Top positions of need for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2020 NFL Draft

Defensive Line

After the secondary, the Vikings’ defensive line was the position group with the most turnover during the 2020 offseason. The Vikings lost 10-year veteran, Everson Griffen after opting out of his contract. Griffen, the four-time Pro Bowler, spent all 10 of his seasons in Minnesota and accounted for 74.5 sacks during his time with the Vikings.

In addition to Griffen, defensive tackle Linval Joseph left the Vikings after starting in the middle of the line for the past six years and depth edge rusher Stephen Weatherly left the Vikings after playing on the end and at outside linebacker. Unlike Griffen, the Vikings addressed the departed Joseph by signing the 27-year-old Michael Pierce who spent his first four seasons in Baltimore. Pierce received a three-year, $27 million deal with $18 million in guaranteed money.

While the Vikings signed Pierce, they are expected to add another defensive tackle through the draft. If top-rated tackle Derrick Brown out of Auburn or South Carolina tackle Javon Kinlaw fall to the 22nd pick, the Vikings would likely have a hard time passing on the draft’s top two tackles. Similarly to the cornerback position, the Vikings could use their draft capital to move up and grab either Brown or Kinlaw but will not want to trade both first-round picks.

If both Brown and Kinlaw are selected by the time the Vikings are on the clock, Minnesota could use one of their first-round picks to address the departure of Everson Griffen. Both Yetur Gross-Matos out of Penn State and A.J. Epenesa out of Iowa are projected as late first/early second-round picks and either could become immediate starters at defensive end.

Despite seeing his stock drop after an underwhelming combine, Epenesa appears to be a perfect match for the Minnesota Vikings and would be an effective replacement to Griffen where he favors his size to create pressure through the middle.