Devonte Wyatt Would Make Life Easier For Everyone Else On the Vikings D-Line

The Minnesota Vikings’ fanbase seems split over what the team should do with their No. 12-overall pick in next week’s draft. Should they add another cornerback or find another weapon at wide receiver?

One different idea that shouldn't be dismissed is taking Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt.

By now everyone knows that the Georgia Bulldogs have one of the best defenses college football has ever seen. It was a group that featured a handful of prospects who will now likely go in the first round. While Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean get a lot of the attention, Wyatt was every bit as important.

His statistics won't blow anyone away, but they point to a player who continued to peel back layers to his game as he got better in his four years at Georgia. He and Davis made up the most ferocious interior defensive line in the country. For as good an athlete as Davis is, Wyatt is just as physically impressive.

Wyatt logged a 4.77 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine, raising plenty of eyebrows. At 6'3", 314 lbs., it's safe to say the big fella can scoot.

He’s better known as a run-stuffer, but he improved dramatically as a pass rusher in his senior season with the Bulldogs. Adding him to the mix in Minnesota could make them lethal.

The Vikings had significant decisions to make this offseason, and the first was what to do with Danielle Hunter. They opted to keep him and also signed Za'Darius Smith after he became a cap casualty with the Green Bay Packers.

Minnesota wasn't done.

They also added Harrison Phillips to the interior of the defensive line. So while many may say the D-line is fine as it is, drafting Wyatt could push things over the edge and make them downright unstoppable.

Wyatt has all the tools to be an instant-impact player. Even as a rookie, he would draw the kind of attention that could free up Hunter, Smith, and Phillips for those individual matchups that they crave.

Many fans want the Vikings to address the secondary in the draft, specifically the cornerback spot, even after Patrick Peterson announced his return. Do you know what makes life incredibly more manageable for a secondary? A defensive line that is constantly harassing opposing quarterbacks.

Adding Wyatt to the mix would give Minnesota a more youthful look up front. This isn't to suggest Hunter, Smith, or Phillips are past their prime. But adding a rookie to the equation could really shake things up and give the Vikings many different options.

Wyatt is as active as they come in this draft class, and there is never a worry about the gas tank running empty. Per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, the tape got better for Wyatt in his final year in Athens.

Zierlein is far from the only analyst raving about Wyatt. Via The Draft Network, scouts love Wyatt's shiftiness.

Nobody would blame Minnesota if they go wide receiver, cornerback, or safety at No. 12. There may be a more significant need to draft someone who can enhance the secondary right away, but there is no doubt that drafting a player like Devonte Wyatt could take the Vikings' defensive front from really good to downright nasty in 2022.