Round four of our Vikings mock drafts. This is, however, the first since the Vikings added an eighth pick, a seventh rounder acquired in the Trevor Siemian trade.
Check out our past mocks here:
By this point, after four mocks, it should be clear what players are the favored prospects of this writer. Will Hernandez, Frank Ragnow and P.J. Hall have become regulars. As such, their entries will be shorter than others.
In this edition, the focus was building the trenches early on as each of the first three picks went to the interior line. To accommodate this focus, other needs like receiver and corner depth went by the wayside on days one and two. However, day three found some players with starter upside who will likely fall due to a major limiting factor.
Round 1 (30): G Will Hernandez, UTEP
The choice here would likely be between Hernandez and Ohio State’s Billy Price. Hernandez’s complete game gives him the slight edge, despite playing weaker competition at UTEP. Read his full profile here.
Round 2 (62): C Frank Ragnow, Arkansas
This is Ragnow’s third appearance in our mock drafts. There are a few things pointing him to Minnesota in round two. He is a local from Victoria, Minnesota, he met with the Vikings at the combine and he is a plus run and pass blocker. While a step slower than some of the top interior line prospects, Ragnow has a nasty streak and finishes every play. He could certainly unseat Nick Easton for a starting guard spot day one. Read his complete profile here.
Round 3 (94): DT Tim Settle, Virginia Tech
Do not let the big belly fool you: Settle explodes off the ball. Few men his size have his level of back-and-forth. Settle never quits, darting from gap to gap with speed and power. In fact, Settle’s raw abilities are first round-worthy. It is his inconsistent conditioning and technique that will likely drop him into the second round. Truth be told, that is probably as far as he will fall. Settle is generally viewed higher than Derrick Nnadi, another second tier defensive tackle prospect. But Settle dropped behind Nnadi in this mock, so he went third round. If that ends up being the case next month, he will be a steal.
Round 5 (167): CB Holton Hill, Texas
Hill has top notch size and ability. At 6-foot-3, he has length to match up with anyone without giving up speed or agility. He can mirror routes well anywhere on the field and has the nose to dip into the box as a nickel. The primary issue with Hill, however, is his character concerns. As such, he will likely fall quite a bit on draft day. His talent says day two, but questions about his commitment are likely to follow him well into day three. An engaged Hill is destined to be a contributor, but he has to mature.
Round 6 (204): WR Jake Wieneke, South Dakota State
Though not an elite athlete or breakaway type, Wieneke will find a niche for two reasons: His route-running and his red zone ability. The smoothness with which he runs routes makes up for average speed, as does his ability to catch in traffic. You will never see a gameplan centered on Wieneke’s screen game nor will he make a ton of plays between the 20s. But as a late round prospect, Wieneke is intriguing due to his touchdown ability alone. Against FCS competition, Wieneke recorded 16 touchdowns in three different seasons. His yards per catch took a dip in 2017, but he remained a major red zone threat. That skill is at a premium in today’s NFL.
Round 6 (213): DT P.J. Hall, Sam Houston State
Hall has been promoted to death on this site. Chances are he will appear on every single mock until draft day. To summarize, Hall’s size and competition will drop him deep in the draft, but his athleticism and ridiculous college production point to a playmaker at the next level. Read his complete profile here.
Round 6 (218): QB Riley Ferguson, Memphis
Before the Vikings’ quarterback room was set, this writer was gung-ho on their drafting a quarterback. That need has, obviously, decreased. But the benefits of drafting one frequently far outweighs the negatives. In this situation, the selection of Ferguson is purely in hopes of developing a long-term backup/trade asset. In our first mock, we reached for Ferguson in round three, due to the glut of quarterbacks selected. That was a mistake, as it seems obvious Ferguson will dip at least into round five.
With Ferguson, the Vikings get a quarterback for depth with not much starter upside. Ferguson likes to make plays, showing good accuracy and ability to throw on the run. If he ever gets the chance to start, his gunslinger style would earn him a fanbase immediately. However, he is not as athletic as he likes to play and he has too many limitations to truly get overly excited about him.
Round 7 (225): CB Greg Stroman, Virginia Tech
His second appearance in our mocks, Stroman will bring competition to the fourth corner race. He is an above average cover, but his size is his limiting factor. However, his talent is perfect for a nickel, given his tremendous mirror and change of direction. If he and Hill both end up on the Vikings, the competition to work behind Mackensie Alexander would be fascinating. That is, assuming they do not bring back Terence Newman.
–Sam Smith is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Vikings and Full Press Coverage NFC North. Like and Follow @samc_smith//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @fpc_vikings//platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsFollow @fpc_nfcn//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
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