10 non-QBs for the Vikings to consider from the Senior Bowl

MOBILE, Alabama—The 2024 Senior Bowl has passed, and there is only one football game remaining until the 2023 season is officially over. The festivities in Mobile may have over, but the 2024 NFL Draft is only getting started. As the Senior Bowl’s official hashtag proclaims, #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE, let the draft conversation flow as everyone returns from Mobile to watch the Super Bowl and prepare for the Combine.

Nix completed five passes in the contest Saturday. Penix threw five fewer than that, as the Heisman Trophy runner-up was among those who skipped the Senior Bowl’s official event. Given how much has already been said about the quarterbacks, and the Vikings’ needs are virtually everywhere, here are ten non-quarterbacks who I believe may make a lot of sense for the Vikings at various stages of the draft.

If only one player could be named the official media darling of Senior Bowl practice, it would be Mitchell (which is likely why he did not play in the game). Mitchell started the week in Mobile as a highly regarded first-round prospect, and his practices were so impressive that he is now being considered the draft’s best corner. He may not have done enough to have his name called before the two Crimson Tide corners, Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, but he did reduce the dist.

Two receivers, Michigan’s Roman Wilson and Florida’s Ricky Pearsall, chose to sit out the game after destroying every DB in practice. Sorry, but they did this after killing everyone in practice except Mitchell. Don’t be fooled by the small school designation. Mitchell has the size and attributes of an NFL cornerback, and he is currently being considered as the Vikings’ No. 11 overall pick.

Melton may not have been as dominant as Mitchell, but he played well enough to justify his decision not to play in the game, and his stock should climb significantly following his week in Mobile. Melton (the younger brother of Packers WR Bo Melton) is competitive, plays spicy, and was measured as one of the fastest DBs in practice by Zebra MotionWorks.

Melton told the media that he had previously faced some of the top wideouts in college football, including the aforementioned Wilson and Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. The Vikings could use about a thousand more corners, so if they address other needs on Day 1 of the draft, Melton should be a strong contender on Day 2.