorely lacked since Kevin Williams retired is a consistent pass-rusher from the interior of the defensive line. Williams has the potential to fill that role while also possessing some of the traits necessary to be effective on the edge. Togiai projects as more of a nose, which the team could use depending on Michael Pierce's health but with all indications still pointing toward him playing this season that would not be the most prudent use of the selection.
Beyond those two, more thought went toward WR & G as well as quarterback since all three of the non-first-round guys were still available. The upside that Williams possesses ultimately separated him from the rest of the potential additions.
And with the short wait until pick 90 a few of the previous considerants were still available. There's more and more steam about Davis Mills being the sixth QB selected. He fits the idea of a low-risk gamble to try and hit on the next Prescott, Wilson, or Cousins but I'm still of the opinion that Kellen Mond has higher upside and I went with the TAMU alum.
When 119 came up the only part of the defense that wasn't among the "best" available was linebacker. CB Israel Mukuamu, South Carolina, & DE Dayo Odeyingbo, Vandy, were both strongly considered. If not for concerns over scheme-fit Notre Dame's Aaron Banks would have jumped both of them but given the quagmire that Jeff Gladney has potentially pulled the team into, Mukuamu got the edge.
East Carolina tackle D'Ante Smith was also considered but with the 125th on the horizon the chance was taken that he would last the gap and so he did. Even if Brian O'Neill & Cleveland lock down the starting tackle jobs depth needs to be improved, drastically! If not for an injury early in 2020 Smith may have been a much earlier pick. Even so he possesses the sort of traits that the Purple have shown they want in their tackles, so his loss could result in long-term gain.
134 may have come with another first-year-depth guy who could step into the role potentially vacated by Anthony Barr next year. That's the ceiling for Dylan Moses but again tracks with the recent history of the organization in their identification of linebackers.
Safety was the other position strongly considered but the calculated risk that options would last was again taken. With four picks in the fourth round Minnesota can practically dictate how it unfolds.
James Wiggins (Cincy), Richard LeCounte III (Georgia), Josh Bledsoe (Missouri) & Caden Sterns (Texas) were all considered. Waiting to see which would last until 157 was considered because of the relative quantity of options but it was deemed better to be safe than sorry and so Sterns got the nod. Any of the four are realistic but I think he has the best chance to slot in alongside Smith next season and possibly be the alpha when the time comes from a changing of the guard. It happened that all three of the others were simulated to other teams during the gap so the choice felt even better.
In the fifth round it was time to re-address cornerback and another player from a tradition & talent rich university was quickly identified. From the Bayou to Lakes Country, Kary Vincent Jr is a possibility to come compete for snaps as the inside corner and also safety.
With the second-to-last pick it was time to swing for another diamond in the rough on the edge. Northern Iowa's Elerson Smith is the latest with the traits that the team has proven to desire in their prospects and may be the latest player to prove the small-school, negative bias.
Which meant that the final pick was up. The aforementioned depth of the receiving class continues to be accurate. A dozen different guys could have been added along the way to push Olabisi and yet it continued to get trumped. Wake Forest's Sage Surratt would be an option to help the offense continue and improve upon last year's output. If I had any of the seventh round picks that Rick will eventually commandeer I would take him and one or more of the other potentially-impactful pass catchers. But to wrap up this exercise I went with South Dakota State standout Cade Johnson because of the special teams versatility that he can offer the team from day one.
10 picks to help them get back to the playoffs and hopefully win more than one game! It's never possible to address every need as well as they may deserve but this lot managed to about as well as any, if I may say so.
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