Vikings make big move in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft

We don’t usually highlight individual mock drafts here, preferring to save them for our Mock Draft Database each week, but this one from Mel Kiper. . .dramatic pause. . .draft expert has a scenario that we haven’t seen much of in a lot of the mocks so far.

And a player that no mock, to this point, has had the Minnesota Vikings selecting at all.

In his latest mock behind the great E$PN paywall, Kiper has the Vikings making a trade up to the #9 spot in the draft, swapping places with the Denver Broncos. Kiper doesn’t detail the terms of the trade, except to say that it “would likely cost at least Minnesota’s second-rounder in 2022 and likely more.”

So, who is the player worth expending this much draft capital on? The answer is Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell, who has fallen all the way to #9 in this scenario.

I like the fit here, particularly with Riley Reiff leaving in free agency. Sewell is an elite talent, and if this quarterback class wasn’t so strong, he might be a lock for the top five. The Vikings have had offensive line issues for years, but Sewell would plug their hole on the left side. An elite O-line covers up roster flaws, and this is a step toward improving the entire offense. If Minnesota stays at No. 14 or does the opposite approach and trades down, keep an eye on safety. With Anthony Harris gone in free agency, there’s a void there next to Harrison Smith.

Honestly, I don’t think there’s any chance Sewell winds up falling to #9. He should be a cinch for the top 5 in this year’s draft regardless of the strength of the quarterback class.

But if he did? Man. . .I would be all about the Vikings making a move up to secure his services. He should be the kind of tackle that you plug in for 10 years and not have to worry about at the left tackle spot, and would allow the Vikings to do a minimal amount of shuffling things around up front. Brian O’Neill would stay at right tackle and Ezra Cleveland would stay at right guard in this scenario, meaning the Vikings would still have to answer the question at left guard, but they’d have plenty of time to do that.

What do you think of this potential scenario, folks? Do you think it would be feasible for the Vikings to trade up for Penei Sewell if he were to fall to the edges of the Top 10 in the 2021 NFL Draft?