With just a few weeks left until the NFL Combine, the pre-draft process is about to begin in earnest. But one of the best parts of the process begins shortly after the Super Bowl, and that’s the release of the mock draft. Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic released his mock draft, and he has the Minnesota Vikings taking the first round into the second round.
Baumgardner had the Vikings use their first-round pick to select cornerback Mansour Deline out of LSU. DeLeon is widely considered one of the top cornerback prospects in this draft cycle, so him landing in Minnesota makes a lot of sense for Brian Flores and his defense. Deline is a threat in man-to-man coverage as he is constantly trying to break up passes and look for turnovers.
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His opportunistic, physical style of play meshes well with this secondary and is just what the doctor ordered.
Derain will likely be off the board by the time the Minnesota Vikings draft in April. However, if he was still there, they would have to turn in his card quickly. DeLine will immediately become the Vikings’ top cornerback and be a huge piece for a secondary that needs a revamp with multiple pending free agents this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings focus on secondary in The Athletic’s latest mock draft
