Twelve NFL draft prospects to keep an eye while waiting for the Vikings' pick at No. 12

Where: Las Vegas
When: Round 1, 7 p.m. Thursday; rounds 2-3, 6 p.m. Friday; rounds 4-7, 11 a.m. Saturday
TV: Ch. 5, ESPN, NFL Network

Here are 12 elite prospects — three edge rushers, two offensive tackles, two cornerbacks, a safety, a center, a receiver, a linebacker and a quarterback (yes, a quarterback!) — to keep an eye on as the Vikings prepare to make the 12th pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft on Thursday night.

1. Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan

He is so polished as a pass rusher, he could be an honorary Bosa or the next Watt brother. Most mock drafts that aren't going out of their way just to be different peg Hutchinson as the No. 1 overall pick to Jacksonville. The 6-6, 265-pounder had 14 sacks and 19 tackles for loss as a game-wrecker last season.

2. Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

He is more than just a safety. The 6-4, 220-pounder is a hybrid space-age defensive weapon in a sport that will always favor the other side of the ball. If concerns about his speed drop him to No. 12, the Vikings should pounce and place him next to another pretty good and versatile safety from Notre Dame.

3. Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
Strike another blow for the defense with a legitimate lockdown corner known as Sauce. The 6-3, 200-pounder never gave up a touchdown in college. Never.

4. Ikem Ekwonu, T, North Carolina State
Game-changing left tackles who can protect a quarterback's blind side while earning the nickname "Mr. Pancake" in the run game don't last long on draft night. Some have said this one could go No. 1 overall.

5. Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
Edge rushers who couple 4.58 speed with the ideal 6-5, 250-pound frame and skillset also tend to disappear quickly. Thibodeaux had 35 ½ tackles for loss in 30 games at Oregon. He also had the second-highest pressure rate in the country last year.

6. Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
If you haven't noticed, veteran receivers are getting paid beaucoup bucks like never before. And rookie receivers like Ja'Marr Chase in 2021 and Justin Jefferson in 2020 are lighting up the league from the get-go. No receiver in this class is more versatile or gets better separation than the 6-foot, 193-pound Wilson.

7. Derek Stingley Jr., CB, Louisiana State
Are teams looking at his ceiling based on how dominant the 6-1, 195-pounder was as an 18-year-old on LSU's national championship team in 2019? Or are they spooked by the foot injury and the fact he has played only 10 games since then, including only three last year? The Vikings are probably hoping the latter so they can grab him as a steal at No. 12.

8. Evan Neal, T, Alabama
He has played three positions the past three years — left guard in 2019, right tackle in 2020, left tackle in 2021 — but will make some quarterback very happy with his quick feet and massive 6-7, 360-pound frame.

9. Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
Another ideal edge-rushing specimen at 6-5, 275 pounds and 4.51 speed. His stats won't wow you, but the film of the Dawgs' national championship season does.

10. Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
Is Pickett or any other quarterback deserving of a top-12 spot this year? Not really. Will Pickett and possibly another quarterback like Liberty's Malik Willis end up going in the top 10 to a Carolina at No. 6 or Atlanta at No. 8? The guess here is an emphatic "Yes!" based solely on watching many, many desperate reaches for quarterbacks over the years. And who's to say Pickett is a reach? Once upon a time, the Chiefs were accused of reaching for Patrick Mahomes at No. 10.

11. Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
There's a spot in the top 12 for the most versatile do-it-all inside linebacker available. Teams need tackling machines that can also rush and cover.

12. Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa
If this feels too high for the most dominant interior lineman in the draft, just ask Kirk Cousins how important he thinks interior linemen are in a quarterback's ability to make plays.