NFL Draft Day 2 prospects to watch for the Vikings

The Vikings addressed a need at cornerback with the selection of Michigan State's Trae Waynes on Thursday. They didn't trade back into the first round this year, but there's still some good talent on board for Day 2 of the NFL Draft on Friday.

The Vikings have the 13^th pick in the second round (No. 45 overall) and the 12^th pick in the third round (No. 76 overall) to try and address their needs at wide receiver, offensive line, linebacker and safety. In no particular order, here are 10 names the Vikings could target in the second and third rounds:

1. Nebraska DE/OLB Randy Gregory: He's the best player available in the draft and should've been a first round pick, but Gregory has character concerns. He tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Combine, causing his stock to drop. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer were pretty adamant about finding high character players in the draft class on Thursday after selecting Waynes, so keep that in mind.

Gregory, who is one of the six players still left in the NFL Draft green room in Chicago, is listed at 6-5 and 235 pounds. He's too light to play defensive end in the NFL at the start of his career and likely would project as an outside linebacker with the Vikings. He's probably better suited in a 3-4 scheme though.

2. UCLA ILB Eric Kendricks: He's an undersized middle linebacker at 6-feet and 232 pounds, but Kendricks has good instincts. He's a three-down linebacker that could fill a need at middle linebacker in Week 1. The Vikings didn't have that last year with Jasper Brinkley, who was a liability in coverage. There are questions about his durability, though Kendricks started all 13 games last year. He underwent surgery on his right ankle after the season, which was likely the reason why Kendricks dropped out of the first round.

3. Arizona State WR Jaelen Strong: He's the best wide receiver available and, like Gregory and Kendricks, had the ability to be a first round pick. Strong won't be a No. 1 option in the NFL, but he has the ceiling to become a No. 2 wide receiver. He needs to improve on creating separation and route running, but Strong has the size (listed at 6-2 and 217 pounds), strength and down field speed to become a solid offensive weapon.

4. Alabama S Landon Collins: He was considered the best safety in the draft but still remains on the board. Collins had shoulder surgery after the season after suffering the injury against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl. He started all 14 games last season, however. Collins will likely be suited as a strong safety in the NFL because of how well he plays around the line of scrimmage. He's good in run support and a good tackler. Collins will need to improve in coverage but could be a good fit with Vikings safety Harrison Smith given the versatility both safeties could bring to Zimmer's defense.

6. Mississippi State ILB Benardrick McKinney: Oh, look, an inside linebacker with prototypical size! McKinney is listed at 6-4 and 246 pounds and made 36 career starts. He lacks the instincts that you'll find in both Kendricks and Perryman, though. It'll be interesting to see how the Vikings view some of the remaining inside linebackers given their limitations. The biggest concern for McKinney is he lacks consistency all around in both pass coverage and run support. But Zimmer loves size and speed at linebacker, as we saw from the first round selection last year in linebacker Anthony Barr.

7. South Carolina OG A.J. Cann: I really like Cann. Listed at 6-2 and 313 pounds, he's a very physical left guard that can hold his own in both run and pass situations. Cann displays the physicality you want from an offensive lineman, and he handled blitz packages and stunts fairly well on the left side. That was an issue for the Vikings last year with left tackle Matt Kalil and left guard Charlie Johnson, who was released in the offseason. Cann finished with 51 career starts, the second most in school history, and looks like he could be a Week 1 starter in the NFL.

8. Oklahoma/Missouri WR Dorial Green-Beckham: I tried to avoid players with character concerns based on the comments made by Spielman and Zimmer on Thursday and almost added Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs to this list over Green-Beckham. He has huge off-the-field concerns with a domestic violence case in 2014 that got him kicked out of Missouri. There isn't another wide receiver that has the capability of turning into a No. 1 option, however, as Green-Beckham is listed at 6-5 and 237 pounds. He's still raw and needs to develop as a route runner, but Green-Beckham has the physical tools to turn into a dangerous offensive weapon. The question is whether the Vikings, who brought Green-Beckham to Winter Park for a visit, can trust him off the field.

9. Louisville S James Sample: It's not exactly the Louisville prospect most Vikings fans wanted (Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker), but Sample could be a possible fit if the Vikings don't snag Collins in the second round. He has good size for a safety at 6-2 and 209 pounds, but Sample didn't have a productive college career. He left Washington to seek more playing time and eventually landed at Louisville for a season. Though he started all 14 games at Louisville, Sample will need time to develop because he didn't get a chance to play much in college. He's an all-around solid safety though that can be productive in both coverage and run support. Sample could be a third round target.