MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Round 1 (22): WR Justin Jefferson, LSU
Round 1 (31): CB Jeff Gladney, TCU
Round 2 (58): T Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
Round 3 (89): CB Cameron Dantzler, Mississippi State
Round 4 (117): Edge DJ Wonnum, South Carolina
Round 4 (130): Edge James Lynch, Baylor
Round 4 (132): LB Troy Dye, Oregon
Round 5 (169): CB Harrison Hand, Temple
Round 5 (176): WR KJ Osborn, Miami (Fla.)
Round 6 (203): T Blake Brandel, Oregon State
Round 6 (205): S Josh Metellus, Michigan
Round 7 (225): Edge Kenny Willekes, Michigan State
Round 7 (244): QB Nate Stanley, Iowa
Round 7 (249): S Brian Cole II, Mississippi State
Round 7 (253): IOL Kyle Hinton, Washburn

1st Round: “The first order of business for Minnesota was damage limitation. This was a workmanlike job by the Vikings, filling their roster’s myriad holes one by one,” said PFF. The Vikings traded away Stephon Diggs. The position group he departed wasn’t nearly strong enough to cope with that loss without reinforcements. Jefferson to the Vikings was one of the most common player-team matchups on the PFF Draft projection board all through the pre-draft process, and it was a combination that made a lot of sense. Jefferson has the size (6-foot-2, 192 pounds) and route-running savvy to be successful from day one. While the PFF Big Board didn’t love him (he was No. 32 overall, behind a couple of receivers that lasted into the second round), he was a player who had an extremely staunch support base within the NFL someone who was always going to go higher than his ranking. Jefferson’s grade improved in each of the past two seasons, landing at 85.3 overall in 2019. He brings experience playing both outside and inside in the slot, exactly as Diggs did. This first pick was about damage limitation ... That being said, Zimmer’s corners are always sound tacklers. That, and blitzing, was two things Gladney did well at TCU. It was thought that a number of teams would steer clear of Gladney in the early rounds due to size concerns and a recent surgery to repair his torn meniscus, but the team willing to move past those cons in his evaluation shall reap the rewards. Gladney’s ball skills, instincts and physical demeanor should translate to early success in the NFL insists PFF. Jefferson and Gladney ranked 32nd and 34th, respectively, on PFF’s big board.

Balance Of The Draft: “Tackle wasn’t necessarily the biggest weakness on this team, but it does give them some flexibility at the position and allow the line as a whole to creep back to, or even above, average going forward. Cleveland is a pick for the future but could potentially make an impact right away,” contests PFF’s Sam Monson. “His slight frame will be a concern and was what caused him to slip as far as he did, but at some point, you need to trust the tape ... Outside of Jeffrey and Okudah, the tape on Dantzler is as strong as any corner in this Cleveland and Dantzler ranked 58th and 50th, respectively, on PFF’s big board ... Minnesota certainly wasn’t short on Day 3 picks. Of their 11 selections on Saturday, the two players who stick out as the best values on the PFF board are Dye and Willekes. Dye has plenty of starting experience at linebacker for the Oregon Ducks and a track record of strong play in coverage where he can use his length to influence passing lanes. He has four straight seasons of 70.0-plus coverage grades. Willekes was 83rd on the PFF Big Board thanks in large part to how reliable he was against the run. He earned the top run defender superlative in the PFF Draft Guide. 

Steal Of The Draft: Ezra Cleveland
Draft Grades: Playbook A
ESPN: A-... PFF: A... SI: A-... Composite: A

In closing we highly recommend you view the PFF Player Grades for each player in the 2020 NFL draft. PFF assigns a grade for every play to each player during a football game. Each grade is reviewed at least once, and usually multiple times, using every camera angle available, including All-22 coaches’ tape. You can view it here: PFF.Com/Grades