8 Potential Senior Bowl Draft Picks Who the Vikings Might Target in April

Three days of practice are scheduled for AL Mobile Senior Boxing 2024, with Saturday’s exhibition bout still to come. The Vikings are well known for having this week as one of the most important events on the preseason calendar. In addition to Kevin O’Connell, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and many other executives/coaches/scouts, three defensive backs coaches – Daronte Jones, Imarjay Albury and Michael Hutchings – are on the national team coaching staff. From on-field and practice evaluations to one-on-one meetings, the Vikings analyzed dozens of drafts this week. Here are eight notable players from the Senior Bowl who will mean something to the Vikings when they set their sights on April.

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

None of the top three players in this year’s draft — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels — are participating in the Senior Bowl. The Vikings would have to finish in the top three to become members of that trio. JJ McCarthy isn’t even on her cell phone. That means all eyes are on Heisman finalist Michael Penix Jr. this week. And Bonix.

Penix, who became a star this year by leading Washington to the national title game, tried to prove to teams this week that his arm talent outweighs concerns about age and injury history. For the most part, he had a solid but not flashy week of practice. Penix is a great deep ball thrower with accuracy at all three levels and enough athleticism to extend plays when brought down. They’re unlikely to take him with the 11th pick because of the risk involved, but he could be a target for the Vikings after a trade, or even the 42nd overall pick.

Bo nix, QB, Oregon

Nix is another quarterback with a lot to prove in this week’s first-round interview. He had an up-and-down performance that started off slow earlier in the week and ended well on Thursday. That mirrors his college career, where he dominated his final two seasons at Oregon after struggling for three years at Auburn. In 2023, he threw for 4,500 yards and 45 touchdowns with just three interceptions.

What the team will have to figure out with the Knicks is how much of his success at Oregon paid off in a quarterback-friendly system. He’s accurate and has dual-threat ability, but he lacks the explosive talent that older talents like Penix have. Both players could theoretically finish in the top 15 or advance to Day 2.

Spencer Rattler, QB, South Carolina

In addition to Penix and Nix, Mobile has five other quarterbacks looking to turn heads and move up in the draft. They are Spencer Rattler (South Carolina), Michael Pratt (Tulane), Sam Hartman (Notre Dame), Joe Milton III (Tennessee) and Carter Bradley (South Alabama). Of these, Rattler is probably the most interesting.

Rattler, the No. 1 quarterback in a 2019 recruiting class that included Daniels, Nix and Sam Howell, spent the past two seasons at South Carolina after starting his career at Oklahoma. He has a lot of tools, but his performance in college has been inconsistent (48 TD passes, 25 INTs over the past three seasons after being decommissioned from OU in 2020). The Rattlers have been through a lot this week and benefited from an impressive week of practice. It could be a person on day two.

Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo

According to the crowd, Mitchell was probably the best defensive player on the field this week. He was one of the biggest names in this year’s Senior Bowl and firmly established his name in the CB1 conversation alongside Terrion Arnold and Nate Wiggins. While playing for the Nationals, he was the direct coach of Jones and Hutchings’ Vikings. After a stellar week shutting down the receivers, Mitchell could be in the mix with the 11th pick out of Minnesota.

Cam Hart, CB, Notre Dame

Another national team corner of interest to the Vikings is Hart, a big prospect who brings real media coverage. He’s 6-foot-3 and 204 pounds, but moves well for his size. Hart has intercepted 17 passes over the last three seasons, as well as 10.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. He had a week until the next day.

Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA

Latu is a clear contender for the top running back in this year’s Senior Bowl. The UCLA star was the top-graded EDGE in all of college football last season, totaling 13 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss. He is a dynamic athlete, flexible and a technician as a passenger. This combination will give him a tremendous advantage at the next level. That intersection is fatal.

A major concern in the draft evaluation of Latu is that he suffered a career-threatening neck injury while in Washington and sat out two seasons before being medically released from UCLA. If the team trusts his medical history, he will join the conversation on EDGE1 alongside Dallas Turner and Jared Verse. Ratu, who had two tough days of practice in Mobile and was off Thursday with soreness, will play a big role for the Vikings, who have the 11th overall pick.

Darius Robinson, DL/EDGE, Missouri

Another Senior Bowl Player of the Week is Robinson, a 6’5″, 286-pound defensive lineman who stole the show with his passing ability and strong run defense. He is a fifth-year student in the Class of 2023. Mizzou’s Sr. 8 Has 5 sacks and 14 total TFLs. During mobile practice this week, Robinson looked dominant, creating situations on the edge and in both three-down techniques. He’s a brutal, physical player who could have been heavily in the first-round conversation.

Adisa Isaac, EDGE, Penn State

While Latu is the star, another standout international set to join Albury for the Vikings is expected second-round pick Isaac. He had a good week as a team player, especially showing up with two sacks on Thursday. The 6’4”, 250-pound Isaac recorded a career-high 27 tackles (including 11.5 sacks) over the past two seasons at Penn State. He is an impressive prospect with a versatile game like the Vikings. You look at edge runners.

• Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
• Chau Smith-Wade, CB,
• Washington State
  
• Sione Vaki, S, Utah
  
• Austin Booker, EDGE, Kansas
  
• T’Vondre Sweat, DL, Texas
  
• Michael Hall Jr., DL, Ohio State