There's one key name that could make sense in Minnesota.
This episode is all about draft theory and what might make sense for Minnesota at pick eighteen overall.
The core of what is being debated is whether the Vikings should take the best player available or stick to positional need. Leon's argument was pretty compelling though: this draft is weird because the positions teams usually don't value highly are loaded with elite talent. Linebacker has guys like Sonny Stiles and Arvel Reese potentially going top two overall. Safety has Caleb Downs, Dylan Theismann, and Emmanuel McNeil Warren all looking like first-round possibilities. Interior offensive line has surprising depth. Meanwhile, the tackle class is pretty thin and running back thins out fast. So the calculus changes depending on what holes you're trying to fill.
They spent a bunch of time on safeties, which makes sense for the Vikings. Leon noted that Downs is getting top-tier prospect buzz but might follow the Kyle Hamilton path and drop more than people expect. The hosts were pretty aligned that while elite safeties matter, you can find decent ones in free agency way cheaper than drafting them early. The real question is whether this draft's weird composition makes taking a safety at eighteen more sensible than usual. Probably not, they concluded.
The cornerback conversation got more interesting. Leon and his co-host agreed that corner is severely underrated in draft discussions. Teams can survive with average pass rushers and average running backs if everything else is set up right, but average corners just get torched. It's the one position where scheme doesn't really bail you out if the player can't stick with receivers one-on-one. The Vikings example from 2022 when they had Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith but still had the worst defense was pretty telling.
Leon was high on two corners: Jermod McCoy and Mansoor Delane. McCoy had injury concerns after his ACL recovery and didn't test at the combine, which spooked people, but he crushed his pro day. Leon thinks if the Vikings got queasy about his medicals like everyone else, they could grab a potential all-pro caliber player who fell. Delane was also getting some love as a sticky coverage guy with versatility.
Then they got into running back, which Leon thinks is being overthought. Jeremiah Love would be worth a move up if he's somehow still there around pick ten, but that's probably pie in the sky for Minnesota. Mike Washington got serious consideration as a guy who could become a thousand-yard back if taken late in the second or early third round. Le'Veon Moss from Texas A&M was interesting as a day-three value play if he stays healthy, which is a big if given his injury history.
By the end, Leon's dream scenario for Minnesota was taking McCoy at eighteen for the cornerback shutdown they need, then swinging back with their next pick to grab Washington in the backfield. That gives you coverage help on one side and explosiveness in the run game on the other. It's a different approach than what teams usually do, but in a weird year like this it might actually make sense.