Minnesota Vikings

Vikings post-combine and free agency 2018 mock draft roundup

Published Mar. 21, 2018 2:31 p.m. ET

Dave Heller

When we first brought you a mock draft roundup it was after the Super Bowl.

My how things change.

The NFL combine and many Pro Days have taken place, with players seeing their stock rise and fall. And free agency began, with numerous players changing teams, including a couple of Vikings additions -- and subtractions.

With all those changes, mock picks for the Vikings were bound to change (we have a feeling Lamar Jackson won't be mocked to Minnesota ever again). With the draft a little over a month away, we present another round of mock drafts for you to peruse. If we used a mock in our initial edition, we've noted the previous pick(s) by that prognosticator.

Most mocks are one round, but we always find a few that extend beyond the opening round.

With Kirk Cousins in hand and a hole (or two) on the offensive line, it's not hard to figure out the popular positional choice for the Vikings in Round 1 -- although there's hardly a consensus on who.

Here’s our second roundup of mock drafts from around the web:

Albert Breer of SI.com: Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan. "Hurst’s heart condition might cause him to slip a little. But it doesn’t change the kind of player he is—the chaos-causing kind that Mike Zimmer really likes."

Dan Kadar of SB Nation: Billy Price, C/G, Ohio State. "The main goals of the Vikings this offseason, according to general manager Rick Spielman, were to add an offensive coordinator (John DeFilippo), quarterback (Kirk Cousins), and under tackle (Sheldon Richardson). In the draft Minnesota can now turn to the offensive line, the team’s biggest glaring weakness." (Previously: Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida)

Draftek (7 rounds): Round 1 -- Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida; Round 2 -- Scott Quessenberry, OG, UCLA; Round 3 -- Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn; Round 5 -- Allan Lazard, WR, Iowa State; Round 6a -- Tyquan Lewis, DE/OLB, Ohio State; Round 6b -- Breeland Speaks, DL, Mississippi; Round 6c -- Greg Gilmore, DL, LSU; Round 7 -- Alex McGough, QB, Florida International. (Previously: Round 1 -- Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M; Round 2 -- Braden Smith, G, Auburn; Round 3 -- Steven Richardson, DT, Minnesota; Round 5 -- Johnson; Round 6 -- Joe Ostman, OLB/DE, Central Michigan.)

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today: James Daniels, C/G, Iowa. "After landing QB Kirk Cousins and DL Sheldon Richardson, Minnesota doesn't have many weak points. Daniels, however, would help solidify an interior line that still looks shaky."

Dane Brugler of NFL Draft Scout: Will Hernandez, DT, UTEP. "The Vikings invested heavily in Kirk Cousins -- now it is time to protect him. Hernandez would provide immediate interior depth and upgrade the position."

Chad Reuter of NFL.com's CFB 24/7 (5 rounds): Round 1 -- Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State. "New quarterback Kirk Cousins loves throwing to tight ends. Pairing Gesicki with Kyle Rudolph at TE should work well."; Round 2 -- Billy Price, C/G, Ohio State; Round 3 --Darius Leonard, CB, Illinois State; Round 5 -- Trey Quinn, WR, SMU. (Previously, 3 rounds: Round 1 -- Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA; Round 2 -- Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State; Round 3 -- Tyquan Lewis, OLB/DE, Ohio State.)

Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com (6 rounds): Round 1 -- Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP; Round 2 -- Nathan Shepherd, DT, Fort Hays State; Round 3 -- Deontay Burnett, WR, USC; Round 5 --Kyle Fitts, DE, Utah; Round 6a --Dominick Sanders, S, Georgia; Round 6b -- Jack Cichy, LB, Wisconsin; Round 6c -- Riley Ferguson, QB, Memphis. (Previously: Round 1 -- Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado; Round 2 -- Justin Jones, DT, North Carolina State; Round 3 -- Marcell Frazier, DE, Missouri.)

Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post: Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado. "This team already has most of what it needs to compete for a spot in next year’s Super Bowl, and adding a corner is prudent."

Bryan Fischer of Athlon Sports: Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia. "After winning the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes, the Vikings will no doubt be looking to protect their big investment by shoring up the offensive line in this draft. Wynn is all but assured of kicking inside to guard and it wouldn’t be surprising for him to be a Week 1 starter there given how well he moves."

Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times: Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia. "Investing $84 million in Cousins also requires investing in those who protect him."

Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com: Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama.

John McClain and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle: McClain -- Will Hernandez, G, UTEP; Wilson -- Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville.

Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout: Mike McGlinchy, OT, Notre Dame. "As long as Mike Zimmer is coaching the team, size and physicality will be a premium for future Vikings. McGlinchey lacks the athleticism to wow scouts during pre-draft workouts, but an old-school coach like Zimmer will appreciate McGlinchey’s size (6-foot-7, 312 pounds), toughness and consistency."

Eric Galko of The Sporting News: Billy Price, G/C, Ohio State. "Despite his pectoral injury at the Combine, Price should be either a late first-round pick or an early second-round pick. The Vikings could use Price at either guard spot, reuniting him on the line with his former Buckeyes teammate in center Pat Elflein." (Previously: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA)

Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com: Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA. (Previously: Connor Williams, OT, Texas)

Danny Kelly of The Ringer: Taven Bryan, DT, Florida. "The Vikings already signed Sheldon Richardson to a one-year deal in free agency, but as we saw last year with the Eagles, there’s no such thing as having too many pass rushers. Bryan’s raw, but he’s an explosive athlete who could be special as a slicing interior penetrator."

Eric Bischoff of NDT Scouting: Billy Price, G/C, Ohio State. "The Vikings need an addition to the interior of their offensive line and Price is an excellent addition to help the offensive line improve and take the next step forward. He can play center or guard and can help to bolster the interior of the offensive line. He should be recovered from the torn pec injury before camp and is a nice addition what could be a potent offense."

Justin Rogers of the Detroit News: Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida.

Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com (4 rounds): Round 1 -- Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP; Round 2 -- Rasheem Green, DE, USA; Round 3 -- M.J. Stewart, CB, North Carolina. (Previously, 3 round: Round 1 -- Auden Tate, WR, Florida State; Round 2 -- Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan; Round 3 -- Christian Campbell, CB, Penn State.)

R.J. White of CBSSports.com (2 rounds): Round 1 -- Will Hernandez, G, UTEP (note: projected trade to No. 18 costs Vikings second-round pick). "The Seahawks have some rebuilding to do, but they have zero picks on Day 2. The Vikings don't have many needs, but one glaring one is guard. They can certainly sacrifice their second-rounder to move up and get one of the top-tier guards behind Nelson, and Hernandez and Isaiah Wynn are unlikely to make it to No. 30 with guard-needy teams like the Cowboys, Lions, Panthers and the Seahawks themselves ahead of Minnesota."

Connor Riley of SEC Country: Billy Price, G/C, Ohio State. (Previously: Price)

Wayne Staats of Land of Ten: Billy Price, G/C, Ohio State. (Previously: Price)

Bucky Brooks of NFL.com's CFB 24/7: Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia. "The Vikings' brass could target Carter as an insurance policy against a potential Anthony Barr departure in free agency following the 2018 season." (Previously: Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama)

Chris Ransom of Draft Utopia (4 rounds): Round 1 -- B.J. Hill, DT, North Carolina State. "Minnesota needs a 4-3 defensive tackle. The 6-3 311 lb B.J. Hill ran a 4.99 40-time at the 2018 NFL Combine and did 35 reps on the bench press. Hill dominated in the Senior Bowl practices and showed teams he had three down ability despite having a nose tackle body. Hill can play 4-3 defensive tackle or 3-4 nose tackle in the NFL. Hill was 321 lbs with 10 and 3/4 inch hands in Mobile and lost 10 lbs before the 2018 NFL Combine. He knows how to condition himself well and is a great value pick here. Minnesota got Sheldon Richardson in Free Agency, but only on a one-year deal so they can develop Hill for a year and then insert him into a starting spot next to Linval Joseph."; Round 2 -- Arden Key, OLB, LSU; Round 3 -- Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State.

Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead: Harold Landry, OLB/DE, Boston College.

Jacob Infante of Draft Wire (2 rounds): Round 1 -- Isaiah Wynn, OL, Georgia; Round 2 -- Dorance Armstrong Jr., OLB/DE, Kansas.

Ryan Wilson of CBSSports.com: Will Hernandez, OG, OTEP.

Tank Williams of Yahoo Sports: Donte Jackson, CB, LSU.

Mark Niemi of The Huddle Report: Will Hernandez, OG, UTEP.

Brett Sobleski of Bleacher Report: James Daniels, C, Iowa. "The Vikings checked off their two biggest needs in free agency by signing quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. Fortifying the middle of the offensive line is logical to maximize Cousins' effectiveness."

D.J. Boyer of Draft Site (7 rounds): Round 1 -- Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn; Round 2 -- D.J. Chark, WR, LSU; Round 3 -- Geron Christian, OT, Louisville; Round 5 -- Javon Wims, WR, Georgia; Round 6a -- Mark Walton, RB, Miami; Round 6b -- Damon Webb, S, Ohio State; Round 6c -- Allen Lazard, WR, Iowa State; Round 7 -- n/a.

Paul M. Banks of The Sports Bank: Connor Williams, G/T, Texas. (Previously: Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State)

Mickey McKeon of Mockout: Will Hernandez, G, UTEP (note: has trade up to No. 25) (Previously: Will Hernandez, G, UTEP.)

Alex Khvatov of NFL Draft Blitz: Will Hernandez, G, UTEP.

Dave Heller is the author of Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow (a Larry Ritter Book Award nominee), Facing Ted Williams - Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns