Vikings Draft Stock Watch: 13 Players Rising and Falling on Minnesota's Board
The Minnesota Vikings, like any other team, have been scouring the country to find hidden gems or find flaws in presumed diamonds, and a good number of players have seen their draft stock fall or rise on Minnesota's board since then. Though we don't know what general manager Rick Spielman's board ultimately looks like, what the pro days have revealed so far should be telling.
The Vikings have expressed serious interest or interviewed a number of players during pro days around the country, and from culling that list, we can identify who the Vikings invested the most scrutiny in and whether or not that scrutiny helped or hurt those prospects.
Media speculation isn't 100 percent accurate. Though quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's pro day was, according to consensus, a massive flop, Minnesota offensive coordinator Norv Turner thought he looked good. Nevertheless, a look into pro day performances will at least give us a better idea of whom the Vikings value and how that value changed.
Because of the nature of pro days and team interest, there are always going to be more risers than fallers (after all, teams tend to be interested in players they think will do well, and pro days enable better performances), but that helps to focus the Vikings' general draft profile and who they may target.
Rising: DT Christian Covington, Rice
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The Vikings sent their defensive line coach to work out and evaluate Rice's defensive tackle, Christian Covington, which likely turned out to be fantastic for his draft stock.
According to Gil Brandt at NFL.com, Covington's workout at the position drills was outstanding. Beyond that, his measureable drills were exceedingly good.
Defensive tackles who weigh between 284 pounds and 294 pounds (Covington weighed in at 289) run an average 40-yard dash of 5.02 seconds. Covington's two runs were 4.91 and 4.89 seconds, which is simply fantastic.
Even more impressive were his explosion scores. The Vikings clearly have very stringent explosion benchmarks for their defensive tackles, and Covington's 30.5-inch vertical leap and 9'4" broad jump well exceed those benchmarks.
Aside from that, agility scores of 4.43 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.43 seconds in the three-cone are impressive by themselves, and 24 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press isn't bad either.
His movement ability will help resolve some injury concerns scouts had about his knee and, though that will need to be evaluated further, only helps Covington's draft stock.
Falling: OT Tyrus Thompson, Oklahoma
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Though offensive tackle Tyrus Thompson's stock may not have fallen far, in a stacked tackle class, it may fall far enough to take him out of mid-round consideration for the Vikings. The team met with him and teammate offensive tackle Daryl Williams at the Oklahoma pro day.
For a player whose selling point is athleticism, Thompson needed to run faster than a 5.29-second 40-yard dash (average for tackles of his size), but he ran it in 5.40 seconds, according to Tony Pauline at Walter Football.
It's not a deal-breaker by any means, but he already seemingly fails the Vikings' prototype at tackle by falling well short of the 8'5" broad jump standard (he jumped 8'1") Minnesota seemingly has. Without doing any other drills besides the 40-yard dash, he only hurt himself, if only because he fell short of the athleticism standard he was supposed to have.
That doesn't mean the Vikings are low on him, it just means that they likely won't have him as high as they used to. Whether it's because of his injury, his well-known work-ethic issues or a genuine lack of athleticism, he may have indicated to the Vikings that they'd be better off passing him earlier than they initially may have planned.
Rising: CB Trae Waynes, Michigan State
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The Vikings showed particular interest in cornerback Trae Waynes from Michigan State, according to The States News, and he may provide Minnesota with the answer it needs in front of safety Harrison Smith and across the field from cornerback Xavier Rhodes. The Vikings doubled down on that interest by inviting him to the facility, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.
With Waynes' fluidity in big question, he needed to prove that his agility was much more than he showed at the NFL draft combine, where his short shuttle showing was abysmal, taking all of 4.39 seconds, 40th of the 42 defensive backs who attended the combine.
Waynes mentioned that his leg cramped up during the agility drills he went through at the combine, and he put action to his words by running the short shuttle at 4.01 seconds, a massive improvement.
He will still have to answer for stiffness issues that showed up on film, but he's in a much better spot than he was previously.
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Falling: OT Ty Sambrailo, Colorado State
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The Vikings primarily care about arm length and explosion when it comes to workout metrics for offensive tackles, and though tackle Ty Sambrailo passed the filter for arm length, his combine broad jump of 9'1" fell short of the 9'5" the Vikings have used at their minimum in the past.
All 32 teams watched Colorado State's pro day, but without quarterback Garrett Grayson on hand, the Vikings and many others watched Ty Sambrailo go through drills. At the pro day, he was the only player mentioned by NFL.com's Gil Brandt to have a draftable grade.
Though he has flashed technique while playing for CSU, no mention of his ability in position drills is usually a bad thing. Missing out on improving poor combine performances could be worse. Though Sambrailo reran the event he was dominant at (improving an already great three-cone time of 7.54 seconds to a nearly inconceivable 7.26 seconds), he didn't build on more disappointing and potentially more relevant events.
As is the case with Thompson, the ability to distinguish oneself in a crowded offensive tackle class is to consistently outperform peers at every opportunity. Sambrailo declined a number of those opportunities, instead improving on something he was already established to be good at.
Though this doesn't help Sambrailo's case, he's not necessarily off the board. The Vikings do need offensive line help, and sometimes, being dominant at one thing is better than being good at many things.
Rising: RB Jay Ajayi, Boise State
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Jay Ajayi's pro day at Boise State was impressive by many accounts. His workout was "outstanding," per NFL.com's Gil Brandt, and he stood on his numbers from the NFL combine, which included a 4.57-second 40-yard dash.
The Minnesota Vikings may be in need of a running back if the Adrian Peterson situation sours even more than it already has, and Ajayi could be a good fit. Though mostly seen as a runner outside the tackles who can offer upside in the passing game, Ajayi's build is well-suited for the inside, and he can push the pile very well when he chooses to.
Ajayi's physicality may complement running back Jerick McKinnon's perceived role, which gives the Vikings a quick back who can take advantage of space. That kind of combination in a running back by committee could begin to replace, though not replicate, Peterson's absence on the roster should it come to that.
Falling: LB Randy Gregory, Nebraska
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Linebacker Randy Gregory's drills were run by Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards, and he's out to prove his athleticism is real after a disappointing combine performance in Indianapolis. After the workout, the Vikings spent an "extensive amount of time" with him, per Tony Pauline at Walter Football.
Though his position drills "looked terrific," per Pauline, not running the 40-yard dash may have hurt him. He himself said that he was unhappy with his time of 4.64 seconds and wanted to improve on it. Abstractly, a 4.64-second 40-yard dash isn't too bad for a linebacker, but it's quite disappointing at 235 pounds.
Speed relative to weight may not mean a lot to the Vikings (they prefer, if they can, to have linebackers run faster than 4.70), but their general penchant for explosiveness would at least make them pause.
Regardless, all of that only marginally affects his stock compared to the recent revelations that he failed a drug test at the NFL draft combine. That was already a well-known concern, and Gregory needed to provide assurances to teams that his past was behind him; this was likely the subject of the long meeting the Vikings held with him.
He could end up being a perfect fit in the "Will" linebacker spot, where the Vikings need to replace linebacker Chad Greenway. If his character checks out, he'll be a target for Minnesota. For now, he's only hurt himself.
Rising: DE Nate Orchard, Utah
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Utah linebacker/defensive end Nate Orchard met with the Minnesota Vikings "at length," according to Tony Pauline at Walter Football. The Vikings' presumed interest in Orchard builds off of his successful combine, and though he went through both pass-rushing and linebacker drills at his pro day, he likely projects as a pass-rusher for the Vikings, not a linebacker.
Though his weight would suggest otherwise, Vikings linebackers tend to be faster than those who run 4.80 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
His agility scores were well within the parameters of a Vikings pass-rusher, though, while his explosion scores missed the mark for an off-ball linebacker.
Given his relatively specific use for the Vikings, it's great news that he looked very good in position drills.
Rising: TE Kennard Backman, UAB
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Alabama-Birmingham's second-leading receiver, Kennard Backman isn't well-known to football fans—but he ended up on the watchlist for the John Mackey Award (given to college football's best tight end) anyway. The Vikings worked him out, and he may visit with them.
For the Vikings, his pro day certainly passes muster. No Vikings tight end acquisition has thus far run a 40-yard dash slower than 4.70 seconds, and all but one had a vertical leap of 33 inches or more. Backman ran a 4.65 40-yard dash, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com, and also had a 35.5-inch vertical.
In addition to that, he was reportedly the "star" of the pro day, held at Samford (because UAB's program has ended), and looked great in position drills. His workout numbers also included a 9'9" broad jump, a 4.49-second short shuttle and 7.23-second three-cone, along with 17 bench press reps.
The Vikings do not have a great need at tight end, but shoring up the roster for a position that offensive coordinator Norv Turner seems to love can't be a bad move.
Rising: LB Edmond Robinson, Newberry
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The team sent a linebackers coach to Newberry's pro day, and it looks like East-West Shrine Game participant Edmond Robinson could be the benefactor.
Robinson stood on his impressive combine numbers but performed well in positional drills, per Gil Brandt at NFL.com.
As is always the case with combine numbers, it's good to see if a player plays to his measureables—at least in drills, if nothing else—and it's a great sign that Robinson seemingly made good on those numbers with solid drills.
With a massive need at linebacker, the Vikings could do worse than Robinson, whose 40-yard dash (4.61 seconds), vertical leap (37 inches) and broad jump (10'1") all surpass the Vikings' minimums at linebacker.
Rising: S Eric Rowe, Utah
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Defensive back Eric Rowe met with the Vikings at the NFL combine and also worked out in front of them at Utah's pro day. Though he stood on his phenomenal combine scores, he more importantly looked good in his positional drills.
Rowe's stunning combine didn't need to be improved upon, and it's difficult to find safeties with 4.45 speed in the 40-yard dash. That comes with a 6.70-second three-cone, 3.97-second short shuttle, 10'5" broad jump and a 39-inch vertical, in addition to 19 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
Those measureables are very good for a cornerback and outstanding for a safety, which may drive the Vikings' interest. With a possible need to upgrade the safety position next to Harrison Smith, they could get another athletic phenom in order to allow Smith to freewheel and do what he does best.
Rising: S Cedric Thompson, Minnesota
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Minnesota safety Cedric Thompson put together an incredible pro day, where he was timed as low as 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash, according to Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com.
He also posted 21 bench press reps, a 40.5-inch vertical leap, a broad jump of 10'2" and excellent agility scores, running the short shuttle in 4.28 seconds and the three-cone in 6.92 seconds. This would be good for a cornerback of 190 pounds, but it is fairly shocking for a safety of 211 pounds.
Thompson benefits both from a poor safety group and a clear need at safety by many teams, including the Vikings. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper is a big fan of his game and has moved him quickly up his board; he sits right now as the No. 10 player at his position.
The Vikings may be looking to keep this soaring Gopher at home.
Rising: DT Marcus Hardison, Arizona State
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The Vikings ran defensive line drills for Arizona State and had the pleasure of seeing defensive tackle Marcus Hardison in the process.
Hardison could not participate in the NFL combine because of injury, but his pro day was stellar, according to Tony Pauline at Walter Football. With 40-yard dashes of 4.92 seconds and 4.95 seconds, Hardison added premier agility (4.68-second short shuttle and 7.29-three cone) and a great 10-yard split of 1.70 seconds, all at 305 pounds.
That would likely have been judged the best combine performance among defensive tackles had he attended, with a good broad jump (8'11") canceling out a poor vertical (25.5 inches).
Though the Vikings do place a premium on explosion, Hardison may pass muster with his incredible quickness and speed.
The Vikings do not necessarily need another 3-technique defensive tackle, with both Sharrif Floyd and Tom Johnson on the roster, but it doesn't hurt to add potentially game-changing athletic talent.
Rising: DE/OLB Xzavier Dickson, Alabama
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Minnesota defensive coordinator George Edwards worked out Alabama linebacker and pass-rusher Xzavier Dickson. Though Dickson ran only one drill (the 40-yard dash) and, per Gil Brandt at NFL.com, didn't improve on it from the combine (where he ran it at 4.74 seconds), he still helped more than hurt himself.
Brandt remarked that Dickson's workout "went well," but Tony Pauline at Walter Football went one further, arguing that though "several unheralded prospects stood out," none stood out more than Dickson. According to Pauline, some scouts had Dickson's time below 4.70 seconds in the 40-yard dash
The biggest issue for Dickson could have been fluidity, as his scores at the combine in agility drills (4.53 seconds in the short shuttle and 7.56 seconds in the three-cone) were absolutely abysmal. Contrary to that, however, his positional drills were executed extremely efficiently, per Pauline.
The Vikings do need help at linebacker, but his measurables project better to defensive end. It remains to be seen if this set of drills is enough to overcome a subpar performance in workouts at the NFL draft combine.
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