Iowa Football: Ihmir Smith-Marsette selected 157th overall by Minnesota Vikings

After mistakingly drafting a kick returner from Iowa State, the Minnesota Vikings righted the ship and took one from Iowa.

Ihmir Smith-Marsette is going to Minneapolis.

The move comes in the middle of the fifth round, during a draft where Hawkeyes have been dropping all weekend long. ISM was the second Hawkeye drafted in this class, behind Chauncey Golston.

Smith-Marsette could make an impact early on for the Purple, as he projects to be WR3 for a team that desperately needs another pass catcher behind Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson, especially with tight end Kyle Rudolph no longer on the team.

ISM will likely compete with former Iowa Stater Kene Nwangwu for return duties, another area of huge need for the Vikings, who ranked 31st in the league in punt returns last season.

ISM will be reunited with Nate Stanley, who remains on the team.

As a Viking fan, I am thrilled with this pick. I think ISM has incredible upside, and will be learning behind two of the best wide receivers in the entire league, with a fairly decent quarterback tossing him the ball. The Vikings have a stellar track record of putting rookie receivers to good use of late, and I’d love to see them carry on that tradition with ISM.

Best of luck, Ihmir. I hope to don your shirsey one day.