After getting off to a great start over the first two days of the draft, the Vikings are set up with 13 total picks on day three. With their first pick in the fourth round, the Vikings addressed the defensive end position selecting D.J. Wonnum out of South Carolina.
The Vikings passed on some good defensive ends in the earlier rounds, deciding to select a wide receiver, offensive tackle and two cornerbacks. It seemed unlikely the team would go defensive end early, given all of the success Andre Patterson has had at developing mid to late round pass rushers.
Patterson gets another project, with Wonnum bringing a lot of athleticism with him to Minnesota. Danielle Hunter was taken as a raw, athletic pass rusher in 2015, and it seems like they are getting someone similar with Wonnum.
According to MockDraftTable.com, Wonnum has some extremely good measurables. He’s 6’5 258 pounds and his arm length ranks in the 76th percentile. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.73 seconds, ranking in the 86th percentile.
Wonnum has all of the measurables that the Vikings have seemed to love when drafting defensive ends over the years. Although he is still a bit raw at the position, Mike Zimmer and Patterson have done an excellent job at turning similar prospects into stars at the next level.