2013 NFL Mock Draft: Vikings pick John Jenkins in 1st Round

The Minnesota Vikings were one of football's bigger surprises this season, posting a 10-6 record before going out in the first round of the playoffs. With momentum back for the franchise, Minnesota will be selecting 23rd overall at the 2013 NFL Draft.

There are multiple areas for the team to address, but this latest mock draft from Peter Schrager of FOX Sports sees the Vikings going with a defensive standout in the first round: John Jenkins, a defensive tackle out of Georgia.

I'm a big fan of Jenkins, the highly touted Juco transfer who became Georgia's 3-4 defensive cog in the middle in 2012. Huge, fairly nimble and full of potential, he may work better in a 3-4 than Minnesota's 4-3. Either scheme works, though. Jenkins can't play every down, but - think Terrence Cody in Baltimore - when he's on the field, he can make a difference.

Jenkins, a senior who comes in at 358 pounds, was named to the All-SEC Second Team last month.

As a team, the Vikings ranked 11th against the run and 24th against the pass in 2012. While their pass rush was strong throughout the year, Minnesota could benefit greatly from plugging up the middle of their line. Jenkins' size and talent could be big a big weapon for defensive coordinator Alan Williams, who would be able to mix and match his rotations depending on the given opponent that week.

Outside of defensive line help, the Vikings could be interested in adding a wide receiver in the first round. This year's crop of talent is not deep, but for a passing attack that ranked second-to-last in the NFL last season, a new playmaker on the outside could do wonders for the offense.