Mel Kiper's 1st mock draft: 'Could the Vikings take a quarterback? For sure.'
Mel Kiper Jr. unveiled his first mock draft on Tuesday and he has quarterbacks going 1-2-3 to the Bears, Commanders and Patriots, but he only has one other quarterback going in the first round and the Vikings aren't the landing spot.
After Caleb Williams goes to Chicago, Kiper predicts the Commanders will go with LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, with North Carolina's Drake Maye landing in New England's lap at No. 3. The only other QB he has going in the first round is Michigan's J.J. McCarthy at No. 16 to the Seahawks.
"Could the Vikings take a quarterback? For sure," Kiper explains, but he has them going with Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins with the 11th overall selection.
"That need in the secondary still exists. Minnesota ranked 28th in passing yards allowed to receivers last season (3,019), and 2022 second-rounder Andrew Booth Jr. hasn't quite figured things out. Let's go back to Clemson -- Booth's former school -- with the selection of Wiggins here. Wiggins was a lockdown defender in 2023, allowing just 4.2 yards per attempt as the nearest defender in coverage."
Kiper goes on to state that he thinks "the most likely option might be running it back" in 2024 with Kirk Cousins.
"This obviously could change as we learn more about general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's plans," he admitted.
Wiggins is a stud. He's rated by most as the first or second best cornerback in the draft class. Pro Football Focus ranks him 13th overall on its draft big board and the No. 2 cornerback behind Iowa's Cooper DeJean.
"Wiggins has legit ball skills and shutdown athletic abilities. He needs to be more consistent in run defense and with the overall strength parts of his game, but he might be at the top of the list of corners you'd want to tell, 'Go make sure that receiver doesn't catch the ball,'" PFF's draft profile of Wiggins reads.
Dec 3, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers cornerback Nate Wiggins (20) returns an interception 98 yards for a touchdown as North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye (10) defends and Clemson Tigers defensive end K.J. Henry (5) looks on in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium.
Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
