2015 NFL Draft: Too Early for First Round Wish?

Is it too early to talk about the 2015 NFL draft? Yeah, it probably is, but I already know who I want the Vikings to take in the first round.

I was drooling over Marcus Mariota, but he didn't declare for the 2014 draft, and then the Vikings drafted Teddy Bridgewater. Mariota won't happen next year, not when we traded up to get Bridgewater. But that's ok. Bridgewater is going to do things at the position we haven't had for a long time, and he fits our offensive scheme better. So I'm getting over Mariota. I am not, however, giving up on an Oregon player.

from: cbssports.com

I would love if the Vikings drafted Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. The 5'10", 190 pound cornerback from Oregon could have declared for the draft this year, just as Mariota could have. Ekpre-Olomu would have gone in the first round, too. But he chose to stay another year, to gain more experience and get his degree I would assume. I commend him for that. It's also a ripe time for the Vikings to nab him. Xavier Rhodes is going to become our number one, in charge of guarding Brandon Marshall and Calvin Johnson on a regular basis. Opposite him we don't really have another true starter. Munnerlyn is as close as we'll get, but expect to see him in the slot for most of the time. But with his size, is Ekpre-Olomu really a starter on the outside? 

Ok, the answer to that is iffy. He's really ideally suited for the slot, where we have Munnerlyn for a few years. But here's my thinking: with Aaron Rodgers, Matt Stafford, and Jay Cutler in our division, there is going to be a lot of passing. We need all the coverage help we can get. He'll also be a solid replacement when/if we lose Munnerlyn. He'll probably be better. Plus, Ekpre-Olomu is great in run support. Check out the video below for some highlights. He's making great tackles, and I think I saw him covering Brandin Cooks during one of the segments, the rookie Saints receiver already getting lots of praise, and covering him well.

He's had great stats, especially in the tackles department. As a true freshman in 2011, he didn't have any interceptions, but he had 34 tackles. He played in all 14 games. In 2012, he started for all 13 games, racking up 4 interceptions and 64 tackles. The highlight of his stats, in my opinion, was the six fumbles he was credited in forcing. I know there were a lot of comparisons of Captain Munnerlyn to Antoine Winfield, but maybe Ekpre-Olomu to Winfield might be better? Just this past season, 2013, Ekpre-Olomu improved again on his tackle total, recording a whopping 84 total tackles, 54 of them solo ones. While he intercepted 3 passes during the year, to me it still seemed like he improved a lot. (stats courtesy of goducks.com)

The 2015 mock drafts that are out have Ifo Ekpre-Olomu going in a myriad of positions, but always in the first round. One site has him going as low as 25, while another one has him going at 8. The Vikings won't be the worst team in the NFL. I can almost guarantee that. But I doubt they'll be picking from 26-32. Sorry, I just think we need another couple years of experience and talent before we can make a deep playoff run. But that means Ekpre-Olomu has a good chance of being available when the Vikings pick. 

from: zimbio.com

This is obviously very early, and I'm sure I'll change my opinion of who I'd like the Vikings to take ten times over the next year, but as of now I believe Ifo Ekpre-Olomu would be a great addition to our roster at a position of need. Unless a middle linebacker shoots up the draft charts. Then maybe we should go with that pick.