With the No. 30 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Vikings selected Mike Hughes, cornerback out of UCF.
Draft tracker: Get grades for every pick
Grade: B
Pete Prisco: Hughes has outstanding cover skills and we know how much Mike Zimmer likes his corners. It's a quality pick.
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Scouting report
Chris Trapasso: Super-charged plant-and-drive specialist with serious bounce and aggressive ball skills. Smaller framed which hurts him against blockers and bigger wideouts. Dynamic return ability showcases his physical ability.
Fantasy impact
Jamey Eisenberg: The Vikings add another key piece to their defense, and Hughes will be one of their top three corners with Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes. Hughes won't make much of an impact for Fantasy owners in IDP leagues, but he does make the Vikings DST better. Look for the Vikings DST to be among the first units off the board, and Hughes makes the secondary more formidable this year.
NCAA recap
R.J. White: Hughes was a top recruit after being named first-team All-State by the AP as a high-schooler in North Carolina. He played in 11 games for North Carolina as a true freshman in 2015 before transferring to Garden City Community College, where he had 47 total tackles, two picks and six passes defenses in 11 games. He also returned punts and kicks, scoring three TDs on returns.
Hughes joined UCF as a junior in 2017 and started 11 games at cornerback, recording 49 tackles and intercepting four passes, returning one for a touchdown. He also made an impact as a return, tallying 635 yards on 20 kick returns with two touchdowns and another 233 yards on 14 punt returns with another TD. He was named first-team All-Conference as a cornerback and second-team All-Conference as a returner for his efforts before declaring early for the NFL Draft.
