2014 NFL mock draft: Kyle Van Noy to Minnesota Vikings at No. 40

After taking care of a need at quarterback with the selection of Derek Carr in the first round of the 2014 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft, Christopher Gates of the Daily Norseman turned his attention to a Minnesota Vikings defense that he considered a "complete disaster" last season. His Round 2 choice? An underrated athlete from one of the nation's most reputable independent football programs. (No, it isn't Louis Nix III.)

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"The Vikings’ defense was a complete disaster in 2013. While the team has addressed the defensive line and the secondary in free agency, it has mostly neglected the linebacker corps. That changes with the selection of Van Noy, who has the sort of versatility that new head coach Mike Zimmer wants in his defenders. He’s a bit rough around the edges when it comes to coverage, but he shows good pursuit ability and a knack for making plays. Over the past two seasons, he has 39.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks.

He might end up being stuck behind Chad Greenway as a rookie, but as this is likely Greenway’s last season in purple. Van Noy will join young talents like Gerald Hodges, Michael Mauti and Audie Cole as the Vikings try to rebuild their linebacking group."

Dan Kadar, SB Nation's NFL Draft analyst, had some thoughts and opinions to share on the Vikings' mock draft pick of Van Noy:

In many mock drafts, a pass rusher like Khalil Mack or Anthony Barr has been mocked to the Vikings. If they don't go in that direction in the first round, that should be a possibility in the second. In this scenario, there are a few pass rushers to choose from – Van Noy, Jeremiah Attaochu of Georgia Tech and Demarcus Lawrence of Boise State. Out of those three, Van Noy offers the most versatility. He's more proven than both as a coverage and special teams player. The knock is that he doesn't have Attaochu's potential or Lawrence's pure athleticism as a pass rusher. Minnesota will have options in the second round. Van Noy isn't a bad one.

We'll be back with pick Nos. 41-43 tomorrow. The Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and New York Giants are on deck.

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2014 SB Nation NFL writers' mock draft results

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