After suffering through a disappointing first season with Kirk Cousins, the Minnesota Vikings will have an opportunity to upgrade their offensive line and give the offense some help in the 2019 NFL draft.
The Minnesota Vikings will enter the 2019 NFL draft hoping for better luck, and a lot more wins, than they experienced in the first year of the Kirk Cousins era last season. Their 8-7-1 finish in 2018 fell way short of the expectations that come with a high-priced quarterback.
The good news for the Vikings is it isn’t all that difficult to figure out what needs to be repaired on this roster. It starts (and ends) with the offensive line. Minnesota simply won’t get the most out of Cousins or RB Dalvin Cook until they fix their problems up front, and those problems aren’t limited to tackle or guard. They need upgrades everywhere, and fortunately, they’ll have some really talented options to choose from at No. 18 overall.
The Vikings need help along the defensive line, too. The loss of Sheldon Richardson in free agency is a painful one and his void needs to be filled early in the 2019 NFL draft. The second round seems like an ideal time to address that need.
Don’t rule out the possibility of Minnesota selecting offensive linemen in the first two rounds, however. Adding a starting-quality tackle and guard in this year’s draft would go a long way in rehabilitating the offense and allowing the Vikings to have the kind of season in 2019 that was expected last year.
With all that in mind, here’s a look at what Minnesota’s player haul could end up being after the first three rounds of the 2019 NFL draft.