Round one of the 2019 NFL Draft is in the books. The Minnesota Vikings hold the 50th pick in the second round and here are the top five guys they should be looking at. The Minnesota Vikings surprised no one when they stuck to their guns and took center Garrett Bradbury with the 18th overall pick during round one of the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday night. The Vikings clearly felt the need on the inside of their line was much more pressing, as there was arguably better value on the board at tackle in both Andre Dillard and Jawaan Taylor. Minnesota still has a lot of needs to address though and these include wide receiver, defensive tackle, offensive tackle, and running back. There are still a lot of good players left on the draft board and many who would provide huge value at pick 50 to the Vikings in the second round. Who are some of the best prospects remaining on the board that Minnesota should consider drafting when they make their selections on Day 2?<doc-sep>We’ve still got about seven hours or so of waiting ahead of us before Day 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft gets underway in Nashville, but that means there’s plenty of time to check out what draft experts are expecting the Vikings to do during tonight’s festivities. We’ve grabbed a bunch of second-round mock draft projections. . .and third-round, for the sites that went out that far. . .to give us a look at what they expect the Minnesota Vikings to do once the clock starts rolling this evening. Let’s take a look at what they’ve got, shall we? Dan Kadar, SB Nation: Irv Smith, Jr., TE, Alabama No commentary from Dan on this pick, but I don’t know if this would be a precursor to any sort of Kyle Rudolph deal or not. Steve Muench, E$PN: Miles Sanders , RB, Penn State Dalvin Cook fantasy owners will likely hate this pick, but the Vikings need to add depth behind him. Sanders is a good value at this point. Sanders is a nice player and all, but I don’t think the Vikings are going running back in the second round. At least, I hope they’re not. Steven Ruiz, For the Win (USA Today): Max Scharping , OT, Northern Illinois Even after taking a center in Round 1, the Vikings need to continue to invest in the offensive line. Offensive tackle is the team’s most pressing need. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Vikings double-up on the offensive line, to be honest. Walter Cherepinsky, Walter Football: Jaylon Ferguson , DE, Louisiana Tech, and Jace Sternberger , TE, Texas A&M Everson Griffen has mental issues that could resurface, so the Vikings may opt to pursue a defensive end in the first half of the 2019 NFL Draft. Jaylon Ferguson had an excellent Senior Bowl, proving that he could compete with the power-five prospects. However, he was not able to participate at the combine because of an off-the-field problem that surfaced recently, which is why he has fallen. . . . The Vikings have done a ton of work on the tight ends in this draft class, which makes sense because Kyle Rudolph is entering his contract year. I want to make clear that the commentary, particularly the “mental issues” bit, comes from WF, not from me. But these would be a solid couple of picks, I think. Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Dre’Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State The Vikings will be thrilled to get this athlete in the middle of their defensive line after landing Garrett Bradbury to anchor their offensive line. DraftTek: Zach Allen , DT, Boston College, and Ben Banogu , DE, Texas Christian No commentary on these selections, but I don’t know if the Vikings would take two defensive linemen unless they moved down and got extra picks first. R.J. White, CBS Sports: Dalton Risner , OL, Kansas State It’s easy to like Risner’s game, and his versatility should make him a fit anywhere on the line. The Vikings need to add multiple starting-caliber O-linemen in this draft, so even after taking Garrett Bradbury in Round 1 they go back to the well here. Matt Miller, Bleacher Report: Dalton Knox, TE, Mississippi, and Trysten Hill , DT, Central Florida No commentary, but again I don’t know if the selection of a tight end would be an indicator of a Kyle Rudolph trade. Hill would be an intriguing prospect at DT, too. Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated: Byron Murphy , CB, Washington, and Devin Singletary , RB, Florida Atlantic Mike Zimmer loves him some cornerbacks. It’s too hard to pass Murphy up here after massaging the offensive line in Round 1. . . . After losing Latavius Murray, the Vikings need some quality depth behind Dalvin Cook (especially considering how badly Mike Zimmer wants to run the ball). I do think the third round would be a better spot to take a running back, and you know that Mike Zimmer wants to scratch that cornerback itch, particularly after only one corner went in Round 1. That’s a look at a handful of second and third-round projections, folks. Are there any that you’re particularly fond of?<doc-sep>I figured that, with how busy the draft was tonight, that it would be worth it to recap the draft and all the picks and trades that went on. The draft picks will be listed out first, and the trades (including the picks if they are known) will be listed after. Draft Picks Round Two Cardinals: Byron Murphy Colts: Rock Ya-Sin Jaguars: Jawaan Taylor 49ers: Deebo Samuel Panthers: Greg Little Bills: Cody Ford Buccaneers: Sean Bunting Raiders: Trayvon Mullen Broncos: Dalton Risner Broncos: Drew Lock Lions: Jahlani Tavai Packers: Elgton Jenkins Patriots: Joejuan Williams Browns: Greedy Williams Seahawks: Marquise Blair Saints: Eric McCoy Colts: Ben Banogu Vikings: Irv Smith Jr. Titans: A.J. Brown Bengals: Drew Sample Eagles: Miles Sanders Texans: Lonnie Johnson Jr. Texans: Max Scharping Chiefs: Mecole Hardman Eagles: JJ Arcega-Whiteside Cowboys: Trysten Hill Colts: Parris Campbell Chargers: Nasir Adderley Rams: Taylor Rapp Cardinals: Andy Isabella Chiefs: Juan Thornhill Seahawks: D.K. Metcalf Round Three Cardinals: Zach Allen Steelers: Diontae Johnson 49ers: Jalen Hurd Jets: Jachai Polite Jaguars: Josh Oliver Rams: Darrell Henderson Broncos: Dre’mont Jones Bengals: Germaine Pratt Bears: David Montgomery Bills: Devin Singletary Packers: Jace Sternberger Redskins: Terry McLaurin Patriots: Chase Winovich Dolphins: Michael Deiter Rams: David Long Browns: Sione Takitaki Lions: Will Harris Titans: Nate Davis Steelers: Justin Layne Chiefs: Khalen Saunders Ravens: Jaylon Ferguson Texans: Kahale Warring Patriots: Damien Harris Seahawks: Cody Barton Colts: Bobby Okereke Cowboys: Connor McGovern Chargers: Trey Pipkins Jets: Chuma Edoga Ravens: Miles Boykin Buccaneers: Jamel Dean Giants: Oshane Ximines Bills: Dawson Knox Rams: Bobby Evans Jaguars: Quincy Williams Buccaneers: Mike Edwards Panthers: Will Grier Patriots: Yodney Cajuste Vikings: Alexander Mattison Trades Note: If the team the picks were traded to has used the pick on a player by the time this post was written, they will be included in parentheses after the pick number. If the picks were traded again, no player will be listed until the pick is used. Jacksonville traded the No. 38 and No. 109 overall picks to the Raiders, who sent back the No. 35 overall pick (Jawaan Taylor), the No. 140 pick, and the No. 235 pick. Carolina traded the No. 47 (Marquise Blair) and No. 77 picks to the Seahawks for the No. 37 overall pick ( Greg Little ). Buffalo traded the No. 40 (Trayvon Mullen) and No. 158 picks to the Raiders, who sent back pick No. 38 ( Cody Ford ). The Denver Broncos traded the No. 52 ( Drew Sample ), No. 125, and No. 182 picks to Cincinnati for the No. 42 overall pick (Drew Lock). New England traded the No. 56 and No. 101 picks to the Rams for the No. 45 overall pick ( Joejuan Williams ). Cleveland traded the No. 49 ( Ben Banogu ) and No. 144 picks to the Colts for the No. 46 overall pick, which they used on Greedy Williams. The New Orleans Saints traded the No. 62, No. 202, and a 2020 second-round pick to the Dolphins for pick No. 48 (Eric McCoy) and No. 116. The Chiefs traded the No. 61 ( Taylor Rapp ) and No. 167 picks to the Rams for the No. 56 pick (Mecole Hardman). The Cardinals traded Josh Rosen to the Dolphins for pick No. 62 (Andy Isabella) and a 2020 fifth-round pick. The Seahawks traded No. 77 (Chase Winovich) and No. 118 to the Patriots for No. 64 ( D.K. Metcalf ). The Rams traded No. 94 ( Jamel Dean ) and No. 99 ( Mike Edwards ) to the Buccaneers for No. 70 (Darrell Henderson). Chicago traded No. 87 (Damien Harris), No. 162, and a 2020 fourth-round pick to the Patriots for No. 73 ( David Montgomery ) and No. 205. The Vikings traded No. 81 ( Will Harris ) to the Lions for No. 88 and No. 204. The Vikings traded No. 88 (Cody Barton) and No. 209 to the Seahawks for No. 92 and 159. The Vikings traded No. 92 (Chuma Edoga) to the Jets for No. 93 and No. 217. The Vikings traded No. 93 ( Miles Boykin ) to the Ravens for No. 102 (Alexander Mattison), No. 191, and No. 193. Washington traded No. 96 ( Dawson Knox ) to the Bills for No. 112 and No. 131. The Rams traded the No. 101 ( Yodny Cajuste ) and No. 133 picks to New England for No. 97 (Bobby Evans) and No. 162. Remaining Picks Since there was so much horse trading today, I thought it would also be beneficial to see what kind of ammo all 32 NFL teams have at their disposal to start the day. For reference, picks 103-138 are fourth rounders, 139-173 are fifth rounders, 174-214 are sixth rounders, and 215-254 are seventh-round picks. Arizona Cardinals: 103, 139, 174, 179, 248, 249, 254 Atlanta Falcons: 117, 137, 152, 172, 186, 203, 230 Baltimore Ravens: 113, 123, 127, 160, 197 Buffalo Bills: 147, 181, 225, 228 Carolina Panthers: 115, 154, 187 Chicago Bears: 126, 205, 222, 238 Cincinnati Bengals: 110, 125, 149, 182, 183, 198, 210, 211, 213, 223 Cleveland Browns: 119, 155, 170, 189, 221 Dallas Cowboys: 128, 136, 165, 241 Denver Broncos: 148, 156, 237 Detroit Lions: 111, 146, 184, 224, 229 Green Bay Packers: 150, 185, 194, 226 Houston Texans: 161, 195, 220 Indianapolis Colts: 129, 135, 144, 164, 199, 240 Jacksonville Jaguars: 140, 178, 235, 236 Kansas City Chiefs: 201, 214, 216 Los Angeles Chargers: 130, 166, 200, 242 Los Angeles Rams: 162, 167, 169, 251 Miami Dolphins: 151, 202, 233, 234 Minnesota Vikings: 120, 159, 190, 191, 193, 204, 217, 247, 250 New England Patriots: 118, 133, 134, 239, 243, 246, 252 New Orleans Saints: 116, 168, 177, 231, 244 New York Giants: 108, 143, 171, 180, 232, 245 New York Jets: 105, 196 Oakland Raiders: 106, 109, 158, 218 Philadelphia Eagles: 138, 163 Pittsburgh Steelers: 122, 141, 175, 192, 207, 219 San Francisco 49ers: 104, 176, 212 Seattle Seahawks: 114, 124, 132, 142, 209 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 107, 145, 208, 215 Tennessee Titans: 121, 157, 188 Washington: 112, 131, 153, 173, 206, 227, 253<doc-sep>Well, the time is here: the 2019 NFL draft. If you’re wondering who the Minnesota Vikings will select in the first round, well, you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled 98 mock drafts – yes, 98 – to give you the most comprehensive analysis (guessing?) of how the draft will go for the Vikings. Hint: Think offensive line. Like, nearly every mock has the Vikings going that way in the first round (with one name really standing out over others) – but a handful do have Minnesota going with a defensive player. Some drafts do more than one round – we’ve included every Minnesota pick in these cases. For some, we’ve included the commentary/analysis. But every mock has a link which you can check out yourself if you’re interested in the analysis and/or other picks. In addition, you can check out our previous mock roundups to see how things have changed: post-Super Bowl, post-combine and post-free agency. For reference, here are all of Minnesota’s picks (round-pick in round-overall pick): 1-18-18, 2-18-50, 3-18-81, 4-18-120, 5-18-156, 6-18-190, 6-37-209, 7-33-247 and 7-36-250. At the end of the list we’ll give the final tally. Also, remember to keep checking FOXSportsNorth.com – website and social media – for the latest on every Vikings pick. Without further ado, the final mock draft roundup for the Vikings: Peter King of NBCSports.com: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State. “The Vikings pick at 18, 50 and 81, and the perception on the scouting trail is that two of those three picks will be offensive linemen. They’d better be. Bradbury’s a pugnacious guy, a Jason Kelce type, with more quickness than most centers in the league now. He could start day one. No, let me amend that. With Elflein still in-house, Bradbury had better start day one.” Albert Breer of SI.com: Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida (note: Breer has Minnesota trading up to No. 13). “I have two of the three top tackles off the board, a team with a need at the position that’s done a lot of work on offensive linemen, and teams in front of them (Jets, Panthers, Giants) with a tackle need. In this circumstance, I think Minnesota would have to weigh the value of getting a tackle against the interior players they could have at 18, like NC State’s Garrett Bradbury and Boston College’s Chris Lindstrom, both of whom I believe they like.” Peter Schrager of NFL.com: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State. Drafttek (7 rounds): Round 1 — Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State; Round 2 – Greg Little, OT, Mississippi; Round 3 – David Long Jr., OLB, West Virginia; Round 4 – Devine Ozigbo, RB, Nebraska; Round 6a – Blake Cashman, LB, Minnesota; Round 6b – Dru Samia, OG, Oklahoma; Round 7a – Trey Pipkins, OT, Sioux Falls; Round 7b – Stanley Morgan Jr., WR, Nebraska. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com: Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida. “A physical specimen who can make a big difference to a line that badly needs it. Vikings need the Kirk Cousins splash to work. Whether he stays at tackle or not, he would make sense here. Cody Ford seems like a good fit, too, but picked up some rumblings Vikes may not be as high on him as some other teams.” Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State. “The Vikings must address the O-line. Bradbury is one of the best center prospects of the last five years, and Pat Elflein would move to guard to clear a spot for him.” Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report: Jonah Williams, G/T, Alabama. “Williams is a fine prospect who fills a critical need. He will make the Vikings better. But drafting him is like when the bland guy feels threatened by the other dude in the romcom and tries to prove he is ‘fun’ by wearing a new hat. The hat doesn’t make him fun. It just makes him Alden Ehrenreich in a hat. The Vikings with a better interior line are just Cousins handing off for slightly more yards per carry in a Wild Card Round loss.” Charles Davis of NFL.com: Cody ford, OL, Oklahoma. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (7 rounds): Round 1 — Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State. “Bradbury isn’t on the level of Ryan Kelly or Billy Price in terms of the best centers I’ve evaluated recently, but he’s also a very different player. He has special mobility and agility in getting to linebackers or pulling to kick out defensive ends in the running game. He’s an athlete, and it shows when he’s on the move. That’s perfect for the Vikings as they look to get Dalvin Cook more touches and keep quarterback Kirk Cousins upright.”; Round 2 – Tytus Howard, OT, Alabama State; Round 3 – Joe Jackson, DE/OLB, Miami; Round 4 – Dexter Williams, RB, Notre Dame; Round 6a – Lil’Jordan Humphrey, WR, Texas; Round 6b – Josiah Tauaefa, LB, Texas; Round 7a – Oli Udoh, OT, Elon; Round 7b – Terry Beckner Jr., DL, Missouri. R.J. White of CBSSports.com (7 rounds): Note: He has the Vikings trading picks in the fourth, sixth and seventh rounds to move up 11 spots in the fourth. Round 1 – Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State; Round 2 – Rock Ya-Sin, CB, Temple; Round 3 – Khalen Saunders, DT, Western Illinois; Round 4 – Terrill Hanks, OLB, New Mexico State; Round 6 – Devine Ozigbo, RB, Nevada; Round 7 – Tyler Jones, OG, NC State. Barry Wilner of the Associated Press: Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma. Ryan Wilson of CBSSports.com: Garrett Bradbury, C, NC State. “Center Pat Elfein had a tough 2018 season and the former Ohio State third-round pick has said in the past that he feels more comfortable at guard simply because he’s played the position longer. Bradbury is the best center in this draft and one of the best offensive linemen, period. He could take over center duties, Elfein could move to guard and the Vikings’ suspect offensive line would be vastly improved.” John Clayton of the Washington Post: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington.<doc-sep>
The Minnesota Vikings selected center Garrett Bradbury in the first round of the NFL draft. This, of course, doesn’t preclude them from taking more offensive linemen as the draft continues. That’s good news as several highly rated O-linemen have fallen to Day 2. There will be plenty of good players to choose from in positions of need (beyond OL) for Minnesota. The Vikings currently have the 18th pick in both the second and third rounds (Nos. 50 and 81 overall), but also have potential to move up by dealing later picks (Minnesota does have two picks in both the sixth and seventh rounds as well as one selection in the fourth and fifth). Here are a number of players who are available and expected to be drafted in rounds 2-3 (listed in alphabetical order): J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford: At 6-foot-2, Arcega-Whiteside is great at going up and getting those 50-50 balls – which perhaps should be expected since both his parent played basketball professionally in Spain. Sounds like a good option for Kirk Cousins, who could use a receiver like that in the red zone. Arcega-Whiteside had 63 catches for 1,059 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2018. Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia: Minnesota could use a tackle and Kirk Cousins could use some protection. Cajuste fits both roles as he’s known to be a strong pass blocker. He might be a bit of a longer-term project and could be still around in Round 3. Cody Ford, OL, Oklahoma: Ford was mocked in the first round to the Vikings often, but finds himself still on the board in Day 2. Ford can play tackle or guard, but might be better suited for the inside. Minnesota needs line help, but after taking Garrett Bradbury in Round 1 (and presumably moving Pat Elflein from center to guard), tackle might b e more of a need. But Ford would be a great value if still around. Elgton Jenkins, C, Mississippi State: Jenkins play all over the offensive line but is projected to be a center or guard. He played played left tackle, right tackle, center and left guard while at Ole Miss. Jenkins faced tough competition not only on his own team but also by playing in the SEC. Dre’Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State: A bad combine caused Jones’ stock to plummet, but he’s a good pass rusher for defensive tackle and early on could be a good rotational guy to pair with Shamar Stephen. If he slips into the third round, he’d be great value there. Greg Little, OT, Mississippi: One of a few true tackles who could be on the board in the second and/or third round, Little might be the top-rated one (without an injury red flag) remaining on the board. Having played in the SEC, he’s faced top competition and could compete for a starting job right away. Eric McCoy, C, Texas A&M: After eschewing a center in the first round, Minnesota could go that way in the second, allowing Pat Elflein to move to guard (or, McCoy could step in at guard). McCoy should be a solid player in the NFL and – hint, hint – he excelled in the run game in college. D.K. Metcalf, WR, Mississippi: The darling of the combine was not the darling of the first round as two wide receivers went before him. At 6-3 with a 40 time of 4.33 he has potential star quality. However, there were some medical red flags and questions about his route running. But high, high upside here. David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State: Yes, the Vikings have Dalvin Cook on the roster, but who is the backup? Minnesota needs to find someone beyond Ameer Abdullah and Mike Boone. Montgomery should be a decent pro. He rushed for 1,216 yards (4.8 average) with 13 TDs in 2018 as a junior and 1,146 yards (4.4 average) with 11 TDs in 2017. He also caught 58 passes over those two years. He’s not spectacular, but he should be steady. He might even make it to the third round. Byron Murphy, CB, Washington: You can never have enough good cornerbacks in this pass-happy NFL, especially if Minnesota is seriously considering trading Trae Waynes. At one time considered a first-round pick, Murphy relies more on instinct than size (5-foot-10 1/2) and speed (4.55 in the 40). Miles Sanders, RB, Penn State: Taking over for Saquon Barkley, Sanders rushed for 1,274 yards (5.8 average) as a junior in 2018 with 24 receptions.