There's plenty of buzz around NFL Draft prospects expected to fly off the board in the first round.
But what about some high-value names who could be snagged on Day 2?
ESPN's Louis Riddick recently highlighted his top five “sleepers” for this year’s draft, as well as five favorite overall prospects.
Riddick's sleeper picks were Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, LSU defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy, Michigan State receiver Jayden Reed, Tulane running back Tyjae Spears and Iowa cornerback Riley Moss.
Experts have proposed several players to Minnesota over an abundance of mock drafts, and Reed and Moss both have been mentioned as possible fits for the Vikings.
A Des Moines, Iowa, native, Moss was a track-and-field standout in addition to turning heads on the football field. He set an Iowa state record in the 110-meter hurdles in high school (13.85 seconds), and his official 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine was 4.45 seconds. Riddick wrote:
On the field, he is comfortable in press or off-coverage, with a super-fluid movement style, quick feet, very good short-area acceleration and the top-end long speed to run with the best receivers in the NFL in the deeper parts of the field. His instincts, pattern recognition and finishing skills are also all very good, helping him to 11 career interceptions and three pick-sixes.
Moss also shows absolutely no hesitation in run support or as a tackler when it comes to the physical side of the game. He will put big hits on receivers and running backs when the opportunities are there. I have no doubt he will make an immediate impact in sub-defenses or on special teams in his rookie season – and that's just a starting point.
Reed measured in at 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, but Riddick advised against letting his size "fool you into thinking he is just a typical slot guy."
This young man plays big on the outside as an X or Z receiver, with the feet to defeat press coverage, the acceleration to take away cushion and make defensive backs turn, and the body control to get in and out of his breaks smoothly. And despite his frame, Reed has the play strength and hands to regularly finish in contested catch situations.
And that's not even mentioning that he's a dynamic punt return specialist.
You can read Riddick's full list of 10 prospects and breakdowns here.
Vikings head performance dietician spotlighted by NFL.com
Last month, the Vikings ranked No. 1 in "free agency report cards" based on a survey by the NFL Players Association.
The survey included multiple categories, one of which was health and nutrition – which the players gave an A-minus in Minnesota.
NFL.com's Coral Smith recently conducted a Q&A with Vikings Head Performance Dietician Remi Famodu-Jackson as part of the “Next Woman Up” series. Smith asked Famodu-Jackson her reaction when she heard about the survey results.
"Chef Paige Sullivan was the one who told me at first, and then maybe a minute later, my supervisor, Tyler Williams, executive director of player health and performance, texted me. At first, I didn't know what was really going on," Famodu-Jackson told Smith. "The shock factor set in, and then I was very excited. It was an A-, so I'm always going to look to get better, but of course, no hard feelings with that. I've worked with Chef [Sullivan] for a few seasons, so we've had a journey.
"I'm actually very stoked and excited about that grade, because I do think we've put in a lot of work to get to that grade," she continued. "Kirk Cousins texted me recently and gave me some praise. It is always nice to hear from the players, just knowing that they know we care, we're here for them and we're always going to try to make it better.
"That was exciting," she added. "Chef [Sullivan] and I are like, 'We're going to get that A or [A-plus].' We are going to do it, no matter what. But yeah, we're stoked, we're so excited, we love these guys, and we're going to do a lot for them in this nutrition department."
Smith chatted with Famodu-Jackson about her background in nutrition, her career path and her professional mentors, which include former Vikings dietician Rasa Troup. She also was asked by Smith about "additional goals" to help reach that higher grade on future NFLPA surveys.
Famodu-Jackson emphasized "bringing new, innovative ideas into practice" in the health and nutrition realm.
"I don't necessarily like the old; it gets stale. I think these guys will always want to see something new. They bring new ideas to me and fad diets to me every day, and it's keeping up with that and bringing a more ground-breaking personalization into the world of nutrition," she explained. "I would say we're not just dietitians. So for me personally, it's how can I be above nutrition. I'm always pushing the limits there, and then professionally, it's just growing the practice and making sure it's diversifying, and we're not going backwards."
Click here to read Smith's full Q&A with Famodu-Jackson.
