USAT: Vikings Wire audio clip

USAT: Vikings Wire

Mar 22, 2022

- - - Every team hopes to get an immediate impact player with their first-round pick in the NFL Draft. If things unfold accordingly, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. sees the Minnesota Vikings accomplishing that goal when they’re on the clock on April 28. - The biggest need for the team right now is cornerback. They’ve missed at the position with premium draft picks, and the previous regime attempted to hold everything together with one-year prove-it deals—or, basically, paperclips and bubble gum. - But Kiper’s mock draft board is taking another shot at the ever-elusive cornerback position on a player that could come right in and be a “Day 1 starter” for the Vikings. That player is Washington’s Trent McDuffie. - Kiper writes: - “McDuffie is the real deal; the stat you’ll see most often is that he didn’t allow a single touchdown in coverage over the past two seasons, and he goes all out on every play. Expect him to be a Day 1 starter” - McDuffie, a First-Team All-Pac-12 player, could make a real difference in the Vikings secondary by giving them a legitimate No. 1 option. He compiled eight pass deflections, two interceptions, 94 tackles, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. - Don’t get caught up in the lack of eye-popping stats with it mostly being due to teams not throwing in McDuffie’s direction. Bad things happened when opposing quarterbacks attacked his side of the field. - We’ll see if that holds true at the next level. - - List - - Vikings 7-round mock draft 2.0: Kirk Cousins' extension changes things - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Vikings Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Vikings Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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