MINNEAPOLIS -- In Todd McShay's third mock draft
for ESPN, he has the Vikings taking Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert with the eighth overall pick. That's certainly a viable possibility -- the Vikings need another cornerback to play opposite Xavier Rhodes, and Gilbert put himself ahead of the pack with his 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine. But the nature of this draft, and of the Vikings' needs, means Gilbert is just one of several players who could make sense for the Vikings at No. 8.
What if Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater or Johnny Manziel is there? The Vikings would have to think seriously about taking one of the three quarterbacks. If a linebacker like Buffalo's Khalil Mack is still on the board? He'd make sense, too. Gilbert would fit. So would Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard, or Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley. It's a good place to be, in the sense that any number of players would work, but it also reflects how many needs the Vikings have.
One way Gilbert could be a fit is if the Vikings trade down a couple picks to obtain extra selections later in the draft. If he's still there at, say, No. 10, the Vikings might be very happy to pick him there and add more selections with a trade back. They've moved back into the first round each of the last two years, after making trades to acquire extra picks (and the flexibility to make further moves), and it wouldn't be surprising to see general manager Rick Spielman repeat the move again.