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NFL mock draft: Huge trades could shake up first round
SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis and Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz discuss which teams could be looking to trade up in the 2018 NFL draft.
USA TODAY Sports
In the build-up to the 2018 draft, USA TODAY Sports will take a look at each NFL team’s situation and needs.
Minnesota Vikings
1. Expect the offensive line to be addressed early in the draft, perhaps multiple times. The Vikings are giving QB Kirk Cousins $84 million over the next three years, now they need to protect him.
Advice: Even though Minnesota sits 30th in the first round, it should have several good options to choose from. Notre Dame’s Mike McGlinchey, perhaps the top tackle, could be gone by then but is the clear choice if available. Otherwise, the Vikings could look at players who may be interchangeable at both guard and tackle, like Georgia’s Isaiah Wynn or Texas’ Connor Williams. Pittsburgh’s Brian O’Neill and Louisville’s Geron Christian could be tackle targets on Day 2.
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2. Terence Newman will turn 40 in September. Given he has not yet re-signed anyway, the Vikings could be looking for a viable nickel corner. And coach Mike Zimmer is always on the lookout for cornerbacks regardless of circumstances.
Advice: Minnesota doesn’t need to devote an early pick to this position after investing heavily in Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander. But Wisconsin’s Nick Nelson, Florida’s Duke Dawson and Texas’ Holton Hill will likely still be available in Round 3.
3. Kyle Rudolph is locked in as the Vikings’ top pass-catching tight end. He and WR Stefon Diggs led the team with eight TD catches in 2017, but no one else had more than four. Cousins surely wouldn’t mind another red zone weapon.
Advice: This year’s tight end class seems middling. But mid-round options include Oklahoma’s Mark Andrews, Stanford’s Dalton Schultz, Central Florida’s Jordan Akins and Indiana’s Ian Thomas. Former first rounder Laquon Treadwell has yet to be a factor, so GM Rick Spielman could also consider big-bodied WRs like SMU’s Courtland Sutton or Notre Dame’s Equanimeous St. Brown, both likely to be Day 2 picks.
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Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @LorenzoGReyes
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