Meet the Vikings' 2022 NFL draft class
The team finished with 10 picks in General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's first crack at running a draft, using five of its first six choices on defensive players.
S, Georgia
Round 1, No. 32 overall
Cine, 22, was the last of the record five Georgia defenders drafted in the first round. He was the leading tackler and pass deflector for the eventual national champions. Cine, listed at 6-2 and 199 pounds, had 73 tackles, nine deflections and an interception in 15 starts in 2021. He was named the Defensive MVP after the Bulldogs' victory over Alabama in the national championship game. One of his high school coaches was Deion Sanders.
Andrew Booth Jr.
CB, Clemson
Round 2, No. 42
Several mock drafts had Booth, 21, going in the first round, but he has a lengthy medical history, including a second sports hernia surgery in March. Last season as a junior, the Georgia native played 11 games, intercepting three passes while breaking up five. He has ideal size (6-0, 194 pounds) and a five-star pedigree to defend the outside, where Minnesota needs another starting option opposite veteran Patrick Peterson.
Ed Ingram
G, LSU
Round 2, No. 59
Ingram, 23, was a four-year starter for LSU and was named second-team All-SEC by coaches last season. The 6-3, 307-pound Texan can play on either the right or the left side and could be part of the Vikings' competition at right guard. He was suspended for the 2018 season after being charged with two felony counts of sexual assault of a minor. He was reinstated before the 2019 season after the charges were dropped.
Brian Asamoah
LB, Oklahoma
Round 3, No. 66
Related Coverage
Asamoah, 22, projects as a special teams contributor and inside linebacker in the Vikings' 3-4 defensive scheme under coordinator Ed Donatell. He's a "tone setter" and a "run-and-hit guy" whose sideline-to-sideline range stands out, said Mike Sholiton, director of college scouting for the Vikings. The 6-0 linebacker from Columbus, Ohio, ran a 4.56-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
Akayleb Evans
CB, Missouri
Round 4, No. 118
Evans (6-2, 197 pounds) was the third defensive back selected by the Vikings and a later-round prospect who particularly stood out to GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Evans, a Texan, spent four years and played 30 games at Tulsa before transferring last season to Missouri. He had six pass deflections, two forced fumbles and an interception in 11 games, including eight starts for the Tigers.
Esezi Otomewo
Edge, Minnesota
Round 5, No. 165
Otomewo, 23, became the first Gophers player drafted by the Vikings since Nick Triplett in 2010. He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention last season with 4.5 tackles for losses and three sacks in 13 starts. He was roommates with Gophers edge rusher Boye Mafe, who was drafted in the second round by Seattle. At 6-5 and 282 pounds, Otomewo is a big and long-limbed prospect who could move inside of the Vikings' new 3-4 front.
Ty Chandler
RB, North Carolina
Round 5, No. 169
Chandler, a 23-year-old from Nashville, was a four-year contributor at Tennessee before transferring to the Tar Heels last season, when he was named second-team All-ACC with 1,092 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. Only two running backs clocked faster 40-yard dash times at the NFL scouting combine than Chandler's 4.38 seconds. He's listed as 5-11 and 204 pounds.
Vederian Lowe
OT, Illinois
Round 6, No. 184
Lowe (6-5, 314 pounds) started at left tackle for the Illini for four years, setting a school record with 52 starts. Though he played on the left side in college, scouts saw him as a swing tackle who could line up on either side or play guard in the NFL, thanks to his flexibility and athleticism. Lowe, a Rockford, Ill. native who turned 23 this month, is a married father of two and the guardian of his teenage brother.
Jalen Nailor
WR, Michigan State
Round 6, No. 191
Nailor (5-11, 186 pounds) caught 37 passes for 695 yards and six touchdowns for the Spartans in 2021. The Las Vegas native was a state champion sprinter in track and field in high school, and made his mark as a deep threat and punt returner at Michigan State, finishing with a six-catch, 108 yard performance in the Peach Bowl. He missed time because of injuries in three of his four college seasons.
Nick Muse
TE, South Carolina
Round 7, No. 227
The Vikings used their 10th and final pick of the draft on a 6-5, 259-pound tight end who started his collegiate career at William & Mary before transferring to South Carolina in 2019. Muse caught 30 passes for 425 yards and a touchdown in 2020. He started 13 games last year, catching 20 balls for 222 yards and two touchdowns. He's the younger brother of Seahawks safety Tanner Muse.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.