Vikings land surging safety prospect in new 2027 NFL Mock Draft

The 2027 NFL Draft will take place in Washington, D.C. next year. In that draft, the Vikings still have their first-round pick, but a lot could happen in the next 8 months. Before then, though, there will be plenty of speculation and buildup for the team and who they may add to the roster through the draft in a class that many are saying could be one of generational wealth.

Athlon Sports’ Luke Easterling recently released the latest 2027 NFL mock draft of the cycle. Within the mock draft, the Vikings land one of the biggest risers from the first handful of weeks of the college football season: California’s Kingston Lopa.

Easterling explains the selection of the ACC safety, writing, “Harrison Smith is back for one more year, but the Vikings need to find a long-term solution to help replace the future Hall of Famer on the back end of their defense. Lopa has come out of nowhere to launch himself into the first-round conversation after picking off five passes in his first three games of the season, and he’s got impressive physical tools that could make him a big-play machine at the next level.”

Lopa has been a popular name on draft Twitter ever since the year started. His ball skills get your attention at first, but then the consistent playmaking keeps your attention. He would be a really fun addition to a secondary that needs to keep its playmakers in the secondary, with the door closing on Harrison Smith’s tenure.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings land surging safety prospect in new 2027 NFL Mock Draft