Who should the Vikes draft?

[Ybone]

Aw shucks Yiggins, we could never make fun of you.

[Scott K]

I dont think Bryant McKinney was a bad pick. If you can get 9 decent years from a LT, I would call that a very good pick! Sure he wasnt the best at the position, but for most of the years, he was above average, and he still is.

[Fish Head]

Anyone remember Tony Mandrich?

I would NEVER pick McKinney (or should I say McLazy) in the top 20 picks again.

Having said all that, I'm still a believer that we need to fix this line with studs... not patchwork. I have no problem with a tackle at #3 if Kalil at 3 if the Vikes grade him out that high.

[zepman]

He is the second best overall rated player in the entire draft...it took a once in every 20 years type prospect at QB to keep him from being the top player. McShay said he was the best tackle prospect he's ever rated since he started doing the draft analysis thing.

It's a huge position of need and he'll be the BPA...it SHOULD be a no-brainer. We'll see....

[TwinkeeDink]

I dont think Bryant McKinney was a bad pick. If you can get 9 decent years from a LT, I would call that a very good pick! Sure he wasnt the best at the position, but for most of the years, he was above average, and he still is.

you're kidding right? mckinney, still "above average?" i'll agree with the "was above average" part, but not much now

[goblueM]

Back to the whole ridiculous "#3 pick is a skill position pick" thing... SI.com had an article today examining the All-Pro first team players at each position grouping for the last 5 years

Here's their part on tackles:

"Tackles

Jake Long (Round 1, No. 1); Joe Thomas (Round 1, No. 3 overall); Walter Jones (Round 1, No. 6); Jordan Gross (Round 1, No. 8); Ryan Clady (Round 1, No. 12); Michael Roos (Round 2, No. 41); Matt Light (Round 2, No. 48); Jason Peters (Undrafted)

There’s no secret here: If you want a reliable, sometimes dominant tackle, then it’s going to cost you a high draft pick. Jason Peters’ story stands as the exception to the rule, as he slipped through the cracks at the 2004 draft, only to make the last five Pro Bowls and garner All-Pro nods in four of the last five seasons with Buffalo and Philadelphia.

Tackles are routinely drafted in the top 10 every year. This year we could see two in USC’s Matt Kalil and Iowa’s Riley Reiff."

and furthermore, defensive linemen:

Defensive Ends

Julius Peppers (Round 1, No. 2); Dwight Freeney (Round 1, No. 11); John Abraham (Round 1, No. 13); Jason Pierre-Paul (Round 1, No. 15); Patrick Kerney (Round 1, No. 30 overall); Justin Tuck (Round 3, No. 74); Jared Allen (Round 4, No. 126)

How highly coveted are talented pass-rushers? Well, look no further than the 2011 draft for your answer — nine first-round picks came from the defensive end position, including some hybrid DE/LB players like Aldon Smith, who stepped into a 3-4 defense and turned in an incredible rookie season. None of those nine jumped right onto the All-Pro team in 2011, but that could change in the near future. Plus, take Jared Allen out of the list of recent DE All-Pros, and it’s clear that the better talent comes from higher rounds.

Defensive Tackles

Ndamukong Suh (Round 1, No. 2); Justin Smith (Round 1, No. 4); Kevin Williams (Round 1, No. 9); Haloti Ngata (Round 1, No. 12 overall); Albert Haynesworth (Round 1, No. 15); Jay Ratliff (Round 7, No. 224)

You have to wonder where Jay Ratliff came from — the rest of the names here not only came off the board in the draft’s first round, but within the top 15 picks. Teams running the 3-4 are constantly in search of nose tackles who can stuff the middle, while teams like the Lions (Suh in 2010, Nick Fairley at No. 13 overall in 2011) have decided to build their defenses from the front on out. Ratliff’s All-Pro breakthrough came in 2009, but he’s made the last four Pro Bowls as well.

The dominance of defensive tackles taken so early bodes well for Memphis’ Dontari Poe, Mississippi State’s Fletcher Cox and LSU’s Michael Brockers, all expected to go within the first 20 picks.

[bdafisher]

Kalil, end of story. Day one starter, at a position of great need. Why is it even a conversation. The only way I would say don't draft him at three is if we can drop down a couple spots and draft Kalil there. I am not really sure why this is so debatable. Grading, Schmading. We need a friggen left tackle and he is the best one available.

[Rippinlip]

Kalil, end of story. Day one starter, at a position of great need. Why is it even a conversation. The only way I would say don't draft him at three is if we can drop down a couple spots and draft Kalil there. I am not really sure why this is so debatable. Grading, Schmading. We need a friggen left tackle and he is the best one available.

Simple and to the point!!!!

Way to go!

+1

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

Back to the whole ridiculous "#3 pick is a skill position pick" thing... SI.com had an article today examining the All-Pro first team players at each position grouping for the last 5 years

Here's their part on tackles:

"Tackles

Jake Long (Round 1, No. 1); Joe Thomas (Round 1, No. 3 overall); Walter Jones (Round 1, No. 6); Jordan Gross (Round 1, No. 8); Ryan Clady (Round 1, No. 12); Michael Roos (Round 2, No. 41); Matt Light (Round 2, No. 48); Jason Peters (Undrafted)

There’s no secret here: If you want a reliable, sometimes dominant tackle, then it’s going to cost you a high draft pick. Jason Peters’ story stands as the exception to the rule, as he slipped through the cracks at the 2004 draft, only to make the last five Pro Bowls and garner All-Pro nods in four of the last five seasons with Buffalo and Philadelphia.

Tackles are routinely drafted in the top 10 every year. This year we could see two in USC’s Matt Kalil and Iowa’s Riley Reiff."

and furthermore, defensive linemen:

Defensive Ends

Julius Peppers (Round 1, No. 2); Dwight Freeney (Round 1, No. 11); John Abraham (Round 1, No. 13); Jason Pierre-Paul (Round 1, No. 15); Patrick Kerney (Round 1, No. 30 overall); Justin Tuck (Round 3, No. 74); Jared Allen (Round 4, No. 126)

Umm yeah, 2 of all those tackles you or SI or whoever listed are in the top 3 picks, which is I believe what we are talking about hear are we not? How the rest of them are relevant i dont know other then your proving you can get a stud tackle LATER in the first rd or the draft. The vikings have the 3rd pick. So you can name two that were takin' in the top 3 recently and their both on terrible teams. That sways my opinion none.

Second of all, I would consider defensive ends a skill position- They can change the outcomes of games single handidly along with a handful of other positions. So throw that argument out too ...

This whole time ive been saying i dont mind taking him if we can just trade down a few and get another pick. Good cohesive offensive lines that are on the same page with blitz pick-ups and communication are what win super bowls, not necessarliy stud left tackles. So like i said, if we take a TACKLE with a TOP 3 pick- he better well be dominant or its a waste to take him that high.

How far back do you have to go to find a super bowl winner with a tackle that was takin in the top 3? Or even a perrenial playoff team? Miami and Cleveland sure arent either of those. That would be some interesting info to know

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

Since 2000- a pretty good sample size- Here are the tackles that have gone in the TOP 3

2000-#3 Chris Samuels, Washington

2004- #2 Robert Gallery, Raiders

2007- #3 Joe Thomas, Cleveland

2008- #1 Jake Long, Miami (Number 1 overall... really? With Ryan Clady taken at #12 and Jeff Otah at #19 respectively who are more then good enough... )

2009-#2 Jason Smith, St. Louis

3 questions-

Which one of these guys was worthy of where they were drafted the most to you?

How much impact did these stud left tackles taken with a top 3 pick have on their repective teams?

Tell me again why i shouldnt be leary of taking a tackle with a top 3 pick?

[Rippinlip]

Yiggin,

I give up.

We are picking 3rd, nobody is coming up 2-3 spots and giving us another 1st besides what the position they trade us.

For Yiggins sake and not for the future of the Vikings, lets take a receiver and see if Christian can get a ball to him while laying on his back. Blackmon will be wide open when the 11 defensemen are celebrating another sack.

Holy cow.....I am out.

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

Somebodies gotta be the contrarian! Everybody is saying Kalil like a broken record! Sorry to frustrate you rippin. This wouldnt be a very fun thread if everyone just said- Kalil, Kalil, kalil,KaHLiL, Ditka, Kalil, polish sausage, Kalil now would it? :~)

[zepman]

Tyron Smith was another USC tackle that went in the 1st round last year. Kahlil was good enough in 2010 to beat him out at LT and make Smith move to right tackle when they played together.

I just hope they don't trade down.

[goblueM]

Yiggin,

I give up.

We are picking 3rd, nobody is coming up 2-3 spots and giving us another 1st besides what the position they trade us.

For Yiggins sake and not for the future of the Vikings, lets take a receiver and see if Christian can get a ball to him while laying on his back. Blackmon will be wide open when the 11 defensemen are celebrating another sack.

Holy cow.....I am out.

ditto. i'm done banging my head against the wall

[creepworm]

We have to take Kahlil in the first.

From there I would like to see us take Jeffrey in the 2nd, Lemichael James in the 3rd, Shaun Prater (CB Iowa) in the 4th, and Marvin McNutt in the 5th.

This wouldn't help us be much more than a .500 team but at least they would be fun to watch and put up some points. Next year in free agency and draft they could then focus on defense and possibly compete then.

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

Your all right, my bad. Tackle with the 3rd pick, skoal vikings lets skoal!

Better?

Creep worm- I like Jeffery in the second, but the gophers have beaten iowa twice in a row... how many iowa guys do we really want?

[BuckSutherland]

I really think they are going to be trying hard to trade this pick. There seems to really be a couple teams that are dying to draft Trent Richardson. Cleveland and Cincinati are probably the two likely teams. It would be nice to get them in a bidding war with each other. Then we deal the third pick to CLE for their fourth pick and 22 pick. Take Kalil, the take a WR at 22 and some secondary help in the second round, and then try to move up again in the second round with our third round picks.

I dont think that would be too much to ask from clevland if they really think richardson is the guy. My thinking is that they would have resigned peyton hillis if they werent going RB. With what Miami is giving up and what ATL gave up last year I think that would be a pretty good deal to threaten CLE with. My whole plan hinges on needing another serious buyer for Richardson. I would be opposed to trading with anyone other than Clevland. Gotta make sure we get Kalil.

[zepman]

Tannehill will be the only player "worth" trading up for...I just don't see a team trading up in the 1st for a RB.

Cleveland may still be in the mix to beat out Miami for this pick...they both need QB's in a bad way. It's a pipe dream but trading the pick to Cleveland would be ideal. We still get Kahlil and a couple of extra picks to boot.

If we trade out with Miami...no way we get Kahlil. We get a middle of the road 1st rounder who may, or may not, pan out.

[goblueM]

With Blackmon and Claiborne still in the mix after the 3rd spot, I can't really see teams jumping all over themselves to trade up so high. I can't see any teams trading that high for Tannehill either

[james_walleye]

Tannehill will be the only player "worth" trading up for...I just don't see a team trading up in the 1st for a RB.

Cleveland may still be in the mix to beat out Miami for this pick...they both need QB's in a bad way. It's a pipe dream but trading the pick to Cleveland would be ideal. We still get Kahlil and a couple of extra picks to boot.

If we trade out with Miami...no way we get Kahlil. We get a middle of the road 1st rounder who may, or may not, pan out.

I guess worth is in the eye of the beholder. Many places have Richardson projected to TB at #5. It's not crazy to think someone likes him enough to jump up in front of the bucs to grab him. The more time goes on it sure sounds like there are more and more reasons for teams to come up to 3. I'd like to see it happen and stay in the top 10 yet but I'm not holding my breathe.

[FutbolGuru]

Julio Jones wasn't even the consensus overall #1 WR in last year's draft and the Falcons basically made a Herschel Walker trade for him... anything can happen. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if the Vikes end up with a good trade offer for the 3 hole...

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

James- FutbolGuru, two words for those posts- LOVE IT!

From what im hearing this Tannehill cat's stock is on the rise just because hes supposidly the next best QB after the big two. There is going to be some team that wants our pick pretty bad, i think its starting to become more appartent by the day. Hopefully speilman plays his cards right. I do agree that the 3rd is probably too high to take Blackmon or Claiborne, but i still think its too high for a tackle too. IF we can trade back and still get Kalil or Riley Reif and maybe just an extra 3rd rounder, im all for it

[james_walleye]

If they trade back far enough to lose out on kalil and get Reif instead and only get a 3rd rounder that would be the worst trade in NFL history.

[YiGGiN4SLoBS]

Worst in history? This Kalil guy must be the best offensive lineman in the history of lineman then. I dont think we'd trade back any farther then 8th. Tannehill, Claiborne, Blackmon, Kalil and Richardson will all be in the mix between 3 and 8 the way it sounds. If we trade back I would assume we get Claiborne, Kalil or Blackmon more then likely. Sounds good to me.

The Rams are the only team I can see taking Kalil- Maybe the Jags before 8

[james_walleye]

Your missing the point. If you trade from 3 to 8 you had better get more than a 3rd round pick for that move.