Vikings Biggest Need

I realize the Vikings are a mess and have a ton of needs that won't be able to be addressed in one draft. I also realize they are going to picking in the top 10 the next 2-3 years so I am not deluding myself into believing one good player has the Vikings challenging for a playoff spot this year. However, the Vikes have 10 picks this year and this is a huge draft in getting closer to where they want to be in 2-3 years. So my question is if you are Rick Spielman where do you go at number 3.

A). Ryan Kalil OT There is a ton to be said to taking him as LT are hard to find. The Vikes gave up 49 sacks last season and Christian Ponder can't have too many years like that before he turns into the next David Carr. I have read that many are comparing Kalil to a young Joe Thomas of the Browns who stepped right in and has been a pro bowler pretty much right away. I have also heard Spielman say that he is not sure how important LT's are as the last few Super Bowl champions haven't had all-pro LT's.

B). Morris Claiborne CB Another big hole for the Vikings is CB as Antoine Winfield is 35 and is fading. They have signed a few guys for depth and let Cedric Griffin go via free agency. There is also the report that Claiborne scored a 4 on the wonderlic test which tests intelligence and that is out of 10 so it is very low. On the positive side Chris Cook will return after being acquitted of assault and before he was arrested he was showing some promise. The Vikings really could use a number 1 CB to go with Cook and everything we have heard about Claiborne is he has the ability to be that type of CB. You just have to wonder about the intelligence factor.


C). Justin Blackmon WR- Another hole for the Vikings as all they really have at wide reciever is Percy Harvin and it seems like every year he is plagued by migraines and this year he missed a game due to injured ribs. They have Michael Jenkins, but he is old and slow. Besides that they really have nothing and that is where Blackmon comes into the picture. He is a stud plain and simple as he is big and has speed. I compare him to a little bit less talented version of Megatron Calvin Johnson. That is nothing against Blackmon, but Megatron is a freak that comes around once in a lifetime. Blackmon can do a lot of the things that Johnson can do as he can go get the ball at its highest point and run after the catch. If anyone has any questions about Blackmon just watch the highlights of the Fiesta Bowl last year against Stanford where he went for 8 and 186 with 3 touchdowns. He is a beast and would look really good opposite Percy Harvin.


D). Trade Down- That is the most appealing to the Vikings if they can get a team interested in Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannenhill who is flying up the boards after a great combine and workout.

My Choice- If it is up to me I want to trade down and pick up a few more picks as the Vikings have a lot of needs and staying at 3 doesnt appeal to me as adding one player as good as they are won't help you as much as gaining multiple players. However, I feel the Vikings can't drop too far as I would love to get one of these guys at say 6-7. With that being said I am in love with Blackmon, but realize if you stay at 3 Kalil has to be the pick and if you trade down you probably have to drop down to 8 where all three of these guys will be gone and the dropoff in talent is high from 3 to 8. You can get a similiar LT at 8 in Riley Reiff out of Iowa and that would be solid. However there is no CB or WR available in this draft that are as good as either of the players I mentioned. I do think though that they need to trade down if the Dolphins are willing to give you 8 and a 2nd rounder along with a 4th. If you stay at three as much as i covet Blackmon I would take Kalil because you need to give Ponder a real chance. Let me know which you would pick if given this scenario.

Matt Kalil is undoubtedly the right pick given the information. I didn't hear Spielman say that about LTs, but if he did I would imagine it was mainly for the purpose of not tipping his hand.

Trading down for the purpose of taking a quarterback 2 years in a row in the first round is stupid, Matt Millen stupid.

if they traded down it would not to take a quarterback. You misunderstood what I was saying Miami wants a QB and is trying to move up into the Vikingss spot to take a QB. The Vikings would drop down to 8 and take the best player available other than QB or RB which are the only positions they are set. From what i have been reading the Vikings to make the trade are asking for a 2nd and 4th this year and a 1 next year. That is a steep price to pay for a QB in Ryan Tannenhill who I have seen on tv a lot that I am not that enamored with. I think Christian Ponder has twice the amount of upside that Tannenhill does so if the Vikes can get Miami to pay that price I would do it in a heartbeat. What does everyone think.

I still don't see why you would do that. You would do that to increase your chances of finding at least 1 certified stud. Kalil is about as close to a sure thing as you can reasonably expect given the information. Just take the stud particularly when he's fulfilling a glaring need.