Mel Kiper Prioritizes Corner In His First Mock Draft

After the Los Angeles Rams unceremoniously ended the Minnesota Vikings' season in Arizona, fans have shifted their focus to how this team can improve through free agency and the draft.

Minnesota already has over $70 million to spend and will likely have around $90 million with restructures and cuts. However, the Vikings must use their relatively few draft picks wisely to shore up their roster. The Vikings only have four selections after trades with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars last season depleted their mid-round assets.

ESPN’s senior draft expert Mel Kiper came out with his first mock draft of the year. He releases it after the college football playoffs because it gives him a clearer vision of players and where they will land. While his mock drafts don’t factor in free-agency additions and potential trades, it’s still good to know what an expert thinks is a realistic scenario for the Vikings.

At pick 24, Kiper has the Vikings taking Benjamin Morrison, a corner from Notre Dame.

Kiper is correct in that the Vikings need secondary help this season because all three of their primary starters are free agents. While Mekhi Blackmon will return from the ACL tear that saw him miss his entire sophomore campaign, he and second-year UDFA Dwight McGlothern will not be enough options for DC Brian Flores.

While it is almost certain that the Vikings look to bring in one or two cornerbacks from a uniquely talented free-agent group, the proposition of adding Morrison is interesting. With his injury history, it is more than likely that Morrison will fall further than he should in the draft.

He also seems like a perfect scheme fit for the defense that Flores wants to run. Morrison is sticky in man coverage and can take the ball away. We saw just how important generating turnovers was for the Vikings. They generated a takeaway in every game last year — except for their ignominious loss in the first round of the playoffs.

While getting a young cornerback who can come in and start immediately would help Minnesota’s defense, they also have glaring needs at the guard, defensive tackle, and running back – all positions with a much weaker market in free agency.

Similarly, with Minnesota’s lack of picks in the middle rounds, Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah may look to move back and get more picks in the middle rounds.

Morrison is a potential target to watch, but we’ll know much more about the team's approach to the draft once we learn more about their free-agent plans.