In somewhat of a surprise, Pro Football Network’s Cam Mellor is going against the grain with his selection for the Minnesota Vikings and sending them some help in the secondary rather than at quarterback. In his latest mock draft, Mellor has the Vikings selecting former Iowa Hawkeyes cornerback Cooper DeJean with the 11th pick.
Here’s what Mellor has to say about the selection:
Iowa cornerbacks are always going to be pro-ready, and that’s just what Cooper DeJean presents for the Minnesota Vikings. A late-season injury forced him out of the Big Ten Championship, but DeJean should be ready to go by minicamp.
He’s a speedster on the outside with plenty of length and burst. DeJean comes fully equipped with elite ball skills and a special teams ability that rivals everyone in this class.
DeJean is an interesting pick for the Vikings here, especially with how the board fell in this scenario. While the Vikings could certainly benefit from help in their secondary, conventional wisdom would say that quarterback is the more pressing need — especially if Kirk Cousins isn’t going to be back healthy next season.
Mellor continued on after the first round and projected the entirety of the 2024 NFL Draft. Here’s who he tabbed for the Vikings in rounds 2 through 7: