Minnesota Vikings 7-round 2020 NFL mock draft after Stefon Diggs trade

Addressing the interior of the defensive line could be a consideration early in the draft after the Minnesota Vikings recently felt obligated to release nose tackle, Linval Joseph, due to his cap impact and lack of value. The team allowed a 100-yard rusher six times last season, including in their playoff loss against the 49ers.

Zimmer and company need another quality piece to stuff the A and B gaps as well as create pressure from the inside of the pocket. Playing alongside Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson from Auburn can do just that.

Davidson is a premier defender with plenty of upside. He obtains versatility as he can line up as a tackle or edge rusher. Davidson earned 7.5 sacks while forcing two fumbles last season. He has strong hands and the frame to win at the point of attack with his 300 pounds of raw power.

He also tends to keep his hat-level clean and stay stout. Davidson is great at disengaging blocks and is fairly difficult to anchor against.

Believe it or not, the Minnesota Vikings offensive line is steadily improving from their forgetful 40 sack outing from 2018. Even after taking center Garrett Bradbury in the first-round last year, protection still remains a top need for the team. The unit at the moment seems to be a high floor, low ceiling type of deal. Many blame the lack of protection to be the biggest issue for the offense in the playoff loss against the 49ers.

The line is nowhere near great, but it’s almost surreal witnessing what Kirk Cousins can create when given favorable time. In this situation, you have to start by looking at the offensive tackle position.

A potential candidate for that position is Saahdiq Charles. This guy is extremely mobile for his size. The 321-pound man ran a 5.05 forty at the scouting combine, 90th percentile for an offensive lineman, an ideal trait for him to pull and make those vital second-level blocks. He also shows good power in anchoring at the top of the arc. You can never have too many players in the trenches and Charles would give Vikings a quality depth player up front with nice upside.

The Minnesota Vikings finished with the 23rd ranked passing offense in 2019. To me, adding just Jefferson in this wide receiver draft class isn’t enough. Especially when you consider that wide receiver Laquon Treadwell is available to the market. However, this is more of a value pick than a need pick.

K.J. Hill’s ability to create separation is impeccable. So good that he broke Ohio State’s all-time school record with 195 career receptions. He’s efficient at finding the open space in zone coverage and obtain’s enough wiggle to break man-coverage on his route break. Hill is also an ideal option as a quick check down behind the line. To me, he’s one of the most underrated prospects in the entire 2020 NFL Draft.

The Minnesota Vikings have more than enough fire-power in the draft to suit their needs. So why not turn some of it into getting a higher value player? After the season ended, the team lost defensive end, Everson Griffin, when he decided to void his contract and enter free agency.

Nonetheless, the Minnesota Vikings have had a quality defensive line for a while now, it’s best if they retain that production by adding athleticism opposite of Danielle Hunter. Mike Zimmer has always held a priority in the pass-rush.

Khalid Kareem, along with Julian Okwara, was the heart of the Notre Dame defense last year. He had impressive measurements at the combine with 34-plus-inch arms and 11-inch hands. On film, the defensive end specializing in halting the run game as he’s excellent at setting the edge.

His ropy arms benefit his tackle radius as he was able to reach the backfield on over 10 tackles for loss. In terms of the passing game, he lacks the proper speed to turn pressures into sacks, but can still be disruptive.