2013 NN NFL mock draft: With the twenty-fifth pick, the Minnesota Vikings select ...

We are now up to pick No. 25 in the 2013 Niners Nation NFL mock draft. We are fast approaching the end of the first round, which will put us halfway through the mock draft, and that much closer to the 2013 NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings are back on the clock with their second pick of the first round, and their Niners Nation GM is Karl Cuba. With the twenty-fifth pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Vikings select Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington.

Explanation: I felt that this pick could go in a number of directions as the Vikings have a playoff team where most of their players are young or in their prime. They might have to look to find replacements for Jared Allen and Kevin Williams but they also have some depth at those positions at the moment.

I'm going to try to stock the cupboard at cornerback, partly because they have to deal with Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford and Jay Cutler, who in this draft just received more help in Tavon Austin. Chris Cook had a good year coming back from his legal issues and they got decent production from Josh Robinson, last year's third rounder but your third corner is more of a starter than you third linebacker in the modern NFL and so I'm taking Trufant.

Trufant's draft stock has risen in the postseason as he enjoyed a good senior bowl week and performed strongly at the combine where he allayed concerns over his top end speed. He is scheme versatile and while he hasn't made a lot of interceptions this is partly because teams have thrown away from him, which happens quite often with college cornerbacks.

This might be a slight reach according to the consensus of draft pundits but in this draft I don't think that's as big an issue in this draft as in most years. I did consider Werner here but I regard him as being overrated and I'm not sure I don't prefer his Seminole teammate, Carradine so I stuck with the corner.

Trevor Woods: The Vikings will have to improve their secondary if they want to get to the playoffs for the second year in a row. The selection of Desmond Trufant here would bolster their secondary. Trufant excels in zone coverage, and the Vikings run quite a bit of zone coverage from time to time. I agree with Brett with his reasoning for taking a cornerback, the NFC North has legitimate quarterbacks and receiving threats, so the Vikings need more corners who can stop (limit) their production. Trufant had a heck of a week at the Senior Bowl, and followed that up with a strong showing at the combine.

Nick Chiamardas: Karl is putting together one heck of a team with the Vikings first two picks (Keenan Allen at 23). Not only have the Vikings filled needs but they've done so with arguably the top talent at each position. Desmond Trufant is one of my favorites. He's the type of player you absolutely hate, unless he's on your team. Karl said it perfectly, in a division feating three stud quarterbacks, talent in the secondary is a must. Trufant is a star in the making and he'll have plenty of opportunities to prove it in the pass-happy NFC North.

Niners Nation Mock Draft, Round 1

1. Kansas City Chiefs -- Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah [Explanation]
2. Jacksonville Jaguars -- Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia [Explanation]
3. Oakland Raiders -- Dion Jordan, DE, Oregon [Explanation]
4. Philadelphia Eagles -- Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M [Explanation]
5. Detroit Lions -- Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan [Explanation]
6. Cleveland Browns -- Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama [Explanation]
7. Arizona Cardinals -- Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas [Explanation]
8. Buffalo Bills -- Ezekiel Ansah, DE, BYU [Explanation]
9. New York Jets -- Chance Warmack, OG, Alabama [Explanation]
10. Tennessee Titans -- Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida [Explanation]
11. San Diego Chargers -- Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma [Explanation]
12. Miami Dolphins -- Jonathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina [Explanation]
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State [Explanation]
14. Carolina Panthers -- Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee [Explanation]
15. New Orleans Saints -- Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU [Explanation]
16. St. Louis Rams -- Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri [Explanation]
17. Pittsburgh Steelers -- Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia [Explanation]
18. Dallas Cowboys -- D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama [Explanation]
19. New York Giants -- Alec Ogletree, ILB, Georgia [Explanation]
20. Chicago Bears -- Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia [Explanation]
21. Cincinnati Bengals -- Arthur Brown, ILB, Kansas State [Explanation]
22. St. Louis Rams -- DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson [Explanation]
23. Minnesota Vikings -- Keenan Allen, WR, Cal [Explanation]
24. Indianapolis Colts -- Datone Jones, DE, UCLA [Explanation]
25. Minnesota Vikings -- Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington