2019 NFL Mock Draft: Nick Bosa falls to No. 2, Kyler Murray in top 10
By Randy Gurzi
18. Minnesota Vikings: Jawaan Taylor, OT, Florida
At No. 18, the Minnesota Vikings make a pick to help Kirk Cousins start to make good on the $84 million contract he was given this past offseason. Cousins was given the fully-guaranteed deal as the team thought he could push them over the top after just missing the Super Bowl the prior year.
Instead of that happening, the Vikings missed the playoffs altogether. While Cousins deserves some criticism for that, he was also constantly under duress and could be much better should they land him a potentially elite blocker like Jawaan Taylor — who is shooting up boards the more people look at his work.
Fox 34 NFL Draft Analyst Jonah Tuls is very high on the Florida product as he broke his play down in a recent Twitter thread. Tuls was impressed with how Taylor can get to the second level with ease in the run game, as well as his power in pass protection.
For Minnesota, this is a huge plus. They spent a lot of money on Riley Reiff, but he hasn’t provided the return on investment the team needs. Taylor would be an instant upgrade for them, which could also help Cousins take the next step for them — which they desperately need after the contract they gave him.