Vikings Mock 3.27 - Clueless!

Now that free agency is all but over with maybe a few small signings remaining the attention goes to the draft. The mantra among Vikings fans is the offensive line needs many new faces which should come early in the draft. The draft could unfold in a way that it likely comes to fruition.

I often like to think outside the box though. I do think they need to get one interior lineman or a tackle if they are serious about trying Reiff at guard. They could get both too.

I personally would leave Reiff at left tackle who had a 73.6 grade from PFF last year which was #23 overall. Not too bad. He does turn 31 in December though.

I could see the starting line being Reiff, Collins, Elflein, Kline, and O’Neill very easily.

Collins played extensively last pre-season at left guard in the preseason games. He moved to left tackle and right tackle in those games and almost played the entire game in the first 3 preseason games. That is unusual to say the least. He played half the game in the last preseason game.

If they had someone else who was going to play left guard when the season began they did a really good job hiding him from us because all I remember seeing is Collins out there with the starters. Maybe I don’t understand how it works but I thought they would want to get all 5 starters together for at least a little work in the preseason unless one was injured.

I think Collins could break out this year actually. Thielen was undrafted too and broke out in his 3rd season. The Viking cannot put all their eggs in that basket but they could have been dead serious when they (the new OL coach) said they had a lot of talent.

In this mock I set out to prove I am truly clueless.

I used the fanspeak on the clock premium simulator with the Matt Miller Big Board.

I do not know how to list show the screen shots of what I was offered in trades but I never accept those anyway. I offer my own trades.

When the Vikings pick came up, Gary, Dillard, Risner, Ford, Hockenson, Simmons, and Bradbury were all available.

https://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/sharedraft.php?d=lqurww

TRADES

BALTIMORE RAVENS

SENT: ROUND: 1 PICK: 18

RECEIVED: ROUND: 1 PICK: 22 & ROUND: 4 PICK: 11

ARIZONA CARDINALS

SENT: ROUND: 2 PICK: 18 & FUTURE ROUND 3 PICK

RECEIVED: ROUND: 2 PICK: 1

NEW YORK JETS

SENT: ROUND: 3 PICK: 17 & ROUND: 4 PICK: 18

RECEIVED: ROUND: 3 PICK: 4

NEW YORK GIANTS

SENT: FUTURE ROUND 4 PICK

RECEIVED: ROUND: 5 PICK: 33 & ROUND: 6 PICK: 7

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22: R1P22 WR DK METCALF OLE MISS 6’3.3” 228 4.33 forty

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/d.k.-metcalf?id=32194d45-5436-3377-5806-d2746f1b94aa

Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images

33: R2P1 TE TJ HOCKENSON IOWA 6’4.6” 251 4.70 forty

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/t.j.-hockenson?id=3219484f-4342-2041-c442-6c874885b155

Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images

68: R3P4 G CHRIS LINDSTROM BOSTON COLLEGE 6’3.6” 308 4.91 forty

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/chris-lindstrom?id=32194c49-4e45-1080-da0b-72312551b1b2

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

113: R4P11 S AMANI HOOKER IOWA 5’11.3” 210 4.48 forty

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/amani-hooker?id=3219484f-4f28-9885-74ca-b4eda13809f8

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

171: R5P33 RB DEVINE OZIGBO NEBRASKA 5’11.7” 222 4.55 forty

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/devine-ozigbo?id=32194f5a-4941-5291-e961-40792ef55223

Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images

180: R6P7 C LAMONT GAILLARD GEORGIA 6’2.5” 305

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/lamont-gaillard?id=32194741-4905-9631-5fbe-822cdecf1a04

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

190: R6P17 CB JORDAN BROWN SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 6’0” 201 4.5 forty

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jordan-brown?id=32194252-4f41-3221-2d67-f731d1ff432a

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

209: R6P36 DL JOHN COMINSKY CHARLESTON 6’5.2” 286 4.69 forty

https://thedraftnetwork.com/articles/john-cominsky-was-built-for-this

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/john-cominsky?id=3219434f-4d27-5428-ccac-ad99ba74b4eb

247: R7P33 LB BLAKE CASHMAN MINNESOTA 6’1.1” 237 4.5 forty

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/blake-cashman?id=32194341-5331-6185-2b37-0d7120bc9212

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

250: R7P36 DL GREG GAINES WASHINGTON 6’1” 312 5.06 forty

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/greg-gaines?id=32194741-4930-6107-f124-700597b356aa

Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

UDFAs

CB MARK FIELDS - CLEMSON

CB DERRICK BAITY - KENTUCKY

EDGE MAXX CROSBY - EASTERN MICHIGAN

EDGE JUSTIN HOLLINS - OREGON

G PHIL HAYNES - WAKE FOREST

G ALEX BARS - NOTRE DAME

LB DRUE TRANQUIL - NOTRE DAME

LB JAHLANI TAVAI - HAWAII

OT DONNELL GREENE - MINNESOTA

OT TREY PIPKINS - SIOUX FALLS

QB TRACE MCSORLEY - PENN STATE

QB KYLE SHURMUR - VANDERBILT

S ZEDERICK WOODS - MISSISSIPPI

S WILL HARRIS - BOSTON COLLEGE

TE DAX RAYMOND - UTAH STATE

TE ANDREW BECK - TEXAS

WR MILES BOYKIN - NOTRE DAME

WR STANLEY MORGAN - NEBRASKA

K COLE TRACY - LSU

P MITCH WISHNOWSKY - UTAH

The Vikings are likely to sign 15 free agents or thereabouts but this is a list of players that I like that did not get picked in this mock. Of course some could get picked in the real draft.

Using the simulator produces interesting results that are usually different every time. Obviously the first argument is the classic “so and so wont be there in some round”. Perhaps not but I have learned to not be too sure of those kind of statements.

If the Vikings actually did this in the draft the natives would be going berserk!

I like to offer up some outlandish mocks just to see how it may unfold if the Vikings do NOT take offensive linemen early. I would say taking one in the 3rd round is early though.

I like this mock a lot though. Metcalf is a stud! He could be the #1 WR real soon. That will open up things a lot for Diggs and Thielen.

Hockenson has been discussed relentlessly on this board and his qualifications go without saying. Why the Patriots did not take him in this mock and took Irv Smith instead is only a question the simulator can answer. Stranger things have happened though.

These first two picks give the Vikings financial flexibility as well. If they did take Metcalf and Hockenson it should help in the contract negotiations with Thielen and Rudolph. They may not be as inclined to pay too much if they have possible replacements. Not sure it would drive the price down. They could look to move Rudolph during the draft in this scenario but with a 7 mil salary and only one year remaining on his deal, trading him would yield very little. Better to keep him this year and see what happens.

A lot of these players the Vikings have met with or will have in as one of the 30 visits they are allowed. That did inform my selections but not all of them.

This obviously is far fetched and really unlikely to happen.

But I would not be mad if it did.

It’s crazy. Crazy like a fox!