The 2020 NFL Draft will proceed as scheduled from April 23-25, but the event will be modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Monday*.*
According to a release by the league, "the NFL is exploring innovative options for how the process will be conducted and will provide that information as it becomes available."
The selection process will be televised, per usual, but the public NFL Draft events scheduled to happen in Las Vegas will not take place.
"This decision reflects our foremost priority – the health and safety of all fans and citizens," Goodell said in a statement. "While this outcome is disappointing both to the NFL and to the Las Vegas community, we look forward to partnering with the Raiders, the City of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for a future NFL Draft as well as evaluating opportunities for other major NFL events in Las Vegas in the future, including the Super Bowl."
The Vikings last week were awarded three compensatory picks in the third (105th) and seventh (249th and 253rd) rounds.
Including those compensatory selections, Minnesota now is slated to have 10 picks in this year’s draft, starting with the No. 25 overall spot. The Vikings complete list of picks is below:
Round 1 (No. 25)
Round 2 (No. 58)
Round 3 (No. 89)
Round 3 (No. 105)
Round 4 (No.132)
Round 6 (No. 205)
Round 7 (No. 219)
Round 7 (No. 239)
Round 7 (No. 249)
Round 7 (No. 253)
Graziano Offers 'Last-Minute News & Notes' for Free Agency
Last week was one unprecedented in sports history, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing the NBA and NHL to indefinitely suspend their seasons and the NCAA to cancel its wrestling and basketball tournaments.
But the NFL league year is on as planned, and ESPN's Dan Graziano gave readers some “last-minute news and notes” ahead of the start of free agency, which officially opens at 3 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday.
Graziano opined that "corners are set to cash in," and he expects Byron Jones, James Bradberry and Bradley Roby to lead the pack.
The Vikings on Friday terminated contracts of defensive tackle Linval Joseph and cornerback Xavier Rhodes. Trae Waynes, who has started opposite Rhodes for the past three seasons, is slated to become a free agent along with Vikings slot cornerback Mackensie Alexander.
Graziano called the pass rusher market "thin" and anticipated that Jadeveon Clowney will demand the highest price for his position. Graziano wrote:
Dallas would like to bring back Robert Quinn, but he's likely to generate enough outside interest to drive his price beyond the Cowboys preferred range. Quinn, Jason Pierre-Paul, Dante Fowler, Jr., Mario Addison and Everson Griffen are among the pass-rushers who could appeal to teams that don't get Clowney or don't want to pay his price. You might see a big-name guy or two (Vic Beasley, Jr.?) take a one-year prove-it deal like Fowler did with the Rams last year.
The Vikings have developed young pass rushers on the roster who rotated in on the line last season, and Zimmer said last month that he “expects” Griffen to be back with Minnesota for the 2020 season.
