Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater became a popular breakout candidate for the 2015 season after he completed at least 68 percent of his passes in five straight games to finish out last season. To help continue him on his upward trajectory, it was expected that Minnesota would invest a high-round draft pick into the wide receiver position, possibly even reuniting Bridgewater with his Louisville teammate Devante Parker. After all, talented pass catchers are helpful for any young and developing quarterback.
But now it seems as if Minnesota may go in the opposite direction when the 2015 NFL draft rolls around. ESPN NFL Draft Insider Todd McShay projects the Vikings to select Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes in his Mock Draft 3.0.
"I think this pick could come down to Waynes and Louisville receiver DeVante Parker, who was Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's favorite target at Louisville and is a top-10 player on our board," McShay wrote. "But Minnesota really needs help at corner, so I'll go with Waynes. He really helped himself at the combine by running a 4.31 40-yard dash, which eliminated any concerns about his speed after showing a little bit of tightness on tape. He is a technically sound cover corner with good instincts and football characters. Plus, he plays hard and isn't afraid to show up in run support."
While the Vikings were beat in the secondary a handful of times last season, the team still finished with the seventh-ranked pass defense, allowing just 223.3 passing yards per game. With starting corners Xavier Rhodes and Captain Munnerlyn both not even 27-years-old yet, should the Vikings really be adding another young corner to the mix?
Minnesota ranked just 28th in passing yards per game (202.8) last season. Some of that has to do with Bridgewater playing in only 13 games, but some of it also has to do with a lack of talent at the position. Cordarrelle Patterson failed to develop into the No. 1 wide receiver many expected he'd become. While some still hold out hope for a 2015 breakout from Patterson, many believe he is nothing more than a quality gadget player at this point.
Perhaps the Vikings would be best served in the long-term by adding talent to the offense and helping Bridgewater's development. Head coach Mike Zimmer may be a defensive guy, but Minnesota should do everything in its power to ensure its young QB's success.
