**Which do you find is more important in the first round? Corner/safety Benjamin Morrison, defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, guard Donovan Jackson or running back TreVeyon Henderson? Or best player available? I know we need DBs.**
**DO we want to over-reach in the first round with a DB? We never seem to have good luck with first-round DBs. The last first-round DB that paid off was Hitman Harry. Others faded quickly or never got out of the gate or are the type of talent you can find in later rounds. I can name about five who didn't add value.**
**My thoughts are Kenneth Grant or TreVeyon Henderson. Or should we trade for more picks? This isn't Kwesi's strong area. I think the last running back we selected in the first round was Adrian Peterson, and it paid off. We have a young receiving corps, quarterback, tight end and tackles. Why not a young running back? Going young seems to be the right direction.**
**I know I got long-winded on this email. But I'm excited for our team. I've been a fan since I was 3. And let's say Joe Kapp was the quarterback. Thanks again for listening.**
**— Rodger in Sacramento, California**
**Who do you see us drafting?**
Each of the players Rodger mentioned by name have been projected to Minnesota during Mock Draft SZN, and those are all positions where it could make sense for the Vikings to address during the draft.
We'll have the next few weeks of free agency — remember, the full impact of a free agency class goes well beyond the first wave of players — to see how the roster is shaping up before the draft.
In addition to Harrison Smith, whose performance has exceeded the expectations of a late first-round pick, I'd add that Xavier Rhodes was a successful selection of a first-round DB. He made three Pro Bowls and was a First-Team All-Pro in 2017 for Minnesota's top-ranked defense. Trae Waynes, a 2015 first-round pick, started opposite of Rhodes in that 2017 season, but his time with the Vikings lasted five seasons, which is a little less than ideal for a player selected at No. 11. Subsequent first-round selections of cornerbacks have not worked out.
We'll also see what happens at running back for the Vikings, where Cam Akers is scheduled to become a free agent. Perhaps he returns with Jones and they are joined by a fresh face.