The Vikings landed Justin Jefferson earlier in the 2020 NFL Draft, and now with their second pick of the first round, they add Jeff Gladney
After landing Justin Jefferson earlier in the 2020 NFL Draft the Minnesota Vikings went back on the clock just three picks later, nabbing Jeff Gladney with the 31st overall pick in the draft. Given the fact that Minnesota did not want to lose their competitive edge despite losing their offensive coordinator and a good chunk of their roster, they made sure to invest heavily with top tier assets in the draft.
Hopefully the selection of Jefferson and now the addition of Gladney pan out better than previous draft picks of general manager Rick Spielman. While he is still young, last year’s first round pick Garrett Bradbury took his lumps along the interior of the Minnesota offensive line. Mike Hughes has been a solid contributor when healthy, but has struggled to see the field, and Laquon Treadwell was another bust to add to the list of 2016 wide receivers.
The Vikes decided to retain Mike Zimmer after he failed to advance beyond the second round this season after whispers they may opt to give his job to Kevin Stefanski, now the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Given the talent that walked out the door, it will be interesting to see how the defensive minded Zimmer patches things up as they proceed into the 2020 season.
Can the Vikings remain in playoff contention with Kirk Cousins under a new deal, their new free agent acquisitions, and with the addition of Jefferson and Gladney? Only time will tell.