My Opinion of the Vikings Draft

I am no football genius. I do not spend hours watching film of prospects so I know exactly what their strengths and weaknesses are. I also am not an expert on the type of schemes the Vikings run, especially since both sides of the ball should look different this year. I am, however, a crazy fan of the Vikings and know just enough that I feel like my opinions are justified (ha ha). So here's my analysis of the Vikings 2014 NFL draft.

Overall grade: B+

The first round selections of Anthony Barr and Teddy Bridgewater are amazing. My grade for the first round would be an A+. We need linebackers, and Barr provides the pass rushing outside linebacker that Zimmer wanted for his 4-3 scheme. A consistent pass rush from somebody other than our front four is a very welcome addition. An article on ESPN I read said linebackers in our old Cover 2 scheme blitzed on passing downs 11% of the time. Expect that to triple this year, especially for Barr. He's only played on the defensive side of the ball for two years, so he'll need to learn a lot, but he played so well and even improved during those years that he shouldn't take long to grasp what Zimmer and defensive coordinator George Edwards throw at him. Barr has kind of disappeared from the spotlight with the Bridgewater pick, but the UCLA linebacker is a lock for a starting position, while Bridgewater will most likely sit for the whole year.

from: watercoolersports.com

Teddy Bridgewater had dropped a lot since he declared for the draft, but that turned out to be extremely beneficial for the Vikings. I had preferred to wait on a quarterback until at least the third round, but I'm happy with how this turned out. I've read a lot more on Bridgewater (for more details, see my profile of him), and I think he's a great fit for the Vikings. As long as we have AP (which may not be too many more years if you've read the rumors) we just need Bridgewater to be a game manager. Ponder threw too many interceptions and struggled to keep the chains moving when we needed him to. Bridgewater could start immediately and take care of the ball, or he could come in a year after he's learned from Cassel. Also, if the dreaded day when we don't have AP should come, I think Bridgewater has all the tools necessary to be an amazing quarterback in the league. I think Spielman got this quarterback right, and he didn't have to give up much for it.

from: seahawks.com

The third round is where things get real shaky. We took Scott Crichton, a defensive end from Oregon State, and Jerrick McKinnon, a running back from Georgia Southern. Both of these picks confuse me. Crichton looks to be a decent pickup, but we're okay at end. Brian Robison and Everson Griffen are set to start, and we signed Corey Wootten in free agency who will be a solid backup. I'd have liked to go guard here, with Spencer Long and Chris Watt both still available. Either of those would have gotten great playing time and could even have challenged Charlie Johnson for the starting left guard spot. Crichton must have been higher on the Vikings' draft board, otherwise this pick doesn't make sense.

from: atlantafalcons.blog.ajc.com

Jerrick McKinnon is even more of a head scratcher. I'm cool with project players. I feel like we have a great staff to mold players into the best they can be, but McKinnon is going to need more molding than a lot of others. His athletic ability is through the roof (see my profile on him for more info), which is most likely why he was picked. We did need a back that could give AP a breather now and then and preferably one that could do more than pound a hole for a few yards. But McKinnon played cornerback for the first couple years of his career, then shifted to a quarterback in a triple option system. I think he started at running back only half of his senior season. See what I'm getting at? He has very little experience at the position we drafted him for. Also, the triple option system he ran was way different from the pro style offense he'll be in with the Vikings. As far as a learning curve, McKinnon's will be one of the steepest for any of the prospects. I would have preferred we take a defensive back here (I was super angry that we didn't take Pierre Desir), but if the Vikings had to go running back, why not go De'Anthony Thomas or Ka'Deem Carey? They have more experience positionally and in the scheme they've run. They also both would fit the type of receiving back that Turner has liked to have, especially Thomas. McKinnon's athletic ability must have stuck out enough for the Vikings to pass on everyone else.


The Vikings did take a guard, David Yankey, in the 5th. This isn't a flashy pick but neither is it a terrible pick. He'll be a solid backup for a few years and then may be able to push for a starting spot. He's smart and has brawler tendencies, but experts say his ceiling isn't very high due to limited athletic ability.

Two cornerbacks were taken in the 6th round, Antone Exum from Virginia Tech, and Kendall James from Maine. I really like the Exum pick. Before he hurt his knees, he looked like a great corner. He only played in three games last year and wasn't nearly as good. If he can get back to a similar form as he was in 2012, he will be a great addition, especially since it looks like he'll be better at safety than corner, standing 6' tall and around 215 lbs. James is small at 5'10" and 180 lbs, but at the very least he will provide good competition at the corner spot.

Antone Exum; from: cypheravenue.com

In the 7th round, the Vikings drafted defensive tackle Shamar Stephen, outside linebacker Brandon Watts, and cornerback Jabari Price. Stephen has a shot to make the roster as a backup at the nose tackle position if the Vikings decide to keep five tackles on the roster. Watts is a bit undersized at 225 lbs, but he's fast. Like Larry Dean, Watts could find a spot on the roster by providing a spark in the return game. Price will probably fill the same role as Kendall James, just to provide more competition in the backfield.

from: yellowjackedup.com

The first round was amazing! The 5th through the 7th wasn't flashy, but we got some solid picks that will either provide good backup minutes or push our current players to a higher level of competition. The reason my overall grade for the draft is a B+ is solely because of that 3rd round. I really wanted De'Anthony Thomas and Pierre Desir, and I think they both would have been locks to make the roster. Thomas would have been a reach in the 3rd, so I am fine that we didn't get him. But Desir was still there at the end of the 3rd. Picking him would have shifted my criticism of the Crichton pick to a glowing commendation. We would definitely have still gone after a running back, but there were plenty left. Storm Johnson from UCF wasn't taken until the 7th by the Jaguars. That's a steal. Nfl.com listed him as a late 4th or early 5th. 

Overall though, I am pleased. Obviously, at this time of year everyone is going to say their team got better. Some teams will get better, but some will get worse. That's what happens. If the Vikings are one of those teams that gets worse, I believe we're at least on the right track. We have some pieces that may need a year or two to begin paying dividends, but those should be great. I hate to say it, but I don't see us making the playoffs this year. However, in two or three years, I see us making the playoffs fairly regularly. We've got a great staff and great players, younger and not as young, that will make us a force to be reckoned with.