ESPN’s Jordan Reid released his post-regular season mock draft now that the college football and NFL seasons have concluded. With the 11th pick in this draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton to help shore up the interior of the defensive line.
The Vikings are a prime candidate to take a QB, and I almost made that move here. But there’s a good chance Kirk Cousins will return to Minnesota, giving the Vikings the chance to instead take one of the best defensive players in the draft. Outside of Danielle Hunter — who is a free agent this offseason — Minnesota had a severe lack of talent along its defensive front.
One of my favorite overall prospects in this class regardless of position, Newton is a disruptive 3-technique who finished the season with 42 pressures, 7.5 sacks and an 11.4% defensive pressure rate. And he simply doesn’t come off the field; his 715 snaps ranked seventh among all FBS defensive linemen in 2023. Newton can play from multiple alignments, and he can be included in creative third-down packages because of his versatility and explosiveness as a pass-rusher.
If Cousins does return, the Vikings would be able to go with more of a developmental prospect at quarterback in this draft. That leaves the door open to bolster the talent on the defensive side of the ball. As Reid points out, the talent up front for Minnesota was lacking outside of Hunter, and those that did stand out, such as D.J. Wonnum, are not locked to be in the purple and gold next season.
Newton is a menace along the defensive line. His strong hands, quick feet, and brutal power make him a clear first-round talent and a potential cornerstone for any defense.
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