2018 Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft Database, v3.0

After what can be classed as a relatively exciting week in free agency for the Minnesota Vikings and their fans, it’s time to take a quick look at the 2018 NFL Draft, and specifically the latest version of our Mock Draft Database. We have increased our total to 60 mocks for this time around, and while these mocks really don’t reflect the effects of free agency, I’m sure we’ll see a shift in things going forward.

Let’s not delay in getting you our full listing of this week’s mocks before we break everything down. Here they are!

As you can see, the offensive line continues to dominate our Database, as you’d expect. Given the Vikings’ signing of Sheldon Richardson in free agency, I might expect things to shift even further in that direction as we move along here. Not that Richardson’s signing should preclude the Vikings from drafting along the defensive line, and specifically on the interior, but it makes defensive tackle a slightly less pressing need at this point.

In any case, out of the 60 selections in this week’s Database, the offensive line has well over half the doughnut, as they pick up 37 selections overall this week (61.7%). We also have a new overall leader this week, as Ohio State center/guard Billy Price now has the most selections. Price’s name appears nine times this week (15%), giving him the lead over last week’s leader, Texas-El Paso guard Will Hernandez. Hernandez picked up seven selections this week (11.7%). Notre Dame offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey holds on to the third overall spot with six selections (10%).

Texas offensive tackle Connor Williams and UCLA offensive tackle Kolton Miller were each mocked to the Vikings four times this week (6.7% each). Williams actually saw his total number of picks this week decrease from the five he was at in last week’s Database, while Miller doubled up, going from two selections last week to four this week. Oklahoma offensive tackle Orlando Brown and Ohio State guard Jamarco Jones each had two selections this week (3.3% each), while Georgia guard Isaiah Wynn, Iowa center James Daniels, and Louisville tackle Geron Christian each held steady with one pick each (1.7% each).

The defensive linemen actually got themselves into double digits in selections this week, as 11 of our the 60 mocks in this week’s Database (18.3%) tab the Vikings to take a defensive lineman. Florida defensive tackle Taven Bryan snagged the lead among the players at those positions this week, as he has four selections in this week’s Database (6.7%). That broke the tie that he was in with Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, who held steady with his two selections this week (3.3%). Alabama defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne also appeared twice in this week’s Database (3.3%).

Louisiana State defensive end Arden Key held steady this week with one selection (1.7%), and we have two newcomers in this week’s Database in the defensive line group. Vita Vea, the massive defensive tackle from Washington, appears once in this week’s Database (1.7%), while North Carolina State defensive tackle B.J. Hill makes his first appearance at #30 as well (1.7%).

Defensive backs continue to hold on to third place, appearing eight times in this week’s Database (13.3%) This week the position is led by Central Florida cornerback Mike Hughes. Hughes appears three times this week (5%), which puts him just ahead of Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander, who was selected twice (3.3%). Three other defensive backs split the remaining three selections, as Auburn cornerback Carlton Davis, Iowa cornerback Joshua Jackson, and Florida State safety Derwin James each appear once (1.7%).

The remaining four selections this week were split amongst offensive skill position players. Clemson wide receiver Deon Cain held steady with one selection (1.7%), and this week he’s joined by another pass catcher, as South Dakota State tight end Dallas Goedert appears in our Database for the first time this week (1.7%). Louisiana State running back Derrius Guice holds steady with his one selection as well (1.7%).

The last selection in this week’s Database went to a quarterback, and it once again came from the folks at DraftTek. They are no longer mocking Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson to the Vikings at #30 overall. Instead, they’ve gone with an even less realistic selection, as they have the Vikings selecting Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield with their first round pick. I don’t think Mayfield makes it out of the top six of this year’s draft, but hey. . .it’s not my mock. In any case, Mayfield joins the list of 29 players that have appeared at the #30 overall pick in the four weeks since we started this year’s Database.

So, let’s move on to the graphics for this week, starting with the doughnut graph that breaks down the selections for this week only. You should be able to embiggen this if you would like.

As you can see, there’s a significant amount of purple on this week’s doughnut. Not a bad thing, but as I said in the open, I would expect that percentage to increase over the next week or two as free agency starts getting factored into the various mocks across the internet.

Lastly, we have this week’s “Jell-o salad” graph, which gives us the trends throughout all four versions of this year’s Database. You can embiggen this one as well by clicking on it.

This week, unlike last week, all of the players that appear in this week’s Database. . .even the ones that are making their debut this week. . .are represented in the trend graph. I’m not sure what I did differently, but it must have been something, because there they are.

That’s our Mock Draft Database for this week, ladies and gentlemen. We’re only about five weeks away from the 2018 NFL Draft, and as we get closer we’ll continue increasing the number of mocks in our Database until we reach the magic number of 100. Enjoy, everybody!