Would the Vikings take another wide receiver? One mock draft says yes

On the long list of things the Vikings need in order to upgrade their overall performance, I would suggest that offensive line and defensive line help are top priorities.

As they consider what to do with the No. 14 pick in the draft, taking another swing at a franchise tackle, or a game-changing guard, or a run-stuffing interior defensive lineman or a disruptive edge rusher seem like practical choices. It kind of makes you wish they also had their second-round pick, but that's a story for another day.

If we're talking fantasies, I offered up one on Tuesday's Daily Delivery podcast: trying to pry the No. 9 pick from quarterback-starved Denver in exchange for Kirk Cousins, then packaging the No. 9 and No. 14 picks (and maybe more) to move into the top four or trade for Deshaun Watson.

But a more realistic fantasy of sorts is available courtesy of Daniel Jeremiah's latest NFL mock draft. In it, he has the Vikings simply staying put at No. 14 and drafting star Alabama wideout DeVonta Smith, who was last seen terrorizing Ohio State in the college national championship game.

Whether a breathtaking, game-changing talent like Smith would even be available at No. 14 is a fair question. Whether the Vikings, a year after hitting the jackpot with first-round wide receiver Justin Jefferson and pairing him with Adam Thielen in an often successful offense, would draft for what amounts to "want" and not need is another fair question.

But Jeremiah makes a compelling argument in a brief space: "The Vikings have holes to fill on defense, but they could give Kirk Cousins a heck of a trio by adding Smith."

The Vikings run the ball a lot and use tight ends a lot, so it's not entirely clear how they would incorporate more three receiver sets into their mix with three players of that caliber in the fold.

A look at 2020 also reinforces how thin the Vikings are at the position behind Thielen and Jefferson. Chad Beebe, at 20 catches, had the third-most of any wide receiver on the team behind Jefferson (88) and Thielen (74). They didn't have to dip far into that depth aside from obvious passing situations because Jefferson played all 16 games and Thielen played 15.

Maybe that's what former Vikings coach Brad Childress meant when, a couple weeks back on the podcast, he caught me off guard by suggesting the Vikings need to upgrade at receiver.

It still seems a bit unlikely, though, that a team run by Rick Spielman and coached by Mike Zimmer would opt for a receiver in the first round — even one like Smith, and even though it at least makes more sense when given further consideration.

An offense ostensibly built around Dalvin Cook probably doesn't need three great receivers, and the defense clearly needs more fixing than the offense.

It's fun to think about, anyway — particularly as someone who was incredulous when the Vikings in 1998 took Randy Moss. They already have Cris Carter and Jake Reed! Why do they need another receiver?