NFL Mock Draft 7.0: Round 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft
By Ian Cummings
. Offensive Tackle. UCLA. Kolton Miller. 30. player. 60
The Minnesota Vikings are a relatively complete team. By most accounts, the only position they should have any business scouting in the first round is offensive tackle.
The team recently signed Kirk Cousins (hey, he sounds familiar) to a massive three-year, $84 million deal. With a new quarterback now locked down, the team will need a reliable offensive tackle to keep him on his feet. A purple Trent Williams, if you will.
No one in this year’s NFL Draft class can come anywhere close to Trent Williams, but UCLA’s Kolton Miller has a good chance at becoming a solid tackle in his own right.
Josh Rosen’s supporting cast in UCLA often gets plenty of criticism, but Miller wasn’t a part of that disappointment. The 6-foot-8 offensive tackle did a very good job of keeping his pseudo-franchise quarterback protected.
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When Miller gets his hands on opponents, the play is essentially over for them. But his movement is a concern, and it will only be a bigger concern when he goes up against NFL-caliber players.
Ultimately, the choice here is between a relatively immobile Kolton Miller and a very immobile Orlando Brown. Both are good fundamental tackles who could struggle at the next level due to their lack of quickness. But their production in college makes them players who will, at the very least, go on Day 2. Here, Miller sneaks into Day 1. And the Vikings presumably get a new starter at left tackle.