Minnesota Vikings 7-Round Mock Draft

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Sep 26, 2015; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia assistant coach Joe Deforest (left) talks with West Virginia Mountaineers safety Karl Joseph (right) after beating the Maryland Terrapins at Milan Puskar Stadium. West Virginia won the game 45-6. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /

Round 3: Karl Joseph, S – West Virginia

There might not be a more intimidating safety in the 2016 NFL Draft than West Virginia’s Karl Joseph. He’ll get knocked down a bit by experts for only being 5’11” tall and weighing in at 197 pounds, but he plays much bigger than that and has lightning-fast reaction time.

He’s a thumper and a big play maker in the run game, but needs work when it comes to coverage and schemes. Former defensive backs coach and current Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will likely see a player with a ton of athleticism who isn’t afraid of contact and would have no problem making a push for the safety on draft day.

The only question here is if Minnesota will want a more pure coverage safety instead of a hit machine to pair with Harrison Smith in their secondary. However, the idea of having two punishing safeties and the Vikings could help Minnesota have their own version of the “Legion of Boom” to scare ball carriers when they play the boys in purple.

Next: Getting some insurance on the offensive line

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