Minnesota Vikings News and Links, 2 February 2023

If you don’t know, now you know!

By Mark P Feb 2, 2023, 7:40am CST

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 28 Guaranteed Rate Bowl - West Virginia v Minnesota

Good morning. The Senior Bowl is well underway and the Vikings are represented by Kwesi and KOC as well. Pictures of Kwesi chatting it up with Brian Flores have posted on twitter. The hiring of a defensive coordinator is top of the list at this point in time of the offseason. Once that is out of the way, the planning for the roster can take place. Lots to do there and the input from the new DC will be needed.

Since our last Open Thread ...

Vikings looking to interview Broncos’ DC Ejiro Evero

Justin Jefferson sends Minnesota veteran to the Super Bowl

...

Senior Bowl Practice Reports

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/tuesday-2023-senior-bowl-team-practice-report-jaelyn-duncan-and-dawand-jones-dominate/

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/wednesday-senior-bowl-team-practice-report-keion-white-and-john-michael-schmitz-shine-on-day-2/

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/senior-bowl-quarterbacks-dont-impress/

https://steelersdepot.com/2023/01/2023-senior-bowl-practice-notes-day-one/

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10063582-senior-bowl-2023-notebook-big-guys-dominate-tuesdays-practice-sessions

https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/2023-nfl-draft-senior-bowl-recap-day-1

https://www.draftcountdown.com/senior-bowl/2023-senior-bowl-day-one-practice-report/

https://www.draftcountdown.com/senior-bowl/2023-senior-bowl-day-two-practice-report/

https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2023-senior-bowl-practice-recap-day-1

https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2023-senior-bowl-weigh-in-measurement-results

https://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2023practice.php

https://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2023practice2.php

https://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2023practice3.php

https://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2023practice4.php

https://walterfootball.com/nflhotpress/article/2023-Senior-Bowl-Rumors-Monday

https://walterfootball.com/nflhotpress/article/2023-Senior-Bowl-Rumors-Tuesday *

...

* interesting tidbit in this Tuesday rumors ...

Every NFL Draft has positions of strength and weakness, and one of the positions that has teams excited for the quality and depth of talent for the 2023 NFL Draft is tight end. Two tight ends have a definite shot at Round 1: Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer and Utah’s Dalton Kincaid. Some other first-round dark horses include Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave and Georgia’s Darnell Washington. Team sources also think there will be good prospects available on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft including Iowa’s Sam LaPorta and South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft. For teams that want tight end help, this is a great year to target a young talent.

Makes you wonder if it was wise to trade our 2nd round pick to the Lions for Hockenson and the privilege of paying him 14M per year on average going forward? For a team that the GM had to know was going to be cap strapped in 2023, it does make you wonder about his thinking. Not if it was wrong. Just what is the logic. So far, the dividends are good.

The players who are standing out so far are WR Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, OT/OG McClendon Curtis, DT Keeanu Benton, WR Jayden Reed, OC John Michael-Schmitz, DE/DT Keion White, DE/DT Karl Brooks, S Sydney Brown, LB Daiyan Henley, and several others depending on what review you read.

Schmitz, a favorite among Vikings fans for obvious reasons, could sneak into the 1st round. Would the Vikings draft a low value position AGAIN in the first round? They could have a need come draft day.

Shrine Bowl Practice Reports

The Shrine Bowl is on tonight at 8:30 PM est.

Last year, 45 players were drafted that played in the Shrine bowl

https://shrinebowl.com/news/east-west-shrine-bowl-proves-to-be-talent-hotbed-for-nfl-draft/

YORE MOCK

Trade Partner: Houston Texans

Sent: Round 1 Pick 23

Received: Round 2 Pick 2, Round 3 Pick 12, Round 6 Pick 10

...

Trade Partner: Las Vegas Raiders

Sent: Round 2 Pick 2, Round 4 Pick 18

Received: Round 2 Pick 7, Round 4 Pick 7, Round 5 Pick 7

...

Trade Partner: New England Patriots

Sent: Round 4 Pick 7

Received: Round 4 Pick 14

Round 6 Pick 14

...

Trade Partner: Green Bay Packers

Sent: Round 6 Pick 14

Received: Round 7 Pick 15, Round 7 Pick 18

...

38: R2 P7 C John Michael Schmitz - Minnesota 6’3.3” 306

NCAA Football: Guaranteed Rate Bowl-Minnesota at West Virginia

75: R3 P12 G Andrew Vorhees - USC 6’6” 325

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 17 Fresno State at USC

87: R3 P24 DL Keion White - Georgia Tech 6’4.6” 280

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 01 Georgia Tech at Pitt

116: R4 P14 DL Keeanu Benton - Wisconsin 6’3.4” 312

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: OCT 09 Wisconsin at Illinois

142: R5 P7 WR Andrei Iosivas - Princeton 6’2.7” 212

159: R5 P24 CB Darius Rush - South Carolina 6’1.5” 196

NCAA Football: South Carolina at Vanderbilt

185: R6 P10 LB Daiyan Henley - Washington St 6’0” 230

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: FEB 01 Reese’s Senior Bowl Practice

212: R6 P37 EDGE B.J. Thompson - Stephen F. Austin 6’5.3” 238

214: R6 P39 S A.J. Finley - Ole Miss 6’2.2” 202

230: R7 P15 RB Tavion Thomas - Utah 6’1.4” 247

233: R7 P18 WR Michael Wilson - Stanford 6’1.5 216

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