The Minnesota Vikings showed improvement in 2014, as the young team went 7-9 without star running back Adrian Peterson. Minnesota still has some areas they need to address to take the next step and become a playoff team. Here are the players the Vikings are targeting in the draft:
CB Trae Waynes, Michigan State
Head coach Mike Zimmer wants to upgrade his secondary, and Waynes is the best cornerback in the draft. He has ideal size at 6'0", and is used to working on an island without safety help from his time at Michigan State. Waynes does need to add a few pounds of muscle, but he plays a physical style and is excellent in run support on top of being a shutdown corner.
LB Shaq Thompson, Washington
Thompson could be available for the Vikings in the second round, but it also wouldn't be far-fetched for Minnesota to take him in the first-round. He's falling on draft boards because teams view him as a linebacker-safety tweener, but Thompson is someone who just knows how to make plays no matter where you put him on the field.
G Laken Tomlinson, Duke
Minnesota desperately needs a left tackle since Matt Kalil, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 draft, led the league in pressures allowed for most of the season. Tomlinson, who's projected to be a second- or third-round pick, would fit in as a skilled, intelligent player who should be able to start right away as a rookie and have a long career.
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