Minnesota Vikings Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades
Bleacher Report's 2016 NFL draft tracker will keep you up to date on all the picks made by the Minnesota Vikings, who are scheduled to make eight selections.
The madness begins Thursday night with the draft's first round. The Vikings have the 23rd overall pick, but with general manager Rick Spielman controlling Minnesota's draft room, a trade up or down the board is always possible.
The defending NFC North champions made a few big moves in free agency—including the signings of guard Alex Boone and tackle Andre Smith—and another good draft could help the young, talented Vikings take the next step in the NFC hierarchy.
Stay here for everything you need on the Vikings' 2016 draft, with instant results and immediate analysis on all of Minnesota's picks from Thursday to Saturday.
Minnesota Vikings Draft Picks
1 of 9The Vikings have made at least 10 draft picks in three of the last four drafts, but general manager Rick Spielman will enter the 2016 draft with only eight selections. Minnesota has one pick in every round and two in the seventh round.
The Vikings received their fifth-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers in the Gerald Hodges trade, while the second seventh-rounder was acquired in the Matt Cassel deal.
Round 1, Pick 23: WR Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss
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After watching the Houston Texans move up to get Notre Dame's Will Fuller and the Washington Redskins take TCU's Josh Doctson at No. 22, the Vikings continued the run on receivers by taking Laquon Treadwell of Ole Miss with the 23rd overall pick.
Finally, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater might have a true No. 1 receiver.
Treadwell dominated the SEC in 2015, catching 82 passes for almost 1,200 yards and an SEC-high 11 scores. He capped off his collegiate career with a dominant effort in the Sugar Bowl, hauling in three scores during the Rebels' win over Oklahoma State.
In an open letter on The Players' Tribune, Treadwell explained why a team like the Vikings should take him:
"On draft night, when you’re looking for a playmaker, you’ll have to ask yourself: Do you want a guy who can read defenses to get open? That’s me. Do you want a guy who can move the chains? That’s me. Do you want a guy who will battle for every jump ball and every touchdown? That’s me. I have played against the best in the college game, and thrived. Now I am ready to do it at the professional level. And if you draft me, I’ll spend every minute of every day making sure you don’t regret it.
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The Vikings need everything Treadwell is selling. While he doesn't possess blazing long speed, his size and ability to make the contested catch should fit nicely in an offense that currently operates best when Bridgewater is attacking the short to intermediate levels of the field.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Treadwell to Houston's All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
"Like DeAndre Hopkins, both players should be defined by their talent, ball skills and consistency of production over pure speed numbers," Zierlein wrote. "Treadwell is at his best when he has a clean, two-way go off the line of scrimmage and he could be a challenging size matchup from the slot."
Minnesota needed a receiver. Everything about the process pointed to a pass-catcher for the Vikings at 23. Who knows if Treadwell was general manager Rick Spielman's first choice at the position, but it's clear he fills an obvious need for the defending NFC North champions.
Grade: B+
Round 2, Pick 54: CB Mackensie Alexander, Clemson
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Just ask Oklahoma receiver Sterling Shepard—who was drafted by the New York Giants during Friday's second round—if the Vikings just took a potential shutdown cornerback.
Alexander, Minnesota's pick at No. 54 overall, all but eliminated Shepard during matchups in both 2014 and 2015, with one of his highlight collegiate games coming during Clemson's win over Oklahoma in the College Football Playoffs this past January.
Ultra competitive and overflowing with confidence, Alexander now figures to make up one-third of Minnesota's future cornerback trio alongside former first-round picks Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes. And while cornerback isn't a pressing need for the Vikings in 2016, the position could require quality depth by 2017.
Captain Munnerlyn and Terence Newman are both entering contract years in 2016. It's certainly possible—if not probable—that both will be gone after next year, leaving Alexander in charge of taking over as the team's nickelback in 2017 and beyond.
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer can never get enough players who can either disrupt the quarterback or cover receivers down the field. Alexander will provide a huge boost to the latter part of his tried-and-true blueprint.
Grade: B+
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Round 4, Pick 121: OT Willie Beavers, Western Michigan
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The Vikings have found their next developmental offensive tackle prospect.
After trading down from the third round on Friday night, the Vikings used their third pick in the 2016 draft to take Western Michigan's Willie Beavers, who figures to provide much-needed depth at tackle in Minnesota.
Left tackle Matt Kalil is entering the final year of his contract in 2016, and both Phil Loadholt and Andre Smith will play next season on one-year deals.
According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Beavers could use the year of development before being thrown into the fire:
"Beavers is very athletic with the feet to play left tackle, but has the talent and traits to play all over the offensive line with more technique work. While he clearly has some power and twitch in his hips, he could use a year in an NFL weight room to strengthen his core and upper body. Beavers is an eventual NFL starter who is likely to be targeted by teams who covet tackles who can excel in space.
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Pro Football Focus agrees. In fact, the numbers don't paint a very pretty picture of Beavers' ability at tackle.
According to PFF, Beavers was ranked as the 118th overall offensive tackle in the 2016 class after posting the worst pass-blocking grade among all draft-eligible players at the position last year.
Beavers has the athletic profile of a starting offensive tackle, but he also has a long ways to go before he's ready to man either side of an NFL offensive line. While the Vikings needed the depth up front, Beavers is a big project for a team that may need a new starter at both left and right tackle by 2017.
Grade: C-
Round 5, Pick 160: LB Kentrell Brothers, Missouri
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Arguably the best run-stopping linebacker in college football from a year ago has landed in Minnesota.
The Vikings used their fifth-round pick on Missouri linebacker Kentrell Brothers, who made more impact tackles than any player in the nation last year. According to Pro Football Focus, Brothers led college football with 78 defensive stops (a tackle constituting an offensive failure), including 64 against the run.
He'll now slot in as the Vikings' long-term answer at middle linebacker.
Minnesota has two solidified starters in Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, but with Brothers now on board, Kendricks may eventually be able to slide to the outside when the Vikings play their base 4-3 defense. The presence of Barr and Kendricks as the team's nickel linebackers also negates Brothers' weakness in playing the pass, as he'll be able to come off the field in obvious passing situations.
Brothers has the talent and production of a Day 2 pick, but the Vikings got him in the fifth round. In today's NFL, that's good value. And linebacker was a moderate need for Minnesota in this draft. Add up talent, production, value and need, and you get the recipe for a very strong Day 3 selection.
Grade: A-
Round 6, Pick 180: WR Moritz Boehringer, Germany
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When Mike Mayock asks, Mike Mayock gets.
The NFL Network draft analyst pleaded with the Rick Spielman, Mike Zimmer and Vikings to take German receiver Mortiz Boehringer live on air Saturday, and Minnesota complied with the request—taking the raw but explosive athlete with the first of the team's two sixth-round picks.
According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, the 6'4", 223-pound Boehringer ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds and produced a vertical leap of 39 inches at his pro day this spring. The first player ever drafted straight out of Europe, he is the project of all projects, but the athletic traits are impossible to ignore.
An area scout told Zierlein:
"He looked good (at his pro day). Anytime a guy covers all the measurables from length to explosion to speed, you tend to get excited. ... He's got a chance, but you have to realize he's going against guys who aren't even at a D-III level. How will he deal with that jump in competition? How will he handle an NFL locker room? That's a culture shock. I'm not trying to kill the guy, but let's slow the train down a little.
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The comparisons to Green Bay Packers receiver Jeff Janis are unavoidable. While Janis has struggled to break through as a receiver (save for a miracle Hail Mary catch in the postseason), he's already provided positive impact as both a kickoff returner and a coverage player on kicks and punts.
The Vikings can hope for the same from Boehringer early on. He's going to take some time, but his growth potential as a player is immense. Late in Day 3, it's fine to take some risks, especially when the payoff is as big as it could be for Boehringer and the Vikings.
Grade: B
Round 6, Pick 188: TE David Morgan, UTSA
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Some wheeling and dealing eventually left the Vikings with the 188th overall pick, which Minnesota used on Texas-San Antonio tight end David Morgan.
In Morgan, the Vikings have found a quality combo tight end to complement Kyle Rudolph, MyCole Pruitt and Rhett Ellison.
Pro Football Focus called Morgan an "ox of a tight end" while grading him out as the best run-blocking tight end in the 2016 class. Also, PFF only had him down for three dropped passes in 68 opportunities over the last two years.
The Vikings have a player like Morgan in Ellison, but he's only signed through the 2016 season. Morgan could realistically take over his role as Minnesota's go-to blocking tight end as soon as 2017.
While not a flashy pick, Morgan fits how the Vikings want to play offense, and he fills a potential long-term need at a position Minnesota loves to use to help power the run game.
Grade: B
Round 7, Pick 227: OLB Stephen Weatherly, Vanderbilt
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Mike Zimmer and the Vikings' young defense have added another intriguing developmental pass-rusher.
Minnesota used its first of two seventh-round picks on Vanderbilt's Stephen Weatherly, who possesses big-time athletic traits but likely requires considerable work at the next level as an edge player.
The quick rundown from Dane Brugler of CBS Sports:
"He stacks well at the point of attack with his length, but needs to better use his hands and power to disengage blockers. Although he doesn't play up to his measureables and wasn't asked to consistently bend the edge as a pass rusher, Weatherly has the balanced athleticism and testing numbers to be more of a rush threat once he develops a plan.
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According to NFL.com, Weatherly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds and did 23 reps of 225 pounds.
The Vikings recently hit on a developmental pass-rusher with athleticism, as Danielle Hunter—a raw, athletic rusher from LSU—looked like a future edge terror as a rookie in 2015. Minnesota could be looking at Weatherly, who actually compares well to Hunter in terms of size and measurable traits, as another quick study.
You can never have enough big, fast players to attack the opposing quarterback with. Weatherly might not be an impact player right away, but the clay is there to be molded. Trust Zimmer with the traits.
Grade: B+
Round 7, Pick 244: S Jayron Kearse, Clemson
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It took the Vikings seven rounds and eight picks, but they finally drafted a safety.
With the 244th overall pick, the Vikings addressed the need with Clemson's Jayron Kearse.
There's no doubting his size and length, as he stands 6'4" with 34 ¼" arms. And he has terrific bloodlines as the nephew of Jevon Kearse, who terrorized NFL quarterbacks for almost 10 years as "The Freak."
Still, head coach Mike Zimmer and defensive backs coach Jerry Gray have plenty of work to do in creating an NFL-ready safety.
"He's a big guy, but he just doesn't make many plays," an NFC scout told Zierlein. "You see him out there just drifting around sometimes and you just wish he had the same attitude and fire that the rest of that defense has because he could be so much better. Do you draft him on traits and hope your coaches reach him?"
If any staff can flick on the light bulb for a massive safety like Kearse, it's probably the Vikings. All the athletic measurables are there.
Safety felt like more than a seventh-round need for Minnesota, but it's hard to argue with getting Kearse near the end of the draft. He'll get a chance to play special teams and sit behind a bunch of veterans, such as Andrew Sendejo and Michael Griffin, before the Vikings entertain the idea of playing him next to Harrison Smith.
Grade: B-
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