On Friday — 13 days before the 2021 NFL Draft — Jaelan Phillips’ name is linked to the Minnesota Vikings, seemingly everywhere. An unsophisticated Google search will prove that his name, like a storm, is suddenly mock-drafted to the Vikings via multiple outlets.
Before Phillips-Mania, the most frequently mock-drafted names for Minnesota at its 14th overall pick were Kwity Paye (EDGE, Michigan), Christian Darrisaw (OT, Virginia Tech), Alijah Vera-Tucker (OL, USC), Gregory Rousseau (EDGE, Miami), and Rashawn Slater (OT, Northwestern).
To be sure, those men are not totally usurped by the Phillips stuff, but Phillips’ name just strangely engulfed draft predictions.