SI Lists Vikings As One of Five Teams With the Most at Stake in the 2020 NFL Draft

This could be a make or break draft for Rick Spielman, Mike Zimmer, and the Minnesota Vikings.

This feels like a critically important draft for Rick Spielman, Mike Zimmer, and the Vikings. With so many departures in free agency and few additions to replace those players, the Vikings are heading into the 2020 draft with a plethora of roster holes.

They have 12 picks (which is tied for the second-most) and five in the first three rounds to fill those holes. In order to contend in 2020 and keep their window open going forward, the Vikings might need to nail this draft. Spielman and Zimmer are heading into the last years of their contracts. Both are likely to get new deals to stay in Minnesota, but their leash could be short if the Vikings slip into a long rebuild.

On Friday, SI's Conor Orr wrote about the five teams with the most at stake in this year's draft, and the Vikings came in at No. 5. Here's what Orr wrote about the state of the franchise.

By trading Stefon Diggs, the Vikings accumulated a second first-rounder, which is an essential lifeline for a cash-strapped club that has been teetering on the brink of Super Bowl contention for a few years now. Picking at 22 and 25, they have enough equity to move up for a playmaking wide receiver, to stand pat and let the middling portion of the EDGE rush class come to them or possibly catch the tail end of the offensive line run. This feels like the kind of opportunity that could either lift the Vikings above the fray or prevent them from breaking out of their ever-crowded division.

Where they should go/where they will go:

It hasn’t always been easy for the Vikings to break in wide receiver talent, but with a quarterback signed long-term and some steadiness on their offensive line, it would make sense to try and find a Day 1 option alongside Adam Thielen. Of course, Mike Zimmer will probably push for edge rushing pieces to bolster his defense.

Check out Orr's entire top five list right here.

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