A number of Minnesota's cornerbacks -- Patrick Peterson, Mike Hughes and Mackensie Alexander -- will be UFAs after the 2021 season and last year's first-round pick -- Jeff Gladney -- had a disappointing rookie campaign (PFF's 102nd-graded corner). In addition, safeties Harrison Smith and Xavier Woods are scheduled to become free agents in 2022 as well. The Vikings allowed the third-most 20-yard pass plays (63) and tied for allowing the most 40-yard pass plays (12) in 2020. In other words, there's a good chance they use their first-round pick on the secondary and Mike Zimmer gets a versatile safety prospect with Bolden here.
In the 2021 NFL draft we did not see an interior defensive lineman until the top of the second round. Could that change in 2022? If so, Perrion Winfrey is one of the leading contenders to force that issue. In 2020, his first season with the Oklahoma Sooners after playing junior college football at Iowa Western, Winfrey was named a Second-Team All-Big-12 selection by the conference's coaches. He played in all 11 games with eight starts, notching 19 tackles, including six for a loss.
The Minnesota Vikings added nose tackle Jaylen Twyman in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft, but could add Winfrey into the mix as another interior defender early in 2022.
McDuffie heads into his junior season having earned coverage grades of 83.7 and 77.6 in his first two years for the Huskies. He's also one of the best tackling corners in the country, with only two misses on 64 career attempts.
Karlaftis dominated in 2019 with 17 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 54 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble. But the 6-foot-4, 275-pound edge rusher was limited to three games in 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19. Patrick Jones II, the Vikings' fourth third-round choice on Friday night, provides depth on the edge but isn't likely to be a high-impact starter opposite Danielle Hunter. Karlaftis can be that. After being among the top five teams in sacks in 2018 and 2019, Minnesota ranked in the bottom five in 2020, with 23.
Over the last six years, Florida has produced 11 defensive back draft picks, including several first-rounders, and Elam is next in the pipeline. He needs to cut down on the penalties and improve his tackling, but his length and ball skills help him shut down passing windows.
Olave had some 1st/2nd-round buzz after a stellar 2020 season, but he decided to return to school where he'll be one of the top receivers heading into the fall.
The Vikings could use someone like Pickens on the outside. Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen are a nasty 1-2 combo at WR, but Minnesota would benefit from having a stud who can consistently win on the perimeter. Pickens is 6-foot-3, 200-pounds with some sudden explosiveness and speed. Pickens also has an absurd catch radius and a real knack for playing with strong awareness near the sideline. Assuming the ACL injury he suffered this offseason does not ruin him, Pickens is going to be a star.
With 22 career starts at left tackle already under his belt, Walker has the length and athleticism to excel at left tackle at the next level. With David Bakhtiari manning Aaron Rodgers' (?!) blind side, however, Walker could start initially at right tackle and then eventually replace the 30-year-old (in September) Bakhtiari down the line when it's time to pass the torch.
Of course, the storylines around Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers are dominating headlines right now, but as we start thinking about the next draft cycle, wide receiver is a position the organization could look to address in 2022. Right now three of Green Bay's top receivers are set to be free agents: Davante Adams, Equanimeous St. Brown and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, which could proper receiver to the top of Green Bay's needs.
George Pickens will be a fascinating point of discussion this draft cycle. Over two seasons for the Georgia Bulldogs the WR has caught 85 passes for 1,240 yards and 14 touchdowns, and he was expected to put up huge numbers in 2021. Those expectations took a big hit when he tore the ACL in his right knee during spring practice, and while there are hopes he could still return to the field in 2021, such a goal is a long ways off. Whether he returns to the field or not, he would still be a potential first-round pick if he enters the 2022 draft.
Blaylock is a big projection at this point, as he put up only 310 yards as a freshman before tearing his ACL as a sophomore. He's an agile slot receiver at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, with terrific ball skills.
The Packers again did not draft an offensive playmaker in Round 1, this time amid reports that QB Aaron Rodgers does not want to return. If they weren't going to target a receiver at that point, I don't know that it will ever be a priority, so I won't force it in my projections. But Green Bay still lands an impact player here, albeit on the other side of the ball. Harris started at Will linebacker last season and is a former high school wide receiver and safety. Over two seasons, he has 142 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble.
At 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, Harrison is straight out of central casting and will light up stopwatches at next year's scouting combine. He didn't take as big of a jump between his freshman and sophomore seasons as expected, but with another offseason working under Larry Johnson, Harrison could be a breakout star this fall.
Green started as a true freshman and has only gotten better each year. He consistently moves defensive tackles off the line of scrimmage, a trait which translates to any level.
Who knows what will happen with Green Bay's QB situation. The team needs guard help regardless, though. Green is a wide-bodied, aggressive guard for the Aggies. Green has all the movement skills, power, and violent mentality to be one of the league's better guards right away. His efforts in leading the Texas A&M line earned him second-team All-America honors. Even if Green plays tackle in 2021, which he may, that should not stop the Packers from kicking him back to guard in the pros.
