It's very possible that Gardner won't last until the 12th pick, but if he does, this would be an easy choice for new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Three Minnesota cornerbacks played more than 160 defensive snaps last year, and two of them -- Patrick Peterson (884) and Mackensie Alexander (689) -- are headed toward free agency next week. With ideal length and smooth footwork, the ball-hawking -- three interceptions in each of past three seasons -- cornerback has the versatility to excel in either press or off coverage.
What you have to love about Karlaftis is the motor never stops. He's going all-out on every snap, and he's strong enough and quick enough to make a lot of blockers look foolish. That said, he's not as fluid as you'd like when changing direction, and he does struggle when he isn't able to overpower his blocker with his strength or speed off the snap. There's plenty of potential for an above-average pass rusher here, and those are always valuable.
Patrick Peterson and Bashaud Breeland were only signed to one-year deals and neither played well enough to be asked back -- Breeland was released in-season. Stingley features rare ball-tracking skills that make him a threat to take the ball away anytime it's in his vicinity. As an 18-year-old, he produced one of the most impressive true freshman seasons in college football history in 2019. Durability has been a concern ever since. He's a top-five talent, but there's still a lot of questions surrounding him.
The Vikings have a tenacious pass-rush duo in Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum, but Johnson can be a third impact player on their front. His 12 sacks and 45 pressures were both top-15 numbers in the country last season, and he's a great value pick for Minnesota at No. 12. In Indianapolis, the 6-foot-5, 254-pounder ran a 4.58 in the 40-yard dash and impressed with a 10-foot-5 broad jump. New Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell watched a great pass rush help his former team, the Rams, to a Super Bowl. So he'd happily welcome another smooth-moving explosive end to the mix.
Stingley's name will gain traction once again after his pro day next month, and the Vikings are a team in need of a talented cornerback to tighten up the pass defense.
Pass rusher could be in play here, with questions about Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter on the outside of their defensive front. Another area of concern is in the secondary. Derek Stingley Jr.'s 2019 tape is perhaps the best out of any of the cornerbacks in this class, and if the Vikings are getting that player in the draft, they will be quite happy.
