GREEN BAY, Wis. ‐ It’s no surprise when NFL free agents signed by the Vikings speak highly of Brian Flores and his defensive scheme.
Many of them have witnessed its strengths in person. Some have seen their offenses dominate it.
But it’s also caught the attention of some of this year’s top NFL draft prospects, similar to how quarterback prospects saw Minnesota as a favorite landing spot last year because of Kevin O’Connell’s reputation as a “QB whisperer.”
“I love the way he runs his defense,” Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston said of Flores on Wednesday. “So versatile. I feel like I could definitely fit that scheme and go out there and ball, get the ball back to the offense.”
Hairston, who said he met with the Vikings at the NFL scouting combine in March, is one of 15 prospects attending the NFL draft in Green Bay, Wis., hoping to hear his name called during Thursday night’s first round.
Eight of those prospects play defense.
The Vikings have drafted two defenders in the first round since General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell took over ahead of the 2022 draft: edge rusher Dallas Turner, for whom they traded up to No. 17 last year, and safety Lewis Cine (No. 32, 2022), who’s now with the Eagles.