Category: Mock Drafts

ESPN’s Jordan Reid gives Vikings two new leaders in final mock draft

Its been highly debated what type of draft the Vikings are shaping up to have, ESPN’s Jordan Reid gives his final predictions for the team.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid has a strong connection to Minnesota and a unique understanding of how this franchise operates. When he speaks about the Minnesota Vikings, everyone should listen.

We listened, and we loved the final selections he made for the team in the first round of his final mock draft.

In his final mock draft, he has the Vikings trading up for a quarterback, but not to the usual spot we see. He has Kwesi Adofo-Mensah taking advantage of a slide coming for J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings General Manager trades up with the Atlanta Falcons to get to the 8th overall selection and only had to send them their 11th and a package of other picks.

They keep their 23rd overall pick but only from being included in the trade-up with the Falcons. Reid then has the Vikings trading back from 23 to 27 while picking up some day-two draft capital, to which they currently have none. The fallback not only gets them extra draft capital but also allows them to get one of the best defenders in the draft, Jer’Zhan Newton.

The Illinois defensive lineman is a bulldozer of a player and plays an old-school style of football that Vikings fans will appreciate. The franchise has a rich history of mauling defensive linemen, Newton will be the next installment.

If the team can land J.J. McCarthy and Jer’Zhan Newton while adding some day-two draft capital, consider it a home run. This is the new dream scenario if you are the Vikings or fans of the team. Time will only tell if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can pull it off.

The Draft Network’s latest mock has the Browns going in different direction

Could the Browns draft another cornerback high?

The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler has released his latest mock draft, and it has the Browns taking another defensive back high at pick 54. It doesn’t seem like that is near the top of the priority list, but we thought the same thing a couple of years ago when the team drafted Martin Emerson Jr, so it isn’t out of the question completely.

Fowler has the Browns taking Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson at pick 54 to kick off their draft. Jackson has good size and length: 6 foot-4, 194 pounds, with nearly 33-inch arms. He’s a great athlete at the position with a high football IQ and really excels in man coverage, which is something the Browns ask their corners to do often.

Jackson has no problem getting physical with receivers and possesses nice ball skills and a high football IQ. Personally, I could see the Browns adding a corner in the draft, but I don’t think it’s likely they will with their top pick.

Peter Schrager has Vikings staying put in latest mock draft

Peter Schrager of NFL Media dropped the first of two mock drafts that he does each cycle and the Vikings selections are interesting.

Mock drafts come at a dime a dozen anymore, but sometimes special ones drop. On Tuesday, Peter Schrager of NFL Media dropped the first of two mock drafts that he does each cycle. One comes the week before the draft, and the other comes the week before.

In his mock draft, the plugged-in Schrager gave the Vikings a pairing we haven’t seen often with their two first-round picks. Yes, they kept both their first-round picks, which means they did not land one of the top quarterbacks.

What he did for them, though, was fix, or at least address, two areas of need.

He has them selecting Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the 11th overall pick in the draft. The Crimson Tide alum plays a physical style and does very well in both man and zone coverage. Nick Saban is known for coaching up and having smart defensive backs, which best describes Arnold.

The second pick of the first round for the Vikings comes at 23rd overall and he has them taking a quarterback to compete alongside Sam Darnold. Schrager rolls with the Heisman Trophy finalist Bo Nix out of Oregon. Nix has some interesting traits and is a player that has evaluators torn. His coming to Minnesota with the weapons and staff they have helped, but the long-term potential of being the solution is questionable.

Vikings fans should be excited about the Arnold pick but they need to be prepared for a letdown selection at quarterback if they miss out on trading up for one of the top talents.

Mock draft watch: Interesting 3-round projections for the Lions from ESPN

The first-rounder is a popular projection, while the second and third round selections defy conventional wisdom

The latest mock draft from longtime ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. is an interesting one for the Detroit Lions. The three-round projections feature Kiper and fellow analyst Field Yates alternating picks across the rounds, with Kiper handling the odd-numbered picks and Yates handling the even ones.

With the Lions holding picks No. 29, 61 and 73, that means Kiper made all three projections for Detroit.

First round: Darius Robinson, DL, Missouri. This is becoming a popular projection for the Lions’ top pick, and his positional versatility to play either DE or DT aligns with how the Lions have built the defense. Kiper notes that in his explanation,

He is a bit of a tweener, and he might be better as a 3-technique tackle. He could play some snaps at end in Detroit.

Among the typical Lions candidates passed on here to select Robinson:

Kool-Aid McKinstry

Jackson Powers-Johnson

Johnny Newton

Ennis Rakestraw

In the second round, Kiper hits the Detroit secondary with Georgia safety Javon Bullard. Kiper notes that Bullard is his top-ranked safety and is quite bullish on the idea of pairing him with Brian Branch in the secondary. Good pick, one that Lions fans should probably like more than what the initial reaction of drafting a safety instead of a cornerback would likely garner.

The third-rounder is a bit of a headscratcher. Pittsburgh WR Bub Means is a decent enough prospect, but this is several rounds higher than Means typically projects. He’s No. 237 on the NFL Mock Draft Database, which averages the draft slot across a multitude of contemporary mocks. Kiper also notes how good Means was on contested catches, but that ignores the fact Lions QB Jared Goff tends to not attempt those sorts of throws.

 

 

ESPN has Browns taking first RB off the board in new 2024 NFL mock draft

Even after adding D’Onta Foreman, ESPN believes the Browns could take a running back in the second round in a new 2024 NFL mock draft.

We are now less than a month away from the 2024 NFL draft, which means the uptick of 2024 NFL mock drafts has taken an increase. And in a new mock draft by ESPN’s Field Yates, he has the Cleveland Browns selecting running back Trey Benson with their second round pick.

This is the first running back off of the board in this mock, despite the signing of D’Onta Foreman this offseason in Cleveland. While the injury to Nick Chubb and his recovery is a concern, using the 54th overall pick on a running back is an unlikely scenario for the Browns.

Here is what Yates had to say on the selection of Benson in his newest mock draft:

“Our first running back! Benson would have a chance for a massive role from jump street in Cleveland, as Nick Chubb’s availability is unclear (leg injury) for the start of the 2024 regular season, and Jerome Ford was solid but not spectacular filling in. Benson has excellent speed (4.39), is a forced missed tackle waiting to happen and shows very good pass-game traits.”

Before the signing of Foreman, this seemed like a likely option. However, Foreman has been one of the more analytically efficient running backs in the NFL on a limited number of carries. As Chubb continues to recover from his lower body injury from a year ago, it is far more likely for the Browns to platoon Foreman and Ford.

Vikings trade up in latest ESPN mock draft

Field Yates of ESPN dropped his latest mock draft on Wednesday and once again the Vikings traded up for a quarterback.

Field Yates of ESPN dropped his latest mock draft on Wednesday and once again the Vikings traded up for a quarterback. Compared to most scenarios, Yates had them trading up with the Los Angeles Chargers. Jim Harbaugh has talked about having a complete football team and trading back is the easiest way to accomplish that.

The package of course was for the Chargers fifth overall pick but the Vikings had to surrender their 11th and 23rd overall picks as well as their 2025 first round pick. The selection would end up being J.J. McCarthy, who has become a popular pick for them. McCarthy would be going into a loaded offense with a great coaching staff and skill players to get the most out of him.

However, is that package an ideal scenario for the Vikings? I would argue no.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has shown he can be a mixed bag with his draft picks. Yes, the 2022 draft class was one he had just two months to investigate as the Vikings general manager but that shouldn’t be an excuse. The 2023 class has a hit at the top seemingly with Jordan Addison but the rest of the class still has a ways to go.

Is trading away the one pick you have been hitting on a good move? If McCarthy is a hit then that is the ultimate medkit to fix any negative news. That is a major gamble though for a general manager that may not be able to afford losing those crucial picks.

Vikings trade up (yet again) for their franchise quarterback in mock draft

The Minnesota Vikings trade up, once again, for a chance at a franchise quarterback in the latest mock draft from NFL.com’s Eric Edholm

NFL.com’s Eric Edholm released his mock draft 2.0 as we are only a month away from the start of the 2024 NFL draft. The large amount of talent in this draft, especially in the first round, makes it difficult for analysts not to project some trades throughout their mocks.

Edholm is no different.

In his most recent mock, he projected several trades in the first round, including one in the top five. The Minnesota Vikings jump from No. 11 to No. 4 to take North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

Adding a second first-rounder via trade was key for the Vikings, providing Minnesota with the currency to entice an Arizona team that is very much open for business, given that Monti Ossenfort and Co. have several needs to fill. The Vikes can still upgrade the offensive line, defense and wide receiver later in the draft, but in Round 1, they pounce on Maye, who might have the most upside of the entire QB bunch.

The NFL’s worst-kept secret is that the Vikings have been looking to move up in this draft to snag one of the top quarterbacks, speculation that only grew with their acquisition of the No. 23 pick from the Houston Texans.

The question becomes whether a team will look at Minnesota’s offer and not resist the opportunity to add up to three first-round picks, including two in this loaded draft.

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Daniel Jeremiah has the Vikings trading up for their QB

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has the Minnesota Vikings trade up for a quarterback and select J.J. McCarthy at fourth overall.

The Minnesota Vikings are going to be trading up a lot in mock drafts over the next five weeks. This number was bound to spike up after they acquired the 23rd overall pick from the Houston Texans.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah got the memo and provided some chaos in his latest mock draft. He had the Vikings trading up for the fourth overall pick with the Houston Texans to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Now the fun really begins. After their recent trade with the Texans, it seems the Vikings are situated to aggressively move up to draft Kirk Cousins’ replacement. The Cardinals trade down, bypassing a chance to pick the first receiver off the board, but they address the position later in Round 1 (SEE: Pick No. 23).

This will likely be the most popular selection over the next five weeks because of what head coach Kevin O’Connell values in his quarterbacks. He also is filled with upside due to how Michigan used him while in college.

Is he the right option for the Vikings? That remains to be seen, but it’s not out of the question.

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The Godfather sends the Vikings their franchise QB without trading up

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the Minnesota Vikings taking Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy without having to trade up in the NFL Draft.

The Minnesota Vikings are hot on the trail of a quarterback of the future. After acquiring 23 overall from the Houston Texans, that idea has picked up even more steam.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. released his third mock draft of the 2024 draft cycle with the Vikings getting their quarterback of the future in Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. Here’s the catch: they didn’t have to trade up for him.

The Vikings are now the most interesting team in this draft. They just acquired another first-round pick in a deal with the Texans (No. 23), giving them the capital to move up and take a quarterback if they got the opportunity. But how far could they move up? Remember, it takes two sides to make a trade. Would the Giants want to risk missing out on one of the top receivers? Would the Titans want to risk missing out on their preferred tackle? Would the Falcons or Bears want to risk not getting the edge rusher they like? There’s not an easy match, unless Minnesota is willing to give up a lot of future picks, which is certainly possible.

In this scenario, the Vikings could land their quarterback of the future anyway. With Kirk Cousins gone and Sam Darnold added on a one-year deal, it’s clear they have to add competition. All sides point to that competition coming from a rookie. McCarthy is the No. 21 prospect on my Big Board, but I can see why some teams would covet him much higher. He has intriguing physical traits and can make every throw. Either way, if Minnesota really wants to try to move up in Round 1 for a quarterback, I could see it waiting until draft day to see how the board shakes out.

There is a real chance that the Vikings could end up with McCarthy and not trade up but it’s not a risk that is worth taking.

Kiper follows it up at 23 by focusing on the secondary with Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean.

We’re back around to the Vikings, who acquired this pick in a deal with the Texans last week. I gave them a Kirk Cousins replacement at No. 11, and if they’re keeping this selection, they have to address a secondary which ranked 28th in passing yards allowed to receivers (3,019) last season. I like the front-seven additions of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, but Minnesota hasn’t made moves at cornerback.

I’m a huge fan of DeJean, who’s still recovering from a broken leg suffered in November. He’s a ball hawk — he had seven interceptions over his final 23 college games — with excellent technique. He also isn’t afraid of sticking his head in and making a tackle.

Taking a cornerback makes a lot of sense but DeJean doesn’t seem to be a great fit. He isn’t primarily a man coverage cornerback and might end up being best as a safety.

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Vikings get QB of the future without trading up in Draft Wire mock

The Minnesota Vikings get their quarterback of the future in J.J. McCarthy without having to trade up in the latest Draft Wire mock draft

The Minnesota Vikings made a trade this week with the Houston Texans to get the 23rd overall pick, presumably to move up for a quarterback. In the latest mock draft from Curt Popejoy of Draft Wire, they get that quarterback without having to move up.

Popejoy has the Vikings staying at 11th overall and taking Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

After losing Kirk Cousins to the Falcons, quarterback becomes the team’s top priority and J.J. McCarthy is a mature, productive quarterback with all the intangibles.

McCarthy has been a very popular pick for the Vikings. He isn’t just popular, but is the most popular pick with 43 total selections in the first 10 weeks. Second through fourth place are edge rushers.

It would be a really interesting pick for the Vikings to take McCarthy. Despite not having the same type of production or in-game experience throwing the football, McCarthy has flashed brilliance in many areas that translate to the National Football League, especially on third down.

Will he have to sit to get to his potential? That remains to be seen, but the potential is there.

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