With Pick #108 the Minnesota Vikings Select

I've been thinking a lot about Kwesi grabbing La'Jarius Snead from the Chiefs for their rumored 2nd Round Pick asking price. Living in Kansas City, I've seen him play a lot of snaps and he's improved every year. He would instantly solve their need for a true CB1 that can be left on an island in Man Coverage.

I think Minnesota can still get projected Starters at virtually any position aside from QB1, Edge1 and CB1 beyond the 3rd Round.

If Minnesota trades #42 for Snead and takes McCarthy at #11, what can they realistically look at for Pick #108?

Positions you can find Rookie Contributors, Challengers for Depth and/or emergency Spot Starters due to injuries:

RB3/4: Jones is a one year hedge against Ty not improving in Pass Pro or getting hurt. McBride didn't look like an NFL-worthy Player in Preseason last year. This is quietly a pretty big need. And you can absolutely find an RB2 that can compete to be RB1 in '26 in the 4th Round. Heck, Teams regularly find RB1 on Day 3.

So who could be available? Potentially all of them minus Jonathan Brooks, Trey Benson and Jaylin Wright plus some potential late risers ala Isaac Guerendo after his monster Combine performance.

Guys I like are Braelon Allen, Marshawn Loyd, the aforementioned Guerendo and Will Shipley. But would they be that much better than Ray Davis, Isaiah Davis or Dylan Laube, all of whom can likely be had at #157 or #167? I'm not high on Bucky Irving or Audric Estime at all.

Personally, I would only use #108 on Brooks or Benson if they somehow fell. The value is better taking someone later to push McBride off the Roster.

WR3: Another sneaky big need. Powell is more of a WR4. Nailor can't stay healthy. The Vikings need someone to push or supplant Trishton Jackson and N'Keal Harry.

Potential options are Jalen McMillan, Jamari Thrash, Brendan Rice & Jermaine Burton. I'm not interested in Malik Washington or Tahj Washington. JJ, TJ and Addison all gets plenty of Slot Snaps. Getting another 5'10 or under, super skinny Slot WR makes no sense to me. Addison is an injury risk with that frame. So give me a bigger kid that can live on the Outside.

McMillan mostly played Slot at Washington, but he's got the size to stay on the Outside. I'd be good with any of them at #108 as I suspect they can contribute as Rookies and Harry can go somewhere else.

ILB: one of the easiest positions to find instant Contributors in the later Rounds of the Draft. And no longer a concern with the Cashman signing. Look for depth/competition for Asamoah and to replace Dye's Special Teams snaps with #177 or #188. That's where you can find guys like Ty'Ron Hopper or Marist Liafu or Curtis Jacobs. I would be thrilled if Trevin Wallace or Tyrice Knight were in that range as I'm currently much higher othann them than the Consensus Big Board.

Not a chance Kwesi or even Flores takes an ILB at #108.

IOL: A glaring need. Even if Minnesota inks Risner. They need to find someone who offers instant improvement in the running game. Dalton is not a good run blocker in any scheme. Brandel is serviceable depth but I'd like to see some true competition for one of the Starting Guard Spots in Training Camp.

I don't believe any of the Top 3 Centers is realistic unless Sedrick Van Pran somehow falls. Beaux Limmer, Drake Nugent and Hunter Nourzad are not guys I take at #108 and I don't believe any of them could legitimately push Bradbury at Center as Rookies. I would like to see one of them selected in the 5th and groomed, though.

Potential options are Zak Zinter if healthy, maybe Christian Mahogany or Dominic Puni makes it passed the 3rd. I'm much higher on Mason McCormick than the Consensus. Still, not many options at #108. Especially since I think Mahogany & Puni go in the 3rd.

Another option is looking at OTs to move inside. This is smart if you can find a kid you believe can be coached up to stick at Tackle in case Brian O'Neil fails to return to form after having a down year returning from his Achilles injury. It's quite common to have a kid play Guard for a season or two and then kick him back outside. Sure, the Vikings suck at it, but the rest of the League does it every single season.

I like Kingsley Suamataia but he'll likely go in the 2nd. Puni is a candidate for this approach. I also like Kiran Amegadjie and Christian Jones as guys who could realistically be available at #108.

Overall there just aren't a lot of options that would realistically be in play for #108.

IDL: The current situation is far from ideal. But I suspect that Bullard returns along with a Tier 3 guy. In my plan of QB @ #11 and trading #42 for Snead this position simply doesn't get fixed this offseason. When I think of guys you can get in the 4th it's actually Roy or Bullard type players.

Leonard Taylor could fall here. He's certainly got more upside than Roy, IMO. Otherwise you're looking at DeWayne Carter or McKinley Jackson or Mekhi Wingo. Given the Vikings connections to LSU I would be good with Wingo as they will likely have better intel on him that most other Teams.

But I can get more of an instant Contributor at WR or RB so I don't see the value here. Give me Khristian Boyd in the 6th as a true NT with a little pass rushing upside to groom behind Harrison Phillips.

CB3/4: Huge and obvious need. Evans is a bust. Booth is likely a bust if he can get healthy enough to play enough to get exposed. And that's IF Mekhi Blackmon is a true CB2, which I'm not remotely convinced of.

So CB3/4 is way up there in terms of a position where a Rookie could not only Challenge for Depth but even get emergency Spot Starts.

Potential prospects include Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Chau Smith-Wade and Caelen Carson. I'm much, much higher on Khyree Jackson and Cam Hart than the Consensus and just don't think either is an option at #108. If one did fall I'd race the card into the Commish in seconds flat regardless of who might be available at any other position.

Jackson and Hart are 6'2 and over 200 pounds. They can both play Man, Off Man or Zone. Flores doesn't have anyone like them at his disposal, and he's historically liked having at least 1 bigger Corner.

But alack and alas my Draft crushes will be gone by the 4th. I like Carson as a bit of a raw kid that is as feisty and competitive as Blackmon. And he's very versatile, so a good fit for Flores. Brownlee is a little smaller like Mekhi, but some think he can hold his own on the Outside and again is very much like Blackmon and someone Flores could like. Same for Chau Smith-Wade. All three are serious targets at #108, IMO.

Y'all can scout Safeties. I'm not going to bother with Bynum, Metellus, Jackson, Ward & Cine on the Roster. I see zero need unless Ward is already a bust. Same for TE. Kevin clearly sees Mundt as the one to take TJ's targets until he's healthy. They might like Jaheim Bell as a hybrid TE/FB/RB, but I doubt it.

At QB Jordan Travis or Spencer Rattler or Michael Pratt make zero sense in my plan with Darnold and Hall already on the Roster. If they take McCarthy how would any of these guys get any snaps to develop?

So when analyzing #108 I think the best options for getting someone who as a Rookie can Contribute, Challenge for Depth or even get emergency Spot Starts would be CB3/4, WR3 and RB3/4 in terms of who could be available when Minnesota is on the clock in the 4th Round.

Caelen Carson or one of the WRs is my preference unless Brooks or Benson falls at RB or one of Jackson or Hart falls at CB. I'd be tempted if Leonard Taylor makes it that far and Flores thinks he can unlock the potential. Or if the medicals for Zak Zinter are clean.

Many intriguing options ahead! Now go ahead and rip me for trading #42 for a CB and paying him around 20 million a year.