| Vikings: Don't Want Greatness to go to Waste |
The Minnesota Vikings have a few holes to fill going into 2013. As any pundit or front office type in the NFL will tell you, the best teams are always built through the draft. The Vikings are around 13-15 million under the salary cap which will allow them to address needs as well. But you want to bake the cake in-house and then perhaps shop outside for the fancy frosting; The Vikings could look at various free agents to address glaring needs. A combination of both will work best. Let’s look at some of those glaring needs.
Secondary - The Vikings have a traditionally been vulnerable in the secondary and 2012 was no exception. Harrison Smith made some big plays and free safety looks to be set a long time. However, the secondary as a whole gave up 28 touchdowns and picked off only 10 passes; both near the bottom of the NFL team rankings in those categories. Cornerbacks and strong safety, in particular are needing upgrades.
The ageless wonder, Antoine Winfield will be 36 before the season commences; Chris Cook has played 22 games in three seasons and A.J. Jefferson defended five passes all year and picked none off. Josh Robinson played well so there may be enough there to only need to pick one corner and one safety. As far as safeties, Jamarca Sanford gots lots of tackling practice but no picks.
On offense the passing game was in a 1980s time warp with only the hapless Chiefs totally fewer yards through the air (2,713) as the Vikings. Giving Christian Ponder as many weapons as possible will be the order of the day. At this point, it’s entirely within the realm of possibility that Percy Harvin is gone and that leaves Jarius Wright, Jerome Simpson, Michael Jenkins and Devin Aromashodu as your top aerial threats. That simply won’t get it done in a division that features Megatron, Brandon Marshall, and the Packers never-ending supply of receiving minions. If Wright can work the slot then the draft does features the types of 6’3-6’4 with speed type playmakers that can aid this offense.
So onto the picks..
| Cordarelle is Not So Cordial to Opposing Defenses |
1st Round, Pick 23. Cordarelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee. Patterson is one of two or three receivers this year that will grade in the first round. A beast in the open field; Patterson is smooth, explosive and is a natural deep threat that has the type of instincts with the ball in his hands you can’t really teach. Has a really high ceiling; Mel Kiper thinks he is the best receiver in the draft. Think of a thinner Demaryius Thomas, but more polished.
2nd Round, Pick 52. David Amerson, CB, North Carolina State. As mentioned ealier, in a division with several All-Pro wideouts of the 6’4 and up variety the Vikings need to be able to matchup with these guys. Amerson is 6’2 and 193 and and has good speed and backpedal and rarely bites on double moves. He is a physical tackler and is a natural fit in the Tampa 2 the Vikings play.
3rd Round, Pick 83. Khaseem Greene, OLB, Rutgers. A former safety who has great speed to cover tight ends and running backs on deeper routes; excellent wrap up tackler. Good coverage skills in zone and good motor.
4th Round, Pick 99, Jonathan Bostic, ILB, Florida. Bostic replaced Brandon Spikes as the interior linebacker for the Gators in 2010 and has much improved over his senior season at Florida. Plays much bigger than his size; run defense is his specialty but can also rush the passer.
4th Round, Pick 117, E.J Manuel, QB, Florida State. The Vikings know that Ponder needs a backup who can move the chains throwing and running. E.J Manuel has big-time arm and athletic ability in the pocket.
5th Round, Pick 117, Menelik Watson, RT, Florida St. 6’6” – 320 pound Watson who is extremely athletic for a man his size. He may not be available this late.
6th Round Pick 197, J.J Wilcox, SS, Georgia Southern – Physical, tough sleeper who is ranked as a top five safety on some sites. 4.55 speed in a 6’0” 215 frame and a great value pick here at a need position.
7th Round Pick 213, Josh Boyd, Mississippi State – At 6’3” 300 pounds, Boyd is a huge bulking run defender who will stuff the gaps and is quick off the snap. He won’t get many sacks, however.
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