We always get excited about the NFL draft, projecting that almost every first-round pick could be the next All-Pro player. But this isn’t always the case, as some players exceed expectations, some meet them, and some fail miserably.
This makes “re-drafting” a class an interesting exercise. It can be fun to see your team get the same stud player they got in the original draft. Other times, it can be frustrating, like seeing your favorite team could have wound up with Cam Jordan instead of Christian Ponder.
Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team released a re-draft of the 2023 draft this week. This class still has time to change, but with two years’ worth of games, we have a clearer picture of the top prospects.
The Minnesota Vikings don’t wind up with Jordan Addison in this re-draft, as he goes two picks ahead of them to the Los Angeles Chargers at pick 21. With the other top wideouts off the board, the Vikings select defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.
Brooke writes:
[Kancey is] still not an every-down player at the NFL level, but his pass-rushing juice could be a real asset for Flores to keep quarterbacks guessing even more about where pressure is coming from on obvious passing downs.
After losing Dalvin Tomlinson to free agency in 2023, Kancey would give the Vikings an effective interior pass rush they’ve been lacking for several years. He’s had 11.5 sacks in two seasons, with 7.5 coming in 2024. PFF only gave him a 32.2 run defense grade in 2024, but the Vikings liked shuffling their line around and could find ways to cover Kancey’s deficiencies.
Fortunately, Addison has worked out great in Minnesota and has helped take pressure off Justin Jefferson. Let’s hope these kinds of re-drafts continue for the Vikings in the coming years.