Vikings Fans Will Love Projected Pick in Todd McShay's First 2022 NFL Mock Draft

The Minnesota Vikings (6-7) will have to rely on a Wild Card spot if they hope to make the 2021-22 NFL Playoffs. With that in mind, some are looking forward to the 2022 NFL Draft and Vikings fans will love NFL insider Todd McShay's projected pick to enhance the defense in his first 2022 NFL mock draft.

Vikings Mock Draft

McShay shows the Vikings selecting Cincinnati Bearcats standout cornerback Ahmad Gardner with the No. 15 overall pick.

Gardner's playmaking and ability to shutdown 1-on-1 coverages would go a long way in improving Minnesota's secondary. Not only are the Vikings' top-three cornerbacks on expiring deals (Patrick Peterson, Bashaud Breeland and Mackensie Alexander), but the whole unit has been pretty awful.

Minnesota surrenders the eighth-most opponent passing yards per game (251.9) while ranking a dismal 28th in passing TDs allowed (24).

Gardner's clearly a playmaker who may be ready to step into a starting role right away. After all, he leads the nation with 321 snaps in solo press-man coverage and hasn't allowed more than 13 yards in a single game. He's a true lock-down cornerback with the size and skillset to make a difference at the next level.

Minnesota holds just +225 odds to make the playoffs on FanDuel Sportsbook, so it makes sense for Vikings fans to start looking forward to next year.

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Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. 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.