NFL Mock Draft 2013: Minnesota Vikings Select DeAndre Hopkins

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson

The Vikings have many needs but the biggest is finding a replacement for Percy Harvin. Hopkins was solid filling in for the injured Sammy Watkins and is leaving school early to take advantage of it. He progressively improved during his three years at Clemson. He had 52 catches for over 600 yards and four touchdowns his freshman year, 72 catches for almost 1,000 yards and five touchdowns the next, and finished with 82 catches for over 1400 yards and eighteen touchdowns last year.

Hopkins has shown that he can consistently get separation due to his quickness, run routes correctly and maintain the body control necessary to make difficult catches. NFL.com's Gil Brandt said, "He's got really soft hands and knows how to position his body."

He is a natural receiver with outstanding awareness for the position and has been productive wherever he's been. The signing of Greg Jennings fills a need at the receiver position but adding Hopkins makes sense because the Vikings lost their top three receivers from last year.

In this draft, the Vikings already filled another big need with DT Johnathan Jenkins but they still have a hole at inside linebacker. Everyone's favorite whipping boy, Manti T'eo, is off to Chicago and the only other ILB possibly worthy of a first round pick is Kevin Minter from LSU. Minter is a solid player who could contribute immediately for the Vikings if he can overcome the LSU star linebacker curse that has resulted in recent flameouts in the NFL.

In the end, however, the Vikings will combine need with value and draft DeAndre Hopkins with the twenty-fifth pick.

Thanks to all the CSC members who participated in this year's community mock draft. Without your help, none of this would be possible.

Below are the complete results from our community mock draft.

Catch up with all of the mock draft selections in our 2013 CSC Community Draft Section.