Secondary feels like a slam dunk for the first round pick.
You can close your eyes and blindly choose any mock draft from any analyst or publication, and the Vikings are selecting Dillon Theineman in the first round. The Oregon safety offers the same skill set as Harrison Smith, with high upside. The selection makes sense, and the first pick for the Vikings feels destined to be a safety or cornerback. Brian Flores will be pleased with either one.
ESPN's Field Yates released his latest mock draft and selected Theineman in the first round. What about the second round pick?
Dani Dennis-Sutton, Edge, Penn State
It's unclear whether the Vikings will trade away outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, but the team must prepare for that possibility. Dennis-Sutton is the latest in a long line of Penn State pass rushers to graduate to the NFL. He has a strong combination of size (6-6, 256 pounds) and power, posting back-to-back 8.5-sack seasons and 53 pressures in 2025.
Matt Holder of Bleacher Report compares Dennis-Sutton to Dorance Armstrong and ranks the EDGE rusher tenth in the class.
Where He Wins
- Good size and has long arms. Looks the part of an NFL defensive end.
- Quick to shoot his hands and take on blocks, while also showing impressive upper-body strength to get extension and set the edge. Dennis-Sutton physically dominates tight ends, too.
- Solid when taking on pullers, either getting underneath them as the spill player or creating a stalemate as the force player.
- Decent at shedding and getting off blocks to make tackles against the run.
- Solid power-rusher with a decent long-arm to occasionally collapse the pocket.
- Also showed solid hand-swipe and a rip move to win when working around the edge. Dennis-Sutton displays a good motor to generate coverage sacks.
Areas of Improvement
- Lacks twitch and displays subpar athleticism.
- Heavy-footed and isn't explosive off the snap. Dennis-Sutton doesn't threaten offensive tackles with speed as an edge-rusher.
- Bend is below-average to turn tight corners. Combined with his lack of quick-twitch fibers, his makeup limits the ability to make backside tackles when unblocked.
- Struggles to break down in the backfield. His subpar athletic ability will cause him to miss sacks and let mobile quarterbacks escape the pocket.
- Needs to improve his rotational strength and avoid getting his shoulders turned against combo/scoop blocks.
The Vikings would get younger and cheaper with this selection, but his lack of athleticism is a concern. However, as a member of the collective defensive line, Dennis-Sutton could take advantage of favorable matchups and be impactful for Minnesota.