Vikings select DL Mazi Smith in latest 2023 NFL mock draft

One of the underrated positional needs that the Vikings have is defensive line

The front seven of the Minnesota Vikings has more questions on the defense than the secondary does. The interior defensive line is going to have two starters that need replacing and it’s not a guarantee that Za’Darius Smith is back next season.

That’s exactly what Yahoo! Sports’ Charles McDonald had in mind when he wrote his mock draft, as he sent the Vikings Michigan defensive lineman Mazi Smith.

Here is what McDonald had to say about Smith.

“Mazi Smith might not be in many first-round mocks right now, but he’s a supreme athlete for his size and should fly up boards following the NFL combine. Smith made Bruce Feldman’s freak list prior to the season and looks to be the next freak athlete Michigan puts into the NFL from their defensive line.”

Smith didn’t just make Feldman’s freak list before the season, he was at the top of the list. The one thing that raises a cause for concern was an arrest on a weapons charge this October. He will have to answer questions about it, but it doesn’t sound like a huge deal.

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