In the leadup to the 2022 NFL Draft, Vikings.com is taking a position-by-position look at prospects who have garnered a range of attention from national outlets. The series will include rankings by those national outlets, stats and background information for multiple prospects. We'll also include comments that experts shared during interviews.

Vikings status at EDGE

While in recent years we've looked specifically at defensive ends for Minnesota's 4-3 base system, the new regime under Head Coach Kevin O'Connell will be implementing multiple fronts that include utilizing a 3-4.

The Vikings recently signed former Packers outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith, who adds speed and power to the edge, and are returning Danielle Hunter.

Hunter started the first seven games of the 2021 campaign but landed on Injured Reserve with a torn pec prior to Week 9. Assuming he stays healthy for the upcoming season, Hunter and Smith could prove a ferocious duo for offenses to contend with.

"What would be the most excitement is just his versatility, his ability to line up in a lot of different spots," O'Connell said of Smith. "Both knocking out the run, but also, he rushes the quarterback and has a repertoire of moves from the edge and internally as part of a pressure package with other players. He's a guy that doesn't need to just work on his own to get to the quarterback."

D.J. Wonnum, who answered the bell when called upon last season, also remains with Minnesota. Wonnum opened the 2021 season as the starter opposite Hunter and then shifted to a reserve role when the Vikings brought back Everson Griffen. When Hunter suffered the injury, Wonnum then started opposite Griffen, who then needed to step away from the game.

Sheldon Richardson, who began the season on the interior and kicked out to the edge for the short-handed squad, became a free agent last month. Minnestoa still has Kenny Willekes, who impressed last season after missing his rookie campaign with a knee injury.

Patrick Jones II, a third-round pick last spring, appeared in nine games as a rookie. Fellow draft pick Janarius Robinson spent the year on Injured Reserve.

Ask the analyst

Chris Trapasso is an NFL Draft writer with CBS Sports. He also is a contributing writer for The Buffalo News' "BN Blitz" and has previously worked with NFL.com, FOX Sports and Bleacher Report. Trapasso will offer evaluations of the 2022 class of edge rushers. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisTrapasso for his analysis.

How would you classify the depth at edge rusher this year? Sounds like there's a general consensus that solid edge rushers can be found even into Days 2 and 3?

Trapasso: "The edge group is very deep. I don't know if a team should bank on getting a quality, eventual high-end starter well into Day 3, but absolutely in the second and third round some eventual big-time edge rushers will be selected. Guys I'm thinking of here — Penn State's Arnold Ebiketie, Drake Jackson from USC, San Diego State's Cameron Thomas, who has legitimate positional flexibility, and Kentucky's Joshua Paschal. Even Coastal Carolina's Jeffrey Gunter is an explosive, polished rusher, and he's a Day 3 lock."

How does the Vikings free agency action (retaining Danielle Hunter and signing Za'Darius Smith) determine how they might approach the draft?

Trapasso: "Teams will want to say they're always going 'Best Player Available' when they're on the clock, but every club's board is set with needs in mind, and the outside rush position simply isn't nearly as big of an immediate need for a Vikings team that clearly looks like it's planning to be competitive this season. Maybe a long-term project-y type will be grabbed on Day 3, but other spots should and likely will be addressed first. Hunter and Smith are the starting outside rushers on this team; it doesn't make sense to pick a player in Round 1 who's not going to play a ton early, especially when there are other needs."

Expert rankings

NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah currently has nine edge players in his overall Top 50, including four in the top 10: 1. Aidan Hutchinson, 6. Travon Walker, 9. Jermaine Johnson II, 10. Kayvon Thibodeaux, 18. George Karlaftis, 26. Boye Mafe, 36. Arnold Ebiketie, 43. Nik Bonitto and 47. David Ojabo

ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., has four edge rushers in his overall Top 25: 1. Hutchinson, 6. Thibodeaux, 10. Walker and 13. Johnson II. Kiper also included Georgia's Devonte Wyatt (No. 23) as an edge player, though other experts have categorized Wyatt as an interior lineman.

Rankings for each player within the tight end position group by Jeremiah, his NFL Media counterpart Bucky Brooks, Kiper, analytics site Pro Football Focus and The Athletic's Dane Brugler are listed below.

Prospects

Note: Heights and weights are from each player's profile on NFL.com (linked for each player's name).

Aidan Hutchinson

School: Michigan | Year: Sr. | Ht: 6-foot-7 | Wt: 260 pounds

2021 stats: 14 games; 62 tackles (36 solo), 16.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 3 passes defensed, 1 fumble recovery, 2 forced fumbles

Man of many talents: Hutchinson attended Divine Child High School (Dearborn, Michigan) and played four positions on the school's varsity football team: defensive end, tight end, offensive line and long snapper. He was invited to the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Game and recorded 2.0 sacks in the all-star contest.

Kayvon Thibodeaux

School: Oregon | Year: Jr. | Ht: 6-foot-4 | Wt: 254 pounds

2021 stats: 10 games; 49 tackles (35 solo), 12 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, 1 pass defensed, 2 forced fumbles

Accolades galore: Thibodeaux earned CBS Sports All-American Second-Team honors in 2021, becoming the first Oregon defensive lineman to receive All-America honors since DeForest Buckner did so in 2015. He also was named by coaches to the Pac-12 All-Conference First Team and was named the PFF Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Thibodeaux's 19 career sacks tied for seventh in Ducks history.

Travon Walker

School: Georgia | Year: Jr. | Ht: 6-foot-5 | Wt: 272 pounds

2021 stats: 13 games; 33 tackles (17 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, 2 passes defensed, 1 fumble recovery

Shined at the Combine: Walker certainly turned heads at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. The 6-foot-5, 272-pounder clocked in at 4.51 seconds in the 40-yard dash, which topped all defensive linemen. He also logged a 10-foot, 3-inch broad jump.

Jermaine Johnson II

School: Florida State (after Georgia) | Year: Redshirt Sr. | Ht: 6-foot-5 | Wt: 254 pounds

2021 stats: 12 games; 70 tackles (33 solo), 17.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, 2 passes defensed, 1 fumble recovery, 2 forced fumbles

Local talent: Johnson grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and attended Eden Prairie High School. As a senior under Head Coach Mike Grant, Johnson earned All-Metro honors after recording 37 tackles and 7.0 sacks. Johnson began his collegiate career at Independence Community College. While at Independence, he was featured in the third season of the Netflix documentary series Last Chance U. He later transferred to Georgia for two seasons (2019-20) before taking off in 2021 with Florida State.

George Karlaftis

School: Purdue | Year: Jr. | Ht: 6-foot-4 | Wt: 266 pounds

2021 stats: 12 games; 39 tackles (28 solo), 10 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 4 passes defensed, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 forced fumbles, 1 defensive touchdown

From Greece to Indiana: Karlaftis was born Yorgos ("George") Karlaftis in Athens, Greece, where he lived with his family until he was 13. Karlaftis' father Matthew passed away from a heart attack in 2014, and his mother moved George and his two siblings back to her hometown of West Lafayette, Indiana.

David Ojabo

School: Michigan | Year: Redshirt So. | Ht: 6-foot-4 | Wt: 250 pounds

NOTE: Experts who updated their rankings after Ojabo suffered a leg injury at Michigan's Pro Day have moved him down their lists.

2021 stats: 13 games; 35 tackles (24 solo), 12 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 3 passes defensed, 1 fumble recovery, 5 forced fumbles

Scottish-Nigerian heritage: Ojabo was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, but moved to Aberdeen, Scotland with his family in 2007. When he was 17 years old, Ojabo moved to Blairstown, New Jersey, where he played basketball at Blair Academy before switching to American football. When Ojabo committed to Michigan, he cited his decision in part because the Michigan weather was similar to Scotland, making him feel at home.

Boye Mafe

School: Minnesota | Year: Redshirt Sr. | Ht: 6-foot-4 | Wt: 261 pounds

2021 stats: 12 games; 34 tackles (26 solo), 10 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Successful in Minnesota and Mobile: A hometown kid (Golden Valley) along with Johnson, Mafe played for the Gophers and recorded 15 career sacks, which ranks ninth all-time in school history. Mafe earned All-Big Ten Second-Team honors and was invited to the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl, where he shined and was named National Player of the Game.

Trapasso's take: "I've labeled Mafe as an 'ascending rusher' during this pre-draft cycle. Because he simply got better each season at Minnesota, and throughout the year, his pass-rush moves got better and better. Because of how smooth he is athletically as a rusher or when needing to drop into coverage, Mafe would fit with [a 3-4]. I'm a big fan."

Arnold Ebiketie

School: Penn State (after Temple) | Year: Redshirt Sr. | Ht: 6-foot-2 | Wt: 250 pounds

2021 stats: 12 games; 62 tackles (34 solo), 18 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 1 pass defensed, 2 forced fumbles

Both sides of the ball: Ebiketie, a Cameroon native, played at Albert Einstein High School in Maryland and excelled on both sides of the ball, playing linebacker and wide receiver. As a senior, he recorded an incredible 21.5 sacks.

Trapasso's take: "I'm higher on Ebiketie than seemingly anyone – I have a mid-first-round grade on him – and he's likely to be available in the second round. He's a complete pass rusher – burst, bend, pass-rushing moves, surprising power – it's all there. At similar size to Boye Mafe, he, in theory, has 3-4 outside linebacker size, but if the Vikings draft him, it'll be to disrupt the edges of the opposition's offensive line."

Nik Bonitto

School: Oklahoma | Year: Redshirt Jr. | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 248 pounds

2021 stats: 11 games; 39 tackles (23 solo), 15 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, 1 pass defensed, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 forced fumble

From LB to pass rusher: Bonitto started out at Oklahoma as an outside linebacker who only occasionally was asked to rush the quarterback. But that changed in 2020, when Bonitto rarely dropped into coverage and instead made a name for himself with his pass-rush skills. His 7.5 sacks as a redshirt sophomore ranked fourth in the Big 12.

Kingsley Enagbare

School: South Carolina | Year: Sr. | Ht: 6-foot-4 | Wt: 258 pounds

2021 stats: 12 games; 43 tackles (28 solo), 7.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 passes defensed, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble

Well-respected: As a senior in 2021, Enagbare was named a Rex Enright Team Captain. He also received the Co-Joe Morrison Award as the defensive MVP and the Co-Steve Wadiak Award as the team MVP.

Drake Jackson

School: USC | Year: Jr. | Ht: 6-foot-3 | Wt: 254 pounds

2021 stats: 10 games; 37 tackles (23 solo), 8.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, 1 interception, 1 pass defensed, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble

Willing to work: Jackson is accustomed to hard work and takes pride in being able to "do it all" on the football field.

"I want [NFL teams] to know I can do anything," Jackson told media members at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I'm a freak. I love to do it all. It doesn't matter what it is. If I can't do it, I'll work to do it."  

Trapasso's take: "Jackson is a challenging evaluation. He looked super-skinny on film and wasn't a multi-dimensional rusher. He only beat tackles with an outside speed rush. However, the burst and bend Jackson showcased on that outside rush was of first-round caliber, and he measured in over 270 pounds at his pro day. He's the high-upside type the Vikings could look to pick in the second or third round."