How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft?

Expected Starter

Round 1, Pick 30: Mike Hughes, Central Florida

The secondary struggled in the Vikings’ loss to the Eagles, missing tackles and struggling on assignments and communication. Selecting Mike Hughes, ITP’s #3 ranked overall cornerback, should help stabilize the slot position harbored by Mackensie Alexander and veteran Terence Newman.

Lead scout Jalun Morris said that Hughes “shows good foot patience, efficient footwork, and excellent quickness to mirror wide receiver releases” when in press man – a staple defense for Minnesota. For his size, he shows very good play strength due to his violent hands enabling him to disrupt the receiver’s release and timing. His excellent athletic ability and route anticipation helps him to match routes in the short and intermediate areas of the field and he possesses the speed to keep up with receivers vertically; he has been known to bite on double moves however. Despite the defensive accolades, the Vikings ranked 23rd in turnovers. Hughes’ closing speed on his man accompanied with his very good ball skills could help generate some more pass break-ups and hopefully interceptions. Despite his involvement in run support, he needs to improve his open-field tackling and increase his play strength to shed blockers. He also brings value in the return game which is needed after the departure of Cordarrelle Patterson last offseason (in 2016, the Vikings ranked 6th in kick return yardage but dropped to 21st in 2017).

Round 5, Pick 167: Daniel Carlson, Auburn

A “prolific leg” according to ITP’s kicker guru Jessica Brand, Carlson was perfect during his collegiate career on extra points (198 total). The Vikings went 87.2% on extra points placing them second to last in 2017. Competition will be fierce between “Legatron” and Kai Forbath, who was tied for fourth in the league with six 50-yard field goals made (compared to 13 made 50+ field goal attempts by Carlson). Forbath only made 84.2 percent of his field goals, tied for 15th in the league. Hopefully fans no longer have to hold their breath when the kicker gets on the field.

Immediate Role Player

Round 5, Pick 157: Tyler Conklin, Central Michigan

With the first of their fifth round picks, the Vikings selected a former basketball player with a 38” vertical. Conklin shows soft hands and very good athletic ability, he’s a versatile player, who should be lined up all over the field in John DeFilippo’s offense to create mismatches against the opposing defense. He’s also a capable run blocker because of his hands and toughness. Creating separation with his route running and inline blocking needs to see improvement.

Good Depth

Round 2, Pick 62: Brian O’Neill, Pittsburgh

91st overall and the 7th ranked offensive tackle in ITP’s draft guide, O’Neill is a tremendous athlete at the offensive tackle position, garnering a 9.59 Relative Athletic Score (which is on a 0 to 10 scale). Lead scout Marcus Johnson raved on his ability on down and reach blocks due to his hand placement, base establishment and excellent lateral movement. He is best suited in a zone blocking scheme, which fits with Minnesota. With improvement on his lower body strength when anchoring, pad level and use of hands, he could fill in and replace offensive tackles Mike Remmers or Riley Reiff in a couple of years.

Round 4, Pick 102: Jalyn Holmes, Ohio State

Ranked 127 overall and the 14th ranked edge rusher, Holmes should see some snaps as a rookie due to Mike Zimmer’s method of rotating defensive linemen. He can line up anywhere across the defensive line, but general manager Rick Spielman says the team sees him more as an inside rusher. His 34” arms match that of fifth overall pick Bradley Chubb, and are just a shade under Carlos Dunlap, Jason Pierre-Paul and Cameron Hayward. Lead scout Nick Falato said Holmes shows “good explosiveness off the line of scrimmage…and establishes good inside hand placement on the edge”. Using his length, he is able to set the edge and shows a very good ability to stack and shed blocks vs the run. According to Falato, he’ll need to work on his pad level and snap timing, due to being one of the last ones to react to the snap.

RANK B-

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Round 1: (30) Mike Hughes, CB, 6 games/2 starts.
Round 2: (62) Brian O'Neill, OT, 15 games/11 starts.
Round 4: (102) Jalyn Holmes, DE, 5 games/0 starts.
Round 5: (157) Tyler Conklin, TE, 16 games/3 starts; (167) Daniel Carlson, K, 2 games with Minnesota/0 starts (waived by Vikings in September; signed with Raiders in October, played in 10 games with Raiders).
Round 6: (213) Colby Gossett, OG, 0 games with Minnesota (waived by Vikings in September, signed to practice squad, signed by Cardinals in October, played in five games with four starts for Cardinals); (218) Ade Aruna, DE, 0 games/0 starts.
Round 7: (225) Devante Downs, LB, 11 games/0 starts.
Notable rookie FA signings: Holton Hill, CB, 16 games/3 starts; Mike Boone, RB, 8 games/0 starts.

It's hard to evaluate Minnesota's class when its first-round pick played less than half a season. Hughes was playing well and frequently over the Vikings' first five games, even recording a pick in Minnesota's opener, but his year was cut short by a torn ACL in Week 6. Hughes flashed enough to suggest he'll be a formidable starter for years to come. O'Neill stepped up during the last half of the year at right tackle and should pair with Riley Reiff next season as solid bookends in front of Kirk Cousins. Carlson was a bust, at least for the Vikings, who cut the kicker after just two games and three missed field-goal tries; he has since found employment -- and his stroke -- with Oakland. Holmes was a non-factor, while Conklin flashed as a blocking tight end in his limited offensive snaps.

Combine/free agency focus: Passed over for an extension in recent years in favor of his front-seven brethren, Anthony Barr is slated to hit the market, as is Sheldon Richardson. With Minnesota strapped for cap space, both could be gone. But the Vikings will need to focus on the other side of the line first. Long an exploited weakness, the offensive line needs repair at the starting spots on the interior and more depth at tackle. Minnesota can patch those holes in the draft or free agency, though there are few upper-tier offensive linemen to go around. The Vikings would also be smart to go after a third receiver, in addition to replacements for Barr and Richardson.