PurplePTSD: The Mocks Suggest The Draft Could Be Madness, Which Is A Good Thing For The Vikings

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

K. Joudry

2022-02-27

The Vikings ought to be hoping for madness at the top of the draft. If it occurs, the team will be in an advantageous position.

Vikings.com brings together some of the more recent mock drafts. A quick look at the various examples underscores an important truth about the upcoming draft: no one really knows what will happen. A few years back, picking Garrett Bradbury seemed like a slam dunk. Even last year, it looked like Christian Darrisaw always made sense. Very few would have accurately predicted the trade down, and yet the player himself was commonly sent in Minnesota’s direction in the mocks.

This year, no such (near) consensus has emerged. David Ojabo, Derek Stingley Jr., Trent McDuffie, and George Karlaftis are all seen as legit options. Previously, prophets and prognosticators have suggested Ahmad Gardner, Tyler Linderbaum, and Kaiir Elam. Some have even tossed a QB toward the Vikings, a move that could be filed under the “madness” category of a draft insofar as it would indeed be very surprising.

There is a ton of time between the draft and the present day. A lot will change. Free agency may impact things, as will the other roster decisions that get made. As much as teams try to deny it, everyone picks for need to a certain extent. In an ideal world, choosing the best player available while also filling a need will occur at the same time with the same pick.

I’m pretty firmly in the pro-edge-rusher category. Adding players who can get after the QB (and shut down the run, for that matter) may be the team’s most pressing need. If Karlaftis is there, the team ought to be very interested.

In a draft that ought to be very unpredictable, it’s very plausible that the Vikings land a player they thought was a top-10 talent. Furthermore, we ought not discount the idea of the team moving up in the draft (though it is unlikey). Again, if madness occurs up top, high-end players will get pushed down. Perhaps the team would be willing to move future picks in order to jump up to snag their man.

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.