The Vikings May Not Want to Pass on These 5 Prospects

Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images There is no such thing as a “sure thing,” whether you’re talking about gambling or the NFL Draft. A horse race begins with a guess about the winner, and in a few minutes, you have confirmation. When it comes to the draft, you may not know if a player is a winner or a bust until years later.

Some get labels prematurely all the time. On draft day, teams can only do the best with the information they have from the combine and what they see on film. These Top Prospects Could Force Minnesota’s Hand on Draft Night With that knowledge in hand, there will be players that teams can’t pass on, no matter the need to shore up other positions.

That doesn’t mean the Vikings will have the chance to draft them unless they take a tumble down the draft boards as other teams shore up positions of need. The chance is always there. The argument over drafting for “position of need” versus “best player available” is a long, arduous one with no perfect answer.

The Vikings could be viewed as operating in either mode: drafting Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw when they needed to fill those roles, or drafting Randy Moss and Adrian Peterson when they already had a great receiving duo in Cris Carter and Jake Reed, or a 1,000-yard rusher in Chester Taylor. The best scenario is when it fits both aspects. Last year, there was a glut of running backs, which could allow teams to wait until later rounds to draft one.