3 Most Likely NFL Draft Targets for Vikings With the No. 22 Pick

The Minnesota Vikings made some waves of their own among a list of enormous early offseason moves Monday, shipping off WR Stefon Diggs and a seventh-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in return for the No. 22 overall pick, a fifth-round pick and a sixth-rounder in this year's NFL Draft, along with a fourth-round pick in next year's draft.

Having now lost a talented WR but gained an additional first-round pick, here's a look at three NFL Draft targets that would make the most sense for the Vikings with their new No. 22 pick.

3. Justin Jefferson – WR, LSU

Even though the Vikings still have Adam Thielen, he battled injuries for most of the 2019 season and losing his complementary weapon in Diggs is going to come as a blow to Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota offense as a whole. However, LSU's Justin Jefferson could provide a perfect fit, both in terms of draft value and in having similar measurables to Diggs himself. Compared to Diggs, Jefferson stands 6 pounds heavier (201 lbs) and one inch taller (6'1") with nearly two-inch longer arms (33 inches to 31.25), a 2.5-inch higher vertical jump and even a faster 40-yard dash at 4.43 seconds (compared to Diggs' 4.46). Given the depth of this year's WR class, we could still see three or even four names off the board at the position before Jefferson's name is called, making him a viable target at Minnesota with the No. 22 pick.

2. C.J. Henderson – CB, Florida

While Ohio State's Jeff Okudah is the consensus best cornerback in the NFL Draft and likely a lock to go as a top-5 pick this year, Florida's C.J. Henderson seems to have separated himself from the pack as the next best option. Henderson ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which was tied with Auburn's Javaris Davis for the second-fastest time among all CBs that ran. Henderson's 4.39 time is also noticeably faster than both the top two WR prospects in this year's class, between Jerry Jeudy (4.45) and CeeDee Lamb (4.50). Okudah will most certainly be off the board by the time the Vikings pick with their new No. 22 spot, but a guy like Henderson could be a great option if he's still available.

1. Austin Jackson – OT, USC

Austin Jackson is part of a deep offensive line class in the 2020 Draft. He has gone up and down draft boards over the past couple of months, but he has seemingly settled around the end of the first or early second round. Minnesota's offensive line was once again a weak point in 2019, though it was improved from 2018. However, Kirk Cousins is almost certainly going to need some better protection upfront for this team to take the next step, and with almost no financial flexibility, drafting a talent like Jackson could be Minnesota's best bet. While the Vikings may have already had their eyes set on Jackson with their initial No. 25 pick, pulling the trigger on him at No. 22 to make sure they lock him up could be the better move.

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David Hayes is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David Hayes also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username DavidWHayes. 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.