Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com* *has released his latest mock draft in video form and had the Vikings tabbing Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell with the 23rd pick next Thursday.
This was version 7.0 for Jeremiah, who slotted DT Jarran Reed to Washington at No. 21, TE Hunter Henry to Houston at 22, WR Josh Doctson to Cincinnati at 24 and CB Artie Burns to Pittsburgh at 25.
A group of NFL.com draft analysts, including Lance Zierlein, broke down Jeremiah's picks.
"If Treadwell falls to them and gives them a true (No. 1 wide receiver), I think they will be very, very excited," Zierlein said. "Treadwell is really a lead-dog type, an alpha on the field.
"(He's) hypercompetitive and can high-point (the ball)," he added. "It's a nice balance in compliment, I think, to what (wide receiver Stefon) Diggs gives them as kind of the catch-and-move wide receiver. You need to find an A1 wide receiver for Teddy Bridgewater and I think Treadwell could be that guy.
Fellow analyst Bucky Brooks thinks Treadwell has a high ceiling as a pro.
"Laquon Treadwell is a natural No. 1 receiver, but he doesn't have the explosiveness that Josh Doctson displays," Brooks said. "Both of those guys can put the ball in the paint, but in Doctson, you're talking about a true red zone weapon, a guy that really excels at winning those contested balls down in the red zone."
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Craig: Vikings could look at wide receiver in draft
With the 2016 NFL Draft just a week away, Mark Craig continued the Star Tribune's eight-part series on the Vikings positional needs.
Craig recently took a look at Minnesota's wide receivers and tight ends. He said Minnesota is likely set at tight end but could possibly use some help at wide receiver.
At No. 23, the Vikings could be in position to grab one of the top receivers, if not the top one. Most agree that the best available receiver is Laquon Treadwell of Ole Miss. He's 6-2, 221 with speed, strength, a willingness to block and the ability to dominate DBs when the ball is in the air. And now that some of the issues on the offensive line have been addressed, this is exactly what quarterback Teddy Bridgewater needs to take the next step and be more consistent with the deep ball.
*At tight end, the Vikings are set and probably won't be in the market for one even in the later rounds. *
Craig predicted the Vikings will take Treadwell or TCU Doctson if they are still on the board at pick No. 23. But he also said to keep an eye on someone who's already on Minnesota's roster.
Don't forget about:Charles Johnson. After leapfrogging Cordarrelle Patterson at the X position in 2014, Johnson was leapfrogged himself by the rookie phenom Diggs in '15. If Johnson is a fighter — and he probably is considering the humble start to his NFL career — we might not have seen the last of his playmaking ability.
