NFL Draft: Redrafting the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft 23. Cody Whitehair
Originally selected 56th overall (+33)
Laquon Treadwell won’t be thought of as a bust, but the 23rd overall pick would never amount to much for the Minnesota Vikings. They hit the nail on the head in terms of position needs but didn’t find the right fit for their team.
That said, all of the strongest receivers are already taken in this redraft, so the Vikings will have to look elsewhere for their first-round pick. Fortunately for them, there’s still a strong option for Minnesota.
With the 23rd pick of the 2016 NFL Redraft, the Vikings will take Cody Whitehair, who was already positioned in the NFC North in the original draft. Whitehair went to the Chicago Bears with the 56th overall pick in the 2nd round.
After a strong start to his career, he earned Pro Bowl honors in 2018. He was part of a very strong Bears offensive line that would eventually dissipate into one of the worst units in the league. That said, Whitehair is still a very talented offensive tackle.
The Vikings could have used the offensive linemen to protect Teddy Bridgewater, who would suffer an injury that virtually ended his NFL career. Whitehair has been loyal to the team that drafted him, so he’d likely still be in Minnesota at the age of 28.