The Minnesota Vikings started the first day of the draft holding the 30th overall pick, along with seven later draft picks. Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman has been a very active trader in previous drafts, so the odds of the team actually picking a player at the number 30 spot seemed slim. Spielman has said on several occasions that he prefers to have up to 10 draft picks, rather than the default seven each team is allotted. And yet, when the number 30 pick was due to be turned in, it was the Vikings making the pick after all, selecting cornerback Mike Hughes from the University of Central Florida.
First, I must admit that I didn’t know anything about Hughes until after he’d been selected by the Vikings, but I did suggest yesterday that I thought cornerback was the Vikings’ #2 need in this draft. If the team thinks they can get a quality guard or tackle in the second round (quality being defined as starter or close-to-starter level), then going for cornerback help makes a lot of sense.
Here’s the Vikings announcement on Hughes:
Bio
An all-state pick from Bern, North Carolina, Hughes signed on with home-state UNC for the 2015 season. He played in 11 games as a reserve that year, making 12 tackles and breaking up three passes. Hughes was suspended in October, however, for violating team rules after being part of an incident at a fraternity house. His time with the Tar Heels was over, so he attended Garden City Community College in 2016, earning national junior college All-American honors with 47 tackles, two interceptions, six pass breakups, and three return touchdowns. UCF Head Coach Scott Frost convinced Hughes to join UCF for the 2017 season, and his play was a big reason for the team’s undefeated record. He started 12 of 13 contests, garnering first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors as a defensive back (44 tackles, four interceptions — one returned for a touchdown, team-high 11 pass breakups) and second-team accolades as a returner (20 attempts, 635 yards, two touchdowns on kick returns; 13 attempts, 233 yards, one touchdown on punt returns).
Overview
Hughes simply hasn’t had the game experience he needs to put together the consistency in coverage that teams might like to see. He’s a projection-based prospect who has shown twitch, ball production and toughness in a small sample size. Despite being a little short, he is likely to stay outside in coverage. While teams wait for him to gain coverage experience, they can certainly lean on his tremendous talents as a return man. Hughes has potential, but there is still work to be done in coverage.
Update: At the Daily Norseman, Ted Glover considers the first day of the draft, both the sensible and the head-scratching.
