Minnesota Vikings 7-round mock draft: Replacing Stefon Diggs
The Minnesota Vikings have a ton of 2020 NFL Draft capital to work with. How will they replace Stefon Diggs and other departed free agents?
The Minnesota Vikings have lost a lot in the 2020 offseason.
Not only did the team send away disgruntled wide receiver Stefon Diggs for a king’s ransom of draft picks from the Buffalo Bills, but they also lost a number of key players on the defensive side including longtime defensive end Everson Griffen and former high draft picks at cornerback Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes, and Mackensie Alexander.
They also made defensive lineman Linval Joseph a cap casualty.
But the Vikings have not just been standing idly by this offseason watching their own players leave to go to other teams.
They signed Kirk Cousins to a contract extension worth $33 million per season over the next three years. They also brought back some key depth on the offensive line in Brett Jones and Dakota Dozier along with fullback CJ Ham to help pave the way in the running game in Gary Kubiak’s offense.
From outside of Minnesota, the Vikings got a valuable depth piece on the defensive line in Anthony Zettel, formerly of the 49ers. They also brought in wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, a worthwhile flier type of pickup who could excel in Kubiak’s offensive scheme as a secondary target.
Perhaps the biggest fish reeled in by the Vikings in free agency is defensive tackle Michael Pierce, who comes over from the Baltimore Ravens as a gap-clogging nose tackle type who can also penetrate and make plays in the backfield.
The Vikings enter the 2020 NFL Draft with 12 selections in total, so they have plenty of flexibility to do whatever they want in terms of trading and moving around, but what areas of the roster will they prioritize?
Most mock drafts have the Vikings taking a corner and receiver with their two first-round picks, but that’s not a guarantee given the depth of this class at both corner and receiver.
How could the Vikings spend all 12 picks if they choose to keep them all? Let’s take a look at an idea.