A couple of heavy hitters in the NFL draft world dropped their first mock drafts of the season today. Earlier we got a mock draft from ESPN’s Matt Miller, and now we have one from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. These are two of the more plugged-in sources in the NFL draft world, so these mocks should hold a bit of weight.
There’s a long time between now and April’s NFL draft, but it’s interesting to see what these insiders think the team’s thought processes are at this stage of the offseason. In this mock, Zierlein has the Minnesota Vikings going a popular direction, defense, and adding former Florida State EDGE Jared Verse. Zierlein didn’t have much to say on the pick, saying:
The Vikings have big free agency decisions looming at defensive end. I see the explosive Verse as the best option at a position of need.
That free agent decision he’s referencing is obviously Danielle Hunter, and how that situation plays out is certainly going to have a major impact on the Vikings and their draft plan. However, no matter how that situation plays out, Verse could be a great addition to the Vikings’ defense.
Verse is an ultra-athletic and talented edge rusher who would help tremendously in lessening the blow, should Hunter leave in free agency. If Hunter were to stay, edge rusher becomes less of a priority, but pairing Verse with the Pro Bowl pass rusher Hunter could give the Vikings one of the more dynamic duos in the NFL. It would be a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators either way.
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