Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings have multiple holes that need to be addressed. This week on KFAN.com, there will be a series of draft prospects being highlighted before the draft starts on Thursday night.
The Vikings offensive line is still an area for improvement in 2020, even though they got better from 2018 to 2019. The release of Josh Kline came as a shock to most, and it’s obvious the Vikings are going to have to address both the tackle and guard positions in this draft.
The scary thing about the Vikings selecting at 22 and 25 is the fact that most of the “slam dunk” picks are already going to be off the board. Jedrick Wills, Tristan Wirfs, Mekhi Becton and Andrew Thomas are the top four tackles in this draft class. The majority of mock drafts have all four being taken in the top 15, meaning the Vikings would have to trade up to get one of the big four.
That is a possibility, but it seems more likely that the Vikings would be willing to trade back if anything. If they decide to stay put in the first round, Houston’s Josh Jones could be a name to keep an eye on.
Jones isn’t going to be as safe as one of the big four, but he would still bring a lot of talent with him to Minnesota. He stands at 6’5, 311 pounds and plays with some great athleticism. Jones was a four-year starter at Houston, and he showed that his name deserves to be in the round one discussion.
Being able to use his athleticism to get out into space fits what the Vikings are trying to do with Gary Kubiak’s zone running scheme. Jones has shown the ability to get to the second level and make big blocks, and the sound of that should excite the Vikings front office. With the Vikings utilizing Dalvin Cook in the screen game, Jones would be able to get out in front and lead the way for the Vikings running back.
There are still many questions along the Vikings offensive line. If they select a tackle, it could mean they’ve decided to move Riley Rieff to guard. Dru Samia now has a year under his belt as well, and Zimmer said earlier this year that he likes the progress he’s seen from last year's fourth round pick. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Vikings need to utilize some draft capital to rebuild some of their offensive line, and that is exactly what they’d be doing if they select Jones in the first round.
Stay tuned for more draft profiles coming throughout this week on KFAN.com. The profiles will be addressing positions of need for the Vikings, and there will also be reaction pieces available after each day of the draft.