The Everson Griffen situation is heartbreaking but it only magnified Minnesota's immediate need at edge rusher. Drake Jackson is the best prospect at the position on the board.
McDuffie is a patient cornerback who avoids panicking in coverage, displaying unflappable confidence and an elite awareness on the gridiron. He is adept in man or zone schemes and supports the run better than most cornerbacks. A versatile athlete, he consistently demonstrates adequate NFL range when dropping into coverage downfield. Minnesota experiences some lapses in coverage and if they acquire a talent like McDuffie, those miscues should lessen and increase accountability within the defensive secondary.
Everything you read about Leal talks about his versatility. You can put him anywhere along the D-line and he can help you. Already with 7.5 sacks and 11.5 TFL this season, the 6-4, 290-pound Leal can get what he wants, when he wants it.
Jordan Davis is a dominant interior defensive lineman that plays with brute strength. In college, he has shown the ability to bull rush offensive linemen and collapse the pocket. He will immediately help a Minnesota Vikings defense that has failed to slow down opposing offenses' rushing attacks.
Elam dominated so much as an underclassman -- 89.8 and 81.0 coverage grades as a true freshman and sophomore in 2019 and 2020 -- that opposing offenses have largely avoided him in 2021. This year, Elam has been targeted 27 times in seven games, 18 of which came in just two games (Alabama and Samford). In addition, he has allowed only one explosive reception over 15-plus yards while making six plays on the ball. Elam is fantastic at the line of scrimmage in press-man coverage, but he can thrive in multiple schemes.
With Patrick Peterson and Bashaud Breeland on expiring contracts and 2020 third-rounder Cameron Dantzler still developing, Minnesota's long-term outlook at cornerback looks bleak. In past early-round selections at the position, the Vikings' front office has valued versatile cornerbacks who are also consistent run-defenders. Booth is one of the best in this class at both of those, and so he'd check the boxes that the regime has coveted.
