The Vikings finished with 10 picks in General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's first crack at running a draft. They picked up two cornerbacks, two offensive linemen, an edge rusher, a running back, a safety, an inside linebacker, a receiver and a tight end.
Vikings shift focus to offense in last two rounds of the NFL draft
After mostly drafting defenders in early rounds, the Vikings added an offensive tackle, a wide receiver and a tight end in the sixth and seventh rounds.
April 30, 2022 at 10:01PM
They used both of their sixth-round picks on Big Ten players on Saturday afternoon, taking Illinois tackle Vederian Lowe 184th overall before drafting Michigan State wide receiver Jalen Nailor with the 191st pick.
Lowe (6-5, 314 pounds) started for the Illini for four years at left tackle, becoming a father, a husband and a legal guardian to his younger brother during that time. He set a school record with 52 starts during his time at Illinois.
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.
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. He'll have to stay injury-free in the NFL after missing time in three of his four college seasons. He missed four games last season because of a hand injury, though he returned for a six-catch, 108-yard performance in the Peach Bowl.
The selections of Lowe and Nailor gave the Vikings three Big Ten players on the final day of the draft, following their choice of Gophers pass rusher Esezi Otomewo at No. 165.
After switching seventh-round picks with the Raiders as part of a trade in the fourth round, 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 (14.2) and a touchdown in 2020. He started 13 games last year, catching 20 balls for 222 yards (11.1) and two touchdowns. He's the younger brother of Seahawks safety Tanner Muse, a third-round pick of the Raiders in 2020.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
