Yup, I know what you’re thinking. This topic was already covered by wludford. Indeed it was, but we both had the same idea at the same time. What a coincidence! Though, the great thing with this topic, is that there are plenty of late-round prospects that I could talk about. Fortunately for me, Warren didn’t mention any of my favorite mid-round prospects. This means y’all are getting a sequel! Or a remake, whatever you wanna call it. So without further ado, here are my favorite mid-round gems our Minnesota Vikings could target.

Jaren Hall, QB, BYU

In the comment section of my last article, I briefly mentioned how much I like Jaren Hall as a prospect, but I never gave much clarification as to why.

I view Hall as a poor man’s Kyler Murray, minus the maturity issues. Like Kyler Murray, Hall was a dual-sport athlete who also played baseball in both high school and college. You can tell that Hall has a baseball background when he throws the football. He generates a lot of the velocity on his throws with a flick of the wrist, in the same way Kyler Murray does. Hall is also very athletic, goes through his progressions well, and maintained a good touchdown to interception ratio during his time at BYU.

The downsides with Hall are that he’s undersized, old, and has a bit of an injury history, particularly with concussions. Two of those concerns, his size and age, are non-issues for me. We’ve seen a trend of undersized quarterbacks succeed at the NFL level in recent years like Murray, Brees, and Wilson. Plus, we’ve seen quarterbacks play well into their 40s, the age issue is overblown. The only thing I’d be concerned about are the injuries, but if Jaren Hall can stay healthy, he could be a steal in the mid-rounds.

Kei’Trel Clark, CB, Louisville

Standing at 5’10”, Kei’Trel Clark may be pigeonholed as a slot corner at the next level. However, he is a scheme-versatile player who can play both press man and zone coverage at a very high level. Clark is one of the most refined and competitive cornerbacks in this draft, but his small frame will prevent him from being drafted early. If the Vikings were to select Clark, it would allow Byron Murphy to move outside and shadow the opposing team’s #1 receiver more often, which he did to great effect in Arizona.

Michael Jefferson, WR, Louisiana

If the Vikings are looking for a tall and lanky wide receiver, then Michael Jefferson is a name to keep an eye on. Jefferson is a good route runner who can use his height to make contested catches. He isn’t the greatest athlete in the world, but I think he’ll be a solid WR3 in the NFL. Unfortunately, Jefferson was struck by an impaired driver, and sustained serious injuries that will force him to miss the 2023 season. That being said, I think he’s worth drafting in the 7th round even with the injury.

B.J. Thompson, DE, Stephen F Austin

B.J. Thompson is a freakishly athletic defensive end who shined at the East-West Shrine Bowl registering 4 tackles and a sack. Thompson is 6’5”, 248 pounds, and ran a 4.61 40-yard dash. Thompson has a long wingspan and shows good change of direction. That being said, he’s a bit too lanky and will need to spend the offseason program bulking up. If the Vikings are looking for a developmental edge rusher with a lot of upside, then B.J. Thompson should be on their radar.

That’s pretty much it. Who are your favorite mid-round gems in the draft? Let me know in the comments!