Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft Roundup: What the Experts Are Saying

Grabbing a threat for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the passing game remains the odds-on favorite for the Minnesota Vikings with the 23rd overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. 

Mock drafts from around the web continue to slot in a receiver—such as Laquon Treadwell of Ole Miss or Josh Doctson of TCU—at No. 23, believing the Vikings to be ready and capable of finding the outside threat needed to help take Bridgewater and the Minnesota offense to the next level. 

There are no certainties when it comes to the later picks in the first round, but a receiver certainly makes sense for the defending NFC North champions. With Mike Wallace now in Baltimore, a number of question marks behind last year's rookie standout Stefon Diggs and few other glaring holes on the roster, Minnesota is in a perfect position to use a first-round pick on a difference-making pass-catcher. 

In the following slides, we will take a look at the Vikings' first-round options through a collection of mock drafts from prominent draft media members. We'll also break down whether the various selections make the most sense for Minnesota at No. 23 overall. 

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network: WR Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss

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In his April 19 mock draft, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network used the 23rd overall pick on Ole Miss receiver Laquon Treadwell, who he said would be "outstanding" for Bridgewater and the Vikings "on third downs and in the red zone."

The 6'2", 221-pound receiver certainly produced throughout his final season at Ole Miss. 

Treadwell caught 82 passes for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015, including three scores in a dominant performance over Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl. He also totaled 80 yards and caught a touchdown over cornerback Cyrus Jones during the Rebels' win over Alabama, the eventual national champion. 

What Treadwell lacks in straight-line speed, he makes up for in toughness, length and an ability to win in traffic. 

One AFC college scouting director called him "old school," according to Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports. 

"I loved seeing those [40] times," the director said. "I was glad he ran that. Let him fall to us. He's a 4.6 receiver all day, always was. But that's how he plays too, that's the difference. He also plays hot. He wants to get after you."

The Vikings lost some obvious vertical speed in Wallace, but his skill set didn't mesh with Bridgewater in 2015. While offensive coordinator Norv Turner likes throwing the ball downfield, and the presence of running back Adrian Peterson opens up some favorable looks to attack vertically, Treadwell and his ability to make the tough catch in money situations might be the better fit.  

Rob Rang, CBS Sports: WR Josh Doctson, TCU

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In his April 21 mock draft, Rob Rang of CBS Sports picked TCU receiver Josh Doctson for the Vikings at No. 23 overall. 

"The 6'2", 202-pound Doctson has enough speed to challenge vertically, and he's a master at winning contested passes due to his strong hands and body control," Rang wrote.

No player has been more connected to the Vikings in mock drafts than Doctson. In fact, according to the Daily Norseman's latest mock draft database, Doctson was the pick for Minnesota in a whopping 41 percent of major media mocks, with Treadwell a distant second at 24 percent. 

The connection is an easy one to make. 

Doctson, who caught 25 touchdowns over his final two seasons at TCU, possesses a huge catch radius and an ability to win at every level of the field, including vertically. 

"Pure technician," an AFC receivers coach told NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. "He's really good with those routes, and he's the best at getting it up top. When he got hurt, TCU was done. They looked lost without him. He's a safe receiver for the first (round) and one of the only ones."

Of all the receivers with first-round ability, Doctson might make the most sense for Minnesota. He's not a big-time burner (ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds), but he plays fast, and his short-area quickness and huge vertical leap (41") should allow him to be a threat after the catch, in the intermediate-to-deep ranges and especially in the red zone. 

If Doctson is still on the board when the 23rd pick comes up, it'll be hard for the Vikings to pass on him. Teaming Doctson with Diggs would give Bridgewater a dynamic duo capable of producing all over the field.  

Mel Kiper, ESPN: WR Will Fuller, Notre Dame

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In his April 19 "Grade A" mock draft, Mel Kiper of ESPN gave Notre Dame receiver Will Fuller to the Vikings at No. 23 overall. 

"In this instance, the Vikings get arguably the best deep threat in the draft, a dangerous player who takes pressure off Stefon Diggs in the passing game," Kiper said. "He needs to be more consistent catching the ball, but it's about concentration, not a lack of ability." 

The Wallace experiment failed miserably in 2015, but if the Vikings are interested in restarting the project with a younger, more cost-efficient option, Fuller figures to be in play.

According to Zierlein, 27 percent of Fuller's catches in 2015 were good for 25 yards or more. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds, which led all receivers—and by a comfortable margin. 

Clearly, Fuller has an ability to win vertically that should translate at the professional level. It's also worth noting here that the Vikings struggled to throw down the field in 2015 for more reasons (namely pass protection) than just Wallace. Combining improvements up front with the drafting of Fuller could finally give the Vikings the right pieces for discovering the downfield passing game. 

Then again, Fuller has a slender frame (6'0", 186 lbs) and inconsistent hands, and he lacks the all-around game of Treadwell and Doctson. The Vikings probably desire more at the position than a player who only might resemble Wallace at the next level. 

Cris Collinsworth, Pro Football Focus: DT Chris Jones, Miss. State

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In his April 22 mock draft, Cris Collinsworth of Pro Football Focus provided head coach Mike Zimmer with Mississippi State defensive tackle Chris Jones at No. 23. 

"Jones is a huge guy with poor technique who I think Zimmer can coach into a first-class player," Collinsworth wrote. "He flashed his athleticism often at Mississippi State, and actually ended up with the second-best pass-rush grade among interior linemen last season. The longer he’s around Zimmer, the better he’ll get. Jones is just too big, too athletic and too rare to slide out of the first round."

Finally, something other than a receiver. 

Collinsworth remains one of the only analysts to mock a non-receiver to the Vikings. He's thinking outside the box, but unless Minnesota really loves one of the receivers who falls to 23, it's certainly possible general manager Rick Spielman will dip into the deep defensive line draft to find another interior disruptor for Zimmer's defense. 

Back in February, the PFF team compared Jones to Muhammad Wilkerson of the New York Jets. It was high praise, but it's also easy to see how the size and pass-rushing ability could eventually stack up to New York's Pro Bowler. 

Can you imagine Zimmer having a player like Wilkerson to team up with Everson Griffen, Anthony Barr and Danielle Hunter in pass-rush situations? Scary. 

That said, a defensive tackle still feels a little rich for the Vikings, especially in a draft so deep at the position. If Jones is the best player on the board at 23, pull the trigger. If not, Minnesota can probably still find a quality player for the defensive line in the middle rounds. 

Sam Monson, Pro Football Focus: WR Michael Thomas, Ohio State

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In his April 14 mock draft, Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus used Minnesota's first-round pick on Ohio State receiver Michael Thomas. 

"Thomas is a lot of what people want Laquon Treadwell to be," Monson wrote. "He’s a big receiver who can make plays after the catch and fit well with Teddy Bridgewater’s skill set by excelling in the short and intermediate game."

Thomas stands 6'3" and weighs 213 pounds. He's strongly built with nearly perfect hands and underrated straight-line speed for his size. His production and ability in the red zone should translate immediately to the next level. 

However, could Thomas be redundant in Minnesota, where the Vikings will welcome back Charles Johnson (6'2", 215 lbs) from an injury-plagued 2015 season? 

The two have similar size and a similar game. Johnson looked like a natural fit with Bridgewater back in 2014, and it seems likely that the Vikings will give him every chance to be a contributor once again in 2016. 

A nephew of Keyshawn Johnson, Thomas has the size, speed and production potential to warrant a selection near the end of the first round. His similarities to Charles Johnson could cause the Vikings to think twice about adding the Ohio State receiver, but it's also possible redundancy isn't much of a hurdle if a player is capable of upgrading the talent level at a given position.