2019 NFL Draft: Minnesota Vikings 7-round mock

The Vikings hoped Kirk Cousins would lead them to a Super Bowl in 2018 but instead they missed the playoffs. Now Minnesota needs a strong draft.

If the Vikings are going to get back into Super Bowl contention in 2019 they need to add significant talent in this year’s draft. The massive contract they handed Kirk Cousins will prevent them from being big players in free agency. If GM Rick Spielman is going to give head coach Mike Zimmer the talent he needs to win big next season, he needs to execute a near perfect draft.

The good news for Vikings fans is that there’s still a ton of elite talent on the roster. A complete overhaul isn’t required here. Minnesota just needs to add talent at a few key positions to lift the team back into title contention.

It’s pretty obvious where the Vikings need to invest most of their draft capital. The offensive line couldn’t protect Cousins consistently last year. That has to change if the team’s investment at quarterback is going to pay off. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to see us project a lineman to the Vikings in round one.

Round 1: Cody Ford

Riley Reiff gave the Vikings a decent season at left tackle in 2018, but right tackle was probably the weakest position on Zimmer’s squad. Ford would give Minnesota a guy they can immediately plug in and play at the problem spot.

You’ll see tons of mock drafts give the team Jonah Williams in this spot, and we don’t think that would be a bad selection. However, Ford seems more like a player that Zimmer would gravitate towards. He’s got a nasty streak that just seems to fit with the way Minnesota would like to play.

There are some scouts who worry about Ford’s ability to stay at tackle, but we believe he’s a natural fit to play on the right side. If the Vikings want a left tackle they should go with Williams. However, Ford is the better fit for their scheme on the right side.