2023 NFL Draft: 5 Non-DB, Non-WR Prospects the Vikings Could Take in the First Round
If you click on a 2023 mock draft and scroll down to see who the author projects the Vikings will take with the 23rd pick, chances are you're going to find the name of a cornerback. Whether it's Deonte Banks, Kelee Ringo, Cam Smith, Emmanuel Forbes, or someone else, the overwhelming consensus in mock drafts is that the Vikings will take a corner in the first round.
And for good reason.
All three of Minnesota's starting CBs from last season's 13-win team are free agents, meaning the position room currently includes inconsistent fourth-year player Cameron Dantzler and a pair of 2022 draft picks — Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans — who dealt with major injury issues as rookies. The Vikings need cornerbacks, badly.
After corner, the second-most popular position group for the Vikings in first-round mocks is wide receiver. With Adam Thielen's future uncertain, it could make sense for Minnesota to add someone like Jordan Addison or Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the 23rd pick.
But what if GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn't go either of those routes? The Vikings can beef up their cornerback room and retain Thielen or add a wide receiver in free agency, if they choose. That would give them the flexibility to take the best player available at a wider range of position groups. Today, let's go over five intriguing prospects — who don't play CB or WR — that the Vikings could select with the 23rd pick (or after trading back).
Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey
Kancey is an extremely fun prospect. An undersized defensive tackle (6'0", 280) out of Pitt, he's somewhere on the spectrum between Aaron Donald and Jaylen Twyman. Kancey just ran the fastest 40 by a DT since 2000, clocking a 4.67 with an elite 1.64 ten-second split (hello, Adofo-Mensah). He's a wrecking ball of athleticism and pass rush moves who racked up 14.5 sacks and 27.5 total tackles for loss over the past two seasons. The Vikings could use more interior pass rush for Brian Flores' defense, and Kancey would be a fun fit.
Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith
After the combine Smith just had, I'm not sure he'll make it to 23 at this point. The 6'2", 238-pound edge rusher from the back-to-back national champions ran a 4.39 40, which is hard to fathom. That's a wide receiver time. He also posted a 41.5-inch vertical jump. Smith had fairly modest production across four years at Georgia (12.5 sacks), but he was on a stacked defense and his elite athleticism is undeniable. The Vikings have Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith, but taking an edge rusher early is still very much an option. You can't have too many pass rushers — especially dynamic ones on rookie contracts.
Iowa EDGE Lukas Van Ness
This draft class has some fun speed rushers who could be Vikings targets — Smith, Will McDonald IV, and B.J. Ojulari, to name a few. But if you prefer power on the edge, there are guys in that mold too. Iowa's Van Ness is a fascinating prospect. He was never technically a starter for the Hawkeyes, but that didn't stop him from recording 13 sacks and 19 total TFL over the last two seasons. Nicknamed 'Hercules' in college, Van Ness is a remarkably powerful DE who tore up the combine in his own right, running a 4.58 (1.64) with a strong three-cone time at 6'5", 272. If Van Ness doesn't make it to 23, Georgia Tech's Keion White is another bigger edge rusher to keep in mind for the Vikings.
Arkansas LB Drew Sanders
What about an inside linebacker? It's not out of the question that the Vikings could move on from both Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks this offseason to get younger, cheaper, and faster at the second level for Flores. Last year's third-round pick Brian Asamoah can basically be penciled into a starting spot, but the Vikings don't have to be done adding talent at LB. Sanders is viewed as the best 'backer in this class, a three-down player who can fit the run, rush the passer, and drop into coverage. He's a fantastic, rangy athlete with excellent closing speed, which would make him a fun fit next to Asamoah. As a first-year starter last year, Sanders stuffed the stat sheet with 9.5 sacks, 103 tackles, five passes defended, a pick, and three forced fumbles.
Minnesota C John Michael Schmitz
It wouldn't be a sexy pick, but there's always the possibility the Vikings could take an interior offensive lineman with the first pick. Garrett Bradbury is a free agent, and both the Vikings and other NFL teams will have to determine if his strong 2022 season was a contract year outlier or a sign of things to come, given how much he struggled in pass protection during his first three years. If Bradbury isn't brought back, the Vikings will need a new center — and there's an excellent center prospect in this draft who played his college football in their backyard. Schmitz is a fiery competitor who can run block effectively while possessing the size and strength to anchor in pass protection. He had a great Senior Bowl.
Bonus: Florida QB Anthony Richardson
Just throwing this one in here for chaos purposes.
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