The Vikings off-season while approaching the NFL Draft has been fairly busy. At the end of the 2016-2017 season, the main needs for the team were on the offensive line and at\u00a0running back.<\/p>\n
After the departures of former first-round pick\u00a0Matt\u00a0Kalil<\/strong>\u00a0and the face of the franchise in Adrian Peterson<\/strong>, these needs were all the more prominent. The Vikings also said goodbye to longtime defensive stud Chad Greenway<\/strong> as he retired after a great career.<\/p>\n Management has done a solid job filling some of the obvious holes on the team. With the signing of Pro Bowler Latavius Murray<\/strong>, the Vikings may have solved their problem at\u00a0running back. The signings of Reilly\u00a0Reiff<\/strong>\u00a0and Mike\u00a0Remmers<\/strong>\u00a0helped to possibly solidify the offensive tackle positions. With\u00a0Shariff\u00a0Floyd<\/strong>‘s future in doubt due to an injury recently discovered, The Vikings also signed\u00a0Datone\u00a0Jones<\/strong>, formerly of the Packers.\u00a0Various other signings have helped to fill in some areas of need on the depth chart such as tight end Nick\u00a0Truesdell<\/strong>\u00a0to replace Rhett Ellison<\/strong>, who left for the New York Giants.<\/p>\n Seeing as the flow of NFL Free Agent signings has slowed to a trickle, where are the Vikings likely to look in the draft with their first few picks?<\/p>\n After the trade with Philadelphia for Sam\u00a0Bradford<\/strong>\u00a0prior to last season, the Vikings no longer have a first round pick. I talked\u00a0briefly with Minnesota Vikings insider Mike\u00a0Wobschall on Twitter, and he said that the team is\u00a0not\u00a0likely to trade into the first round at this point.\u00a0While\u00a0nothing is set in stone as\u00a0Rick Spielman<\/strong> has a tendency\u00a0to make trades on draft day, here are the current Vikings picks per round:<\/p>\n With the roster standing where it is currently, I believe that the Vikings will likely do one of three\u00a0things with their pick at No.48. The Vikings will take Malik McDowell<\/strong> from Michigan State\u00a0if he is available. They need another defensive tackle without clarity on\u00a0Shariff\u00a0Floyd and his future. McDowell has a lot of potential, but\u00a0very well may not fall to the Vikings.<\/p>\n If McDowell\u00a0is not an option and\u00a0Curtis Samuel<\/strong> from Ohio State is still available, he is as good as gone. He has\u00a0the ability to play both\u00a0running back\u00a0and\u00a0receiver, both positions of need for the team. After losing the dynamic Cordarrelle Patterson<\/strong>, he could be a great fit.\u00a0If neither he or McDowell is there, the Vikings go with the best available interior offensive lineman.<\/p>\n With the first of two third round selections, the Vikings will likely target a\u00a0running back. If no back is taken with the 48th\u00a0overall pick, expect the Vikings to look at either Joe\u00a0Mixon<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0from Oklahoma or Alvin Kamara<\/strong><\/a> from\u00a0Tennesee.\u00a0Depending\u00a0on their availability, either could be a steal at No.79 in the draft.<\/p>\n At the 86th\u00a0overall pick, I\u00a0expect the Vikings to look into a wide\u00a0receiver or interior offensive lineman\u00a0depending on the prior selections. If\u00a0they look to\u00a0a receiver, Chris Godwin<\/strong> from Penn State or\u00a0JuJu\u00a0Smith-Schuster<\/strong><\/a> from USC\u00a0are likely options. Both players present good-to-great value for a third round selection.<\/p>\n In rounds four or five, I\u00a0expect the Vikings to look at a linebacker with at least one pick. Adding a player\u00a0to compete with\u00a0Kentrell\u00a0Brothers<\/strong> and Emmanuel\u00a0Lamur<\/strong>\u00a0for Chad Greenway’s former position could be the move they choose. Assuming they look towards a linebacker at pick 121, they may\u00a0look at Elijah Lee<\/strong> from Kansas State. If they look deeper in the draft to address the position, I expect the team to look at Ben\u00a0Boulware<\/strong>\u00a0out of Clemson.<\/p>\n The Vikings will be sure to\u00a0add depth to the offensive line after injuries ravaged the unit last year. Look for more than one of the late round picks to be used on offensive line prospects.<\/p>\n A draft pick also will likely go towards the services of a safety. A safety with good coverage skills will complement the bruising\u00a0Pro Bowler\u00a0Harrison Smith<\/strong> in the secondary. Addressing this position earlier in the draft may end up being the priority if the right prospect is available.<\/p>\nHow the Off-Season Has Altered the Minnesota Vikings Draft Needs<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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