EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. —We're exactly one month away from the 2016 NFL Draft.
With draft fever ramping up by the day, we took a look at the latest projections Friday with the fourth installment of Mock Madness, which can be found here.
Of the 12 drafts listed, nine experts had the Vikings selecting a wide receiver with the 23rd pick in the first round.
TCU wide receiver Josh Doctson and Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell were each listed as possible picks three times. Baylor's Corey Coleman was projected to Minnesota twice, and one expert forecasted Notre Dame's Will Fuller to the reigning NFC North champions.
But with all of that in mind, we wondered how accurate mock drafts published a year ago at this time ended up being. Were the experts spot on with the projections?
Our Mock Madness from a month before the 2015 NFL Draft is here.
There were 13 mock drafts compiled in that piece, only three of which accurately predicted the Vikings would grab Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes with the 11th pick.
One of those three analysts, The Monday Morning Quarterback's Peter King, published this mock draft and correctly pegged six picks in the first round, including Waynes.
King also correctly tabbed 22 players in his mock draft who came off the board in the first round.
Todd McShay was a tick below King in this mock draft, as the NFL draft expert with ESPN correctly projected five players to the teams that selected them in the first round.
McShay had the Vikings taking LSU tackle La'el Collins, who went undrafted due to a report that caused concerns about his character. Collins wound up signing with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. McShay's mock draft included 23 players who eventually went in the first round.
Both experts had Pittsburgh tackle T.J. Clemmings going in the first round. The Vikings ended up grabbing Clemmings in the fourth round. The rookie started all 16 games at right tackle, helping the Vikings go 11-5 in 2015.
The unpredictability of the NFL Draft is part of why it's become so entertaining. It will be fun to watch as "prediction season" heats up on the way to Chicago.
