Minnesota Vikings: 2020 NFL Draft Needs

2020 NFL Draft Needs for the Minnesota Vikings

April 23rd - April 25th

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The Minnesota Vikings made the 2020 NFL Playoffs as the sixth and final seed as a wild card recipient. They played and beat the 13-3 New Orleans Saints in an overtime thriller in the Wild Card round. Although they could not make it past the Divisional round by losing to the San Francisco 49ers, the season was not a total failure.

Draft Picks:

The Vikings own the 25th overall draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and own a pick in every round except the sixth. They own two seventh-round selections, one being their own and the other from the Miami Dolphins.

The Vikings defense was among the league’s best in 2019-20, as they were ranked 5th overall in terms of points allowed per contest. The secondary was just a tad above the league’s average, ranked 15th in yards allowed per game (233.6). The Vikings rushing defense ranked even better at 13th in the league, only giving up 108 yards on the ground per game. Of course, both the passing and rushing defense could use some upgrades, but it is not as urgent as many other teams in the league that draft in front of them. The Vikings do need some help at the Cornerback position and a potential first-round selection for them could be C.J Henderson (Florida) or Cameron Dantzler (Mississippi State).

The Vikings offense was electric at the beginning of the year thanks to the work of RB Dalvin Cook. The Vikings depended on Cook early on, and he paved the way to success on offense. As the year moved forward and the games got tougher, QB Kirk Cousins was put in the spotlight a ton. Sometimes he was able to overcome the obstacles opponents threw at him, but other times he and his offense perished. This included his own wide receivers calling him out due to his performances on the field. The Vikings overall were ranked 8th in the league in points scored per game. The passing game was well below average, ranked 23rd in the league in yards per game. This was mainly due because of Kirk Cousins and the fact that his offensive line did not give him too much time in the pocket. RB Dalvin Cook made the most of his season and his rushing game was ranked 6th in the league in yards per game.

There is no doubt that the Vikings could use some help at the offensive tackle position, and if OT Josh Jones (Houston) or OT Isaiah Wilson (Georgia) are available in the second round, it would be a great decision to snatch one of them.

Overall, the Vikings on paper seem to have most of the guys needed to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy next season and many seasons to come. This year could have been that year, but unfortunately, they just fell short.