The Minnesota Vikings are sitting in a great spot right now with an 8-2 record. They have a tremendous defense led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores and have one of the best pass rushes in the National Football League.
The intriguing element of the defense that Flores coordinates is how well it's playing despite having a few significant flaws in it. There isn't a defensive lineman who can generate a consistent pass rush nor a young up and coming cornerback without an injury, as Mekhi Blackmon is still recovering from a torn ACL.
How the Vikings will approach things this offseason will be very telling on how they want to continue building their defense, including how they approach the NFL Draft.
Vikings take surprising CB in mock draft
If the Vikings were to take a cornerback in the first round, there are a multitude of options available. I just finished a tape study of East Carolina's Shavon Revel Jr. who could be an intriguing option.
The Vikings did just that in the latest NFL mock draft from Ryan Roberts at A to Z Sports but it was with a different prospect than had been discussed at any other point in Florida State's Azareye'h Thomas.
If you don’t know Thomas yet, you will soon. His press man skills are tremendous. So are his movement skills. There is a legitimate argument that Thomas could have some of the highest upside in the entire cornerback class.
Thomas hasn't gotten a lot of attention in this class, but as Roberts said, you will soon. It's hard to get a lot of positive attention on a football team that is currently 1-9 but once everyone jumps on the film, his rise will come and he will get plenty of attention.
He also fits what Flores wants to do defensively with he ability to play press-man and has plus-movement skills. Those alone will play in this defense.
Once the new year starts, we will be tracking every mock draft selection for the Vikings and Thomas is certainly a name to keep tabs on.
