3 Most Likely Vikings Draft Targets With the 12th Overall Pick

It was another year full of missed opportunities for the Minnesota Vikings. The team hovered around .500 for most of the regular season and ended up with an 8-9 record. On top of that, Minnesota fired head coach Mike Zimmer and will look to head in a new direction this offseason.

The Vikings could give the fanbase some much needed excitement for the future by nailing their upcoming first round selection. With that being said, here are three of the most likely draft targets for Minnesota with the No. 12 overall pick.

Minnesota Vikings NFL Draft

1. Ahmad Gardner, CB (Cincinnati)

Minnesota's roster has a lot of needs to address heading into the offseason and getting younger in the secondary is certainly one of them. Veteran Patrick Peterson is set to enter free agency and sixth-year pro Mackensie Alexander has struggled in coverage recently. Grabbing Ahmad Gardner at No. 12 could be the answer to their problems. Gardner shined during his last season at Cincinnati, racking up 3 interceptions while regularly shutting down opposing wide receivers. He has the size to compete in the NFL (6-foot-3, 200 pounds) and could give the Vikings a much needed boost along the boundary. After all, Minnesota gave up the fifth-most passing yards per game in 2021 (252.9).

2. David Ojabo, DE (Michigan)

It's safe to say the Vikings outperformed expectations when it came to their pass rush this past season. Minnesota finished with the second-most sacks in the NFL (51.0) despite seeing Danielle Hunter go down with an injury back in November. Adding another young stud to the mix would make this a defensive line no team wants to face. Michigan's David Ojabo could be available when the Vikings are on the clock. The 21-year-old exploded during his junior year and logged 11.0 sacks and 12.0 tackles for a loss. While may not be as polished as some other draft prospects, Ojabo comes with a ton of upside and has future Pro Bowl potential.

3. Garrett Wilson, WR (Ohio State)

Wide receiver Adam Thielen is set to enter the 2022 NFL season at 31 years old after ending this year on the injured reserve. Second-year pro KJ Osborn played well in his place, but this Vikings offense could use another exciting playmaker to pair with Pro Bowler Justin Jefferson. Ohio State's Garrett Wilson sticks out in that scenario given his elite speed and crisp route-running abilities. Wilson averaged an impressive 15.8 yards per touch across three college seasons and has the ability to play both in the slot and on the outside. He could quickly become a favorite target for quarterback Kirk Cousins in an offense that rivals the Green Bay Packers for the best in the NFC North division.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.