What will the Minnesota Vikings do with the No. 14 pick Thursday night?
MINNEAPOLIS - The NFL Draft starts Thursday night, and the Minnesota Vikings will be on the clock with the No. 14 overall pick.
So what should do the Vikings do with their first round draft choice? Sunday night on Fox 9 Sports Now, Hobie Artigue posed that very question to Vikings’ analysts Ron Johnson and Ben Leber. We also got their overall thoughts on the Vikings heading into the draft, as they currently hold 10 selections.
Last year, the Vikings made a franchise record 15 picks. They used their top draft choice, No. 22 overall, to grab LSU star receiver Justin Jefferson. He went onto set franchise records for catches and receiving yards as a rookie, and finished second in NFL Rookie of the Year voting to Justin Herbert.
So what happens when the Vikings are on the clock Thursday night? Logic suggests they add high-end talent to the offensive line. The names to watch are Rashawn Slater of Northwestern, Alijah Vera-Tucker out of USC and Christian Darrisaw out of Virginia Tech.
Do they look to add a star to the defensive line? If they got that route, the hot name is Michigan edge rusher Kwity Paye.
What do the Vikings do if a top quarterback is still available at No. 14? The consensus top quarterbacks in the draft are Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, Justin Fields and Trey Lance, who happens to be a Marshall, Minn. native. Kirk Cousins has two guaranteed seasons left with the Vikings, so do the Vikings try to find their next franchise quarterback?
The good news is that Vikings have several options for the No. 14 overall pick, so it all depends on how the draft board falls.
Also, former University of Minnesota star receiver Rashod Bateman is likely to be a first-round pick. And for the second straight year, the Gophers will have a secondary player as a high draft pick with Benjamin St.-Juste.
Watch the full video to get Johnson and Leber’s full thoughts on the NFL Draft.