Each year Minnesota drafts players who can fulfill spots on the team, but this year, it was different for a number of reasons.
Reason one: There were mass departures in free agency. Minnesota lost both starting cornerbacks, a starting defensive tackle and plenty of other key players. Given the Vikings’ lack of cap space, this draft became crucial for adding talent.
Reason two: The Vikings had 15 picks. The team traded wide receiver Stefon Diggs for draft picks, and the team ended up with a record-breaking total for a seven-round NFL Draft.
All that pointed to this draft being an interesting one when Vikings fans look back at the Mike Zimmer-Rick Spielman era. Vikings Wire decided to give out early rewards for this draft class, predicting how the players will do down the road.
Here they are:
Most likely to succeed: Jeff Gladney
Cornerback Jeff Gladney gets the nod for the most likely to find success in Minnesota. He beats out fellow Vikings first-round pick Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson could very well be a strong candidate to find success, but it’s not as much of a given as it is with Gladney. The cornerback enters into a system with depth at corner, and two of the best safeties in the league.
Based on draft history, the team also values the corner position quite a bit, and the Vikings have been good about finding talent at that position in the draft. It’s hard to see Gladney, a physical corner playing in a Zimmer-led defense, not have a decent 2020.