2020 NFL Mock Draft: Dueling GMs mock sees Redskins make big move

Jacob: After grabbing a cornerback with their first first-round pick, courtesy of the Buffalo Bills in the Stefon Diggs trade, the Vikings continue to build up their secondary depth with their own first-round pick.

Currently, the Vikings have an excellent safety tandem in place. Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris are both among the best at the position league-wide. And it doesn’t seem like either is set to slow down soon.

However, the bigger concern for the Vikings is that they’re dealing with a cap crunch because of Kirk Cousins’ contract and subsequent two-year extension. Cousins has been solid for the Vikings, but his bloated contract is making it difficult for the team to keep all of their defensive talents.

As such, it may be hard for Minnesota to keep Harris around. He got slapped with the franchise tag this offseason and while an extension would alleviate some of the cap pains the Vikings are dealing with, so too would drafting an effective, lower-cost replacement and trying to trade Harris.

McKinney is the first safety off the board in the draft and he is likely the best overall. He’s a well-rounded player who made 95 tackles and grabbed three interceptions for the Crimson Tide last season. The Alabama product is also a hard-hitter and has forced six fumbles combined in the past two seasons.

If McKinney can make splash plays like that at the next level, the Vikings will have yet another quality disruptor at safety, which has been a strength for them since they selected Smith in the first round back in 2012. While grabbing a receiver like Laviska Shenault or Jalen Reagor to help replace Diggs may be in play, Rick Spielman will have a hard time passing on McKinney especially given that they have such little safety depth on the roster at the moment (Smith and Harris are the only two under contract).