A post-NFL Combine draft simulation

The Combine showed that the draft is deep in Vikings positions of need. How far can they really trade down?

© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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By Matthew Coller

With the NFL Combine in the books, things look quite a bit different than they did before the prospective draft picks took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. So let’s dive into the second iteration of a Purple Insider draft simulation using PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator and see how things turned out with the knowledge we gained in Indy…

Two trades down

One of the biggest takeaways from the Combine is that there is serious depth at some positions that the Vikings badly need. We knew that defensive tackles and running backs were probably going to have a good Combine but the guards (and tackles who might be guards) and cornerbacks emerged in a way that may not have been expected before Indy.

With there appearing to be strength in the middle of the draft between the back end of the first round and the third round, it made sense for the Vikings to move down in order to get more bites at the apple. In this instance, a lot more bites.

Here’s how the draft simulation played out:

About the trade down

Trading down from 24 to 40 and then from 40 to 54 is absolutely a long, long way to go. However, there were still very enticing prospects for the Vikings on the board in that range and it allowed us to pick up two additional third-round picks.

Between the second and third rounds, the trades down netted a RB, G, DT and CB — all of whom have starting potential. Would you rather have one player at 24 or those four?

By the traditional Jimmy Johnson draft value chart, it wasn’t a great set of moves but OverTheCap.com’s analytical chart had much more of a favorable view. The No. 24 and 40 picks are worth 2520 points and the 54th, 71st, 86th, 130th and 199th are worth 3413 points. That’s the equal of getting the 64th pick.

About the picks

RB, Quinshon Judkins — Part of Ohio State’s duo, Judkins showed his freakish athleticism in Indy, scoring a 99th percentile Relative Athletic Score. He ran for over 1,000 yards three years in a row for the Buckeyes. The Vikings may bring back Aaron Jones but they need a future RB who they can build a running game around long term. They also need some young legs to improve their number of explosive plays.

G, Donovan Jackson — PFF lists him as a tackle but Jackson has played a ton of guard in his career. Nobody was smoother doing the drills inside Lucas Oil Stadium than Jackson. He could start right away.

DT, CJ West — The Indiana product crushed the Combine. He walked out with a 91st percentile RAS, especially standing out with his explosiveness. West hasn’t been a wildly productive pass rusher but with his quickness at 316 pounds he has the potential to be disruptive.

CB, Nohl Williams — The Cal corner didn’t have a mind-blowing Combine but his 19 bench press reps at 6-foot, 200 pounds should intrigue the Vikings. He also has 12 INTs over the last three years.

G, Connor Colby — Throwing numbers at the guard position just seemed right. Colby scored a 96th percentile RAS and was part of a darn good run blocking unit at Iowa.

WR, Nick Nash — Had 91 slot catches. The Vikings could use another option in their WR room.

ED, Jah Joyner — Tweener who was absolutely flying at the Combine.

G, Jackson Slater — Had a strong Combine with 92nd percentile RAS, could be a late-round steal

Who else they could have picked at 54