Round 2, Pick 58: Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M
Minnesota once again adds talent to the defensive side of the ball, this time with Justin Madubuike from Texas A&M. He wasn’t one of the big names that popped up throughout the season but as the year ended, draft writers started to take note of how effective Madubuike really was for the Aggies.
He’s a 304-pound defensive tackle who has moves that impressed Joe Marino of The Draft Network, who also praised the production he showed in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019.
"“When his release, leverage and hands are right, he can be overwhelming for blockers and put considerable stress on them to respond. Love his push-pull move. Fluid and smooth changing directions and working laterally. Highly effective twisting and stunting which accentuates his overall mobility and quickness. Has lined up all across the defensive front for the Aggies. Logged consecutive seasons of at least 40 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 2018 and 2019.” — Marino, The Draft Network"
For Minnesota, Madubuike would be filling a huge hole left by Sheldon Richardson who joined the Cleveland Browns as a free agent in 2019. Of course, the contract Richardson received made it understandable that the Vikings didn’t retain him, but adding Madubuike could give them a similar player in the middle of their already talented defensive line in the 2020 NFL Draft.