Huh

[creepworm]

thats all I have to say

[flipper]

They BLEW IT!

[IceHawk]

Typical Vikings!

[Born2Fish]

Could of had anyone....Prince, Fariley, Bowers, and they take PONDER?

[LMITOUT]

Cheer up Viking fans, your QB's are Joe Webb and Christian Ponder and the Lions have Suh and Fairley coming up the middle for him.

[LMITOUT]

They could have taken him in the 3rd round. Oh wait, they don't have a 3rd round pick because they gave that up for Randy Moss.

[Bran32]

What the %$#^ were they thinking!!!! Now we have a QB with a bum shoulder and no offense of line to protect him!! Boy our Minnesota teams just keep getting better!! what a joke

[Born2Fish]

Heck, if they really wanted him, they could of taken him in the second round and got someone much better.

[Born2Fish]

Maybe it just shows that the Vikes plan on getting a vet in a trade or free agency? It could also show that we possibly go after a DB like Asomugha, or Buchanan.

[swampman]

with the talent on the board this must have been there guy early on, who knows time will tell

[Beef_Supremo]

Cheer up Viking fans, your QB's are Joe Webb and Christian Ponder and the Lions have Suh and Fairley coming up the middle for him.

Steve Hutchinson might as well retire now instead of getting run over by those two

[zepman]

No, he wasn't their guy all along...just heard Spielman talking and the Vikes thought was if they don't pull the trigger at 12 they were going to get shut out on qb's all together.

It's called a reach!!

Ponder isn't that bad...he'll actually be interesting to watch and see if he can excel at the pro level.

[zamboni]

Ponder would have been there for us in RD 2. I am shocked at TN taking Locker that high, a few of the mocks I seen just earlier today had him falling to us in the second. Weird.

[swampman]

if thats the case that they are afraid they were going to get shut out on the qb's that 3 pick we traded last year for moss would have been nice to have back could have maybe moved up a couple spots and got gabbert . Locker must have been the guy they wanted

[zepman]

No way Ponder makes it to us in the 2nd...way too many teams still picking in the 1st and almost all the teams picking ahead of us in the 2nd still need a qb too.

[Born2Fish]

I am also thinking that Locker was the guy there were targeting. I am also pretty surprised that TN took him as early as they did.

[zepman]

I think Locker was their guy too.

[Born2Fish]

I think there were still a few qb's out there that would of gotten picked before Ponder. I guess I could be wrong, but I keep hearing about his shoulder. I also keep hearing how he is going to be a good fit in a west coast scheme. Though does Musgrave run the WC offense? I still think there is a possibility of the Vikes going after McNabb, or Young, or even making a trade for Kolb. I believe we get a vet in here for a year or two while the young guys sit and learn.

[creepworm]

Hopefully we will let Ponder sit and learn for a couple years. After the initial shock of this pick, I am starting to somewhat accept it. There were 6 teams between our 1st and 2nd round pick that could be looking QB so if they thought Ponder really had something, they had to reach for him.

[creepworm]

This from Pete Prisco, an analyst with CBS Sports.

I usually don't change my top 32 heading into the draft.

This year is different.

After dissecting tape and studying the players a lot closer, I've decided to come out with a final list of the top 32 players in this draft. This is the one you can hold me to years from now.

The top guy on my board stays the same in Auburn's Nick Fairley. I might be the only guy who has him ranked that high, but you watch how right I am in two years. He will be a force.

This top 32 includes five quarterbacks. Am I pushing it there? I don't think so. I believe the five passers will end up being quality starters. This will end up being the year of the quarterback in the first round.

So here's my updated top 32 for the 2011 NFL Draft. In three years check back. I just might be right. You never know.

1. Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn. I don't understand how people have dropped him down the board. Watch his tape. He destroys guys. And I have talked to coaches who like the kid. I did as well.

2. Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU. He has a chance to be a special cover player. It helps that he's a return man, but that goes away after one year. He will be picked high because he can cover -- not return.

3. A.J. Green, WR, Georgia. OK. So he didn't run that well at the combine. So what? He plays fast. That's the important thing.

4. Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska. He might be the cleanest player in the draft. And he excels in man coverage.

5. Marcel Dareus, DT, Alabama. He's a good player, but I don't know if he will ever be great. I know a lot of general managers like him more than Fairley, but I don't.

6. Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina. This kid didn't play last year because off-field issues, but he is the best pass rusher in this draft. There is a medical concern, but the teams I talked with say it's not a big deal.

7. Tyron Smith, T, USC. He played the right side in college, but he has the feet for the left side. He will be special.

8. Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue. Is this high? Maybe for most, but I've watched a lot of tape of this kid. He will be 12-sacks-per-year player for much of his career.

9. Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M. He can rush the passer, but I think he's being driven up the board some because of the desire to get 3-4 rush players. He's good, but he's far from Lawrence Taylor.

10. Anthony Castonzo, T, Boston College. The more you watch this kid, the more you like. He's been a starter since he was a freshman. That means something.

11. Cameron Jordan, DE, California. After watching him on tape, you have to be impressed. He can play either 4-3 end or 3-4 end. He's versatile.

12. Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State. Laugh all you want. He will be the best quarterback in this draft.

13. J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin. He is a good left end in the 4-3 and can fit as a 3-4 end. He will be a solid NFL player for a long time. He might never be All-Pro, but he won't bust either.

14. Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri. The skill set is there, but where was the production in 2010? He needs to work on coming out from center because he played so much in the shotgun.

15. Julio Jones, WR, Alabama. He runs fast, but he doesn't play fast. He is big, though, which will help.

16. Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson. Yes, there are injury concerns. But he was once considered a possible top overall pick.

17. Cam Newton, QB, Auburn. I am intrigued with his skill set. He has the look of Ben Roethlisberger, but he is raw in terms of running an NFL-style offense.

18. Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri. He has speed off the edge, but he won't be great against the run. That speed will get him drafted higher than he should go.

19. Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado. Based on skill only, he's up there with Peterson and Amukamara. But there are character concerns.

20. Marvin Austin, DT, North Carolina. He didn't play last year, but he was a potential top-10 pick heading into the season. Why shouldn't he be this high?

21. Nate Solder, T, Colorado. This former tight end will be a long-time starter in the NFL. He is a big man who will grow into his 6-8 frame.

22. Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech. He's the home-run threat in this draft. That's the style you want in the modern NFL back. See Chris Johnson.

23. Mike Pouncey, C, Florida. He isn't in the same class as his brother (Pittsburgh's Maurkice Pouncey), but he isn't far behind.

24. Gabe Carimi, T, Wisconsin. He's a bruiser who has the feet to play left tackle, but I think he might be better on the right side.

25. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa. There are some concerns about his arm troubles, but he is a productive college player who can rush the passer.

26. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama. He will be a chain mover in the NFL. It's tough to get good shots on him the way he runs.

27. Jake Locker, QB, Washington. The more you watch him, the more you like. Did he struggle at times? Yes. But he has the tools to be a good NFL starter.

28. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA. He plays faster than he times in the 40. He had some so-so workouts, but the tape shows a productive player.

29. Andy Dalton, QB, TCU. The tape of his game against Wisconsin is impressive. He will be a gym rat who starts for a long time.

30. Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois. He can be a penetrating 4-3 tackle or play end in a 3-4. He has the quickness teams want inside.

31. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame. He isn't a burner, but he has the size teams love in the red zone. He will be a 60-catch player for a long time.

32. Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland. I keep hearing about how he drops passes. Maybe some, but he runs by a lot of defensive backs.

This guy seems to think highly of Ponder.

[swampman]

Hopefully we will let Ponder sit and learn for a couple years. After the initial shock of this pick, I am starting to somewhat accept it. There were 6 teams between our 1st and 2nd round pick that could be looking QB so if they thought Ponder really had something, they had to reach for him.

thats what I think too he was'nt a 12 pick but at 43 a qb might have been a farther reach

[zepman]

I think there were still a few qb's out there that would of gotten picked before Ponder. I guess I could be wrong, but I keep hearing about his shoulder. I also keep hearing how he is going to be a good fit in a west coast scheme. Though does Musgrave run the WC offense? I still think there is a possibility of the Vikes going after McNabb, or Young, or even making a trade for Kolb. I believe we get a vet in here for a year or two while the young guys sit and learn.

Doesn't matter to the Vikes because Ponder was their top selection of qb left...they obviously had him rated higher than all other qb's left on the board. Give them credit...they really stepped up and took a bold move here.

[analyzer]

1st Round QB selections fail at a very high rate. I'd far rather take a lineman or corner with the 12th pick. You just spent 12 pick money, on someone who should have gone late 1st or early 2nd. Because you over spent, you'll have pressure to play him before he's ready. Fairley or Prince were the best two selections here, IMO. When you took Kevin Williams, I heard no complaints anywhere. He was a solid pick. We were all excited. You should've taken a solid pick here. Someone who could contribute right away, and will be here for 6 or 7 years. Fairley or Amakumara are nearly can't miss prospects. Now you let him slide to one of your rivals. You won't be able to dbl both Suh, and Fairley, and they're going to eat you for lunch. Guys like Ponder are a dime a dozen, and you spent a QUARTER!! You can't get a guy like Suh, Fairley, etc in free agency. But you can get a guy like Ponder.

The upside for me, is I want a smart QB more than anything else. Matt Birk once said that the toughest course he ever took, was the NFL playbook. What does that say coming from a Harvard grad? As I understand it, Ponder has a Masters degree. So at the very least, perhaps he can learn to read a defense. It would be so refreshing to have a QB (besides Favre), who actually checks down to a 2nd or 3rd receiver, instead of forcing it into coverage.

I hate the pick. Qb's are almost always a work in progress, and the vikings have some big holes to fill on each side of the line. You can have the best corners, but they can't cover all day if you have no pass rush. If you have a GREAT pass rush, mediocre corners can cover long enough. So I suppose I could live without Prince. Warren Sapp, errr, Nick Fairley would've been my pick. I guess we'll see.

[Hory]

Great if Ponder was their guy. But the fact that they could've gotten him in the middle of the 2nd round really makes the pick questionable. I also would take Andy Dalton any day of the week over Ponder...Dalton is a pure winner. But none of this matters, the Packers are still "the cream of the crop" in the NFL

[Bryce]

Maybe Wilfs felt he modeled best in their new LA jerseys?