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Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network is one of the most respected NFL Draft experts in the business, and on Friday, he released his first 2023 mock draft. In that first mock, Jeremiah sent the Vikings a cornerback that has not been sent to them very often. That prospect is Tyrique Stevenson out of Miami (FL).
Jeremiah had this to say about the Vikings selection with the 23rd pick in the draft:
Stevenson has some flaws, but he’s big (6-0, 214), fast and tough. He would be a significant addition to a porous Vikings secondary.
Daniel Jeremiah on Tyrique Stevenson
It certainly wouldn’t hurt for the Vikings to explore their options in the secondary during the draft. The only question regarding a potential cornerback in the first round is that they are expected to fly off the board in the early and middle portions of this draft. In this mock alone, Jeremiah has six defensive backs being taken, with five of them going off the board before Stevenson. Here’s that full list:
- Devon Witherspoon (No. 6, DET)
- Joey Porter Jr. (No. 12, HOU)
- Brian Branch (No. 14, NE)
- Christian Gonzalez (No. 16, WSH)
- Emmanuel Forves (No. 19, TB)
During this past season, Stevenson was very productive for the Miami Hurricanes. He recorded 25 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 7 pass defenses, and 2 interceptions over the course of 11 games. He played four total years of college ball, starting off at Georgia before transferring to Miami in 2021.
In his draft profile on The Draft Network, they project him as a Day 1 starter at outside CB. The things that jump off the screen when watching Stevenson are his speed and length, which should make his transition to the NFL a smoother process than someone of smaller stature.
All in all, with Minnesota having uncertain futures for guys like Patrick Peterson and Duke Shelley, not to mention all the unknowns surrounding Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans, it shouldn’t be ruled out that the Vikings could select another cornerback in the first round this year.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
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