2015 Draft Profile - DeVante Parker

Check out our current receivers if you aren't familiar with them. Jarius Wright, 5'10 and maybe 185, is a great slot receiver and sometimes deep threat, but he'll never be able to play well on the outside or consistently win one-on-one matchups. Adam Thielen has good size at 6'2 and 200 pounds. He's solid; dependable, works hard, but there isn't any pop to him. Cordarrelle Patterson has plenty of pop, especially for his size, but he hasn't put it all together to become a reliable receiver yet. Charles Johnson came from nowhere to become our number one wide out in the back half of the season, but his upside may be limited. Then there's the new addition of Mike Wallace, the burner, who I truly believe will open up our offense, but is really just a deep threat. It may not be super clear, but we are missing something.

Calvin Johnson: 6'5, 235. Alshon Jeffery: 6'3, 220. Jordy Nelson: 6'3, 217. All big receivers in the NFC North, all consistently able to beat man coverage. Patterson, at 6'2 and 220, may someday be able to play that role, but right now he needs to work on his route running and separation ability. If the Vikings decide we need help now at that position, they'd be smart to take DeVante Parker, wide receiver from Louisville.

from: thecardinalconnection.com

At roughly 210 pounds, he may be a bit light, but he stands 6'3, and he knows how to use it. Even when Parker isn't open, he's open. Throw it his way, and he will leverage his body to put himself in position to make the catch. That means he'll go up top to bring the ball down, too; he climbs the ladder, if you will. He missed the first seven games of the season last year, but in the last six he caught 43 passes for 855 yards and 5 touchdowns. Double those stats and while his touchdown total doesn't reach Amari Cooper's, his yards are close and his yards per reception would be far and above Cooper's. Heck, it currently is: 15 yards per reception. That's the kind of production we need from a wide out, someone who can be a number one option for us.

His 4.45 forty yard dash doesn't show the deep threat speed that Kevin White showed, but it's more than good enough when you look at his other skills. Check out the video below, posted to youtube by nasseh257.

Most of these plays look to be from the 2013 season, but that highlights another positive that I'm sure you're aware of. Louisville just happens to be the same school Teddy played for a year ago, and he had a good connection with Parker. If you watch the video, you can see a lot where Teddy simply throws it up for Parker, who comes down with the catch. Granted, Teddy puts the ball where it needs to be, but they are still tough catches to make. I'm going to highlight some plays that really stood out to me.

At 1:40, Parker makes a leaping catch while double covered in the endzone. We don't have a receiver on the roster who can make that kind of catch. Rudolph can, but I believe it's nice to have a couple options on a fade like that. 

At 1:55, Teddy actually slightly under throws the ball, but Parker stutters a bit and throws his body into the air to make a beautiful catch. Another plus on this play is he comes down with both feet in bounds.

2:35 displays some after the catch ability. Some experts have said he's slowed a bit after his 2014 foot injury, but I'm not worried. At least, I don't think that should change effect our decision to draft him.

3:13 shows how he wins with his body positioning in man coverage. Granted, these are NCAA corners and not NFL corners. A knock on Parker is that he isn't strong enough to make those types of plays against press corners in the NFL. That may be true at this point, but Parker's frame can handle another ten pounds of muscle. His innate ability to know where he needs to position himself to catch the ball is a big plus that should pay dividends right away, but will explode with a bit more weight. Then again, AJ Green plays in the 205 to 210 range and is easily a number one receiver who has great jump ball ability. 

3:56 he makes an over the shoulder grab with his hands. Those long arms extend smoothly and snag the ball. 

from: thecrunchzone.com

Going back to a weakness mentioned, his functional strength against NFL caliber corners, PJ Williams was predominantly lined up opposite him during the Florida State game. Williams is expected to go in the second round at the lowest, while he's been mocked to the bottom of the third in some cases. He's not Marcus Peters or Trae Waynes, but Williams will play well for an NFL team. Parker handled him very well. Most of the passes I noticed that ended up incomplete were on the quarterback. Even though he didn't have Teddy, he was still making plays. That's what you want to see. On the flipside, when Williams met him at the line and got physical right away, Williams won a lot more match ups. If Parker works on his hand skills, and even puts on five to ten pounds, I'm very confident he'll be able to get the initial separation he needs at the line for quick slants and to get running room on go routes.

Let's circle back to the receivers we currently have and compare their skillsets to Parker's. Parker isn't a polished route runner yet. He won't be for a year or two at least. But Charles Johnson runs nice routes, and Wright and Thielen are decent as well. Parker has very good separation skills, though. Locked in coverage, he will create enough space from his defender to make the catch. That was an issue with our receivers last year. They couldn't get open in the first place, so Teddy was throwing into coverage more often than not, and our receivers couldn't make the one or two little moves necessary to make those catches. Finally, Teddy didn't throw many fades into one-on-one coverage. Our receivers couldn't win those match ups regularly. Parker can do that. Parker excels at that. He will adjust to the pass on the fly, and will go up and get the ball at a higher point than his defender can, assuring an uncontested catch, at least while in the air. The only receiver I would feel comfortable throwing a fade to is Kyle Rudolph, and he's a tight end. It's not often that he's lined up out wide. Parker would give us that outside presence.

I really like Parker at the 11th pick. I would even take him over Kevin White if White would happen to fall. Amari Cooper would be hard to pass up, as he is fast, polished, NFL ready from day one, and extremely consistent. Both should be gone by the time the Vikings pick, though, and Parker is far from a consolation prize. He's a pick that would help our offense from the first game throughout his career. I say take him at 11.

Thoughts on NFL.com 7 Round Mock Draft

Nfl.com just put out a 7 round mock draft. Of course I have thoughts. You want to hear them? No? Then stop reading. Otherwise here they come.

I want to put a disclaimer first. I'm very familiar with a lot of prospects, but I get into unfamiliar territory with most of the players from the end of the 3rd on. So when I say the Vikings should take this player over the one that was mocked, I may be doing that because I know more about the one I want. But hopefully I can at least provide some arguments supporting my pick.

Here's the link for the the full mock if you'd like to see it: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000487820/article/2015-sevenround-nfl-mock-draft-round-1. 

Nfl.com round 1, pick 11: Brandon Scherff, OL Iowa.
If I haven't mentioned it before, I like Scherff, and not just because I graduated from Iowa. He could honestly play any position in the line, though I would keep him away from center. For the Vikings he'd slide in at left guard and we went even notice we have a rookie at that spot. His run blocking should immediately be above average and a little work in training camp will do loads for his pass blocking. He'd be a perennial Pro bowler at guard. He's also insurance at right tackle if Loadholt gets hurt, and he'd go to many pro bowls if he stayed there. He can also slide over to left tackle if Kalil struggles this year, but I predicting that won't happen. While I think Scherff will be gone before the Vikings pick, I think this is a great pick.

from: nfl.com

My preferred pick: DeVante Parker, WR Louisville.
In nfl.com's mock, the Browns take Parker at 12. If Scherff is available, I would be happy with him or Parker. If it's Parker though, he'd fill the need for a big receiver who can consistently win one on one match ups.

NFL.com round 2, pick 45: Tevin Coleman, RB Indiana.
Here's where things crash. I don't like this pick. This draft is loaded with backs that can contribute right away, and whether we have AP back or we roll with McKinnon as our starter, I think we wait until at least the 3rd to look at a running back. With players like Byron Jones, Preston Smith, Benardrick McKinney, and Carl Davis still on the board, we shouldn't be looking at running back.

from: thefanindiana.com

My preferred pick: Shaq Thompson, defensive weapon, Washington.
Take a look at my draft profile on Thompson for my thoughts on the position he should play. In nfl.com's mock, he's gone by the time the Vikings pick. We shouldn't let that happen. I'd try to trade up a few spots to guarantee we get him.

Nfl.com round 3, pick 76: PJ Williams, CB Florida State.
I think I'm ok with this pick. I don't know much about Williams, but I've heard good things. He plays predominantly on the outside, which is the type of defensive back we need.

from: wftv.com

My preferred pick: Michael Bennett, DL Ohio State. 

PJ Williams would be a great pick, but Bennett's upside is too good to pass up. Granted, he'd be best at the 3 technique, and we're stacked there with Shariff Floyd and Tom Johnson. But Zimmer has expressed a desire to have a deep pool of defensive linemen. Bennett is athletic enough to play run stuffing end on the left side during run plays and to provide backup reps on the interior and start alongside Floyd at tackle during passing situations. Might be a luxury pick, but I believe his upside would be hard to pass up.

Nfl.com round 4, pick 110: Gabe Wright, DT Auburn.
This is a good pick if we don't take a defensive lineman earlier. NFL.com lists him as a decent penetrating tackle that could use some work on his pass rush moves. He'd be a project at this point of the draft. 

from: oanow.com

My preferred pick: at this point I have a few options. In the nfl.com draft, OT Tyrus Thompson goes the very next pick. He's a monster on the line at 6'5 and 325. Running backs David Johnson from UNI and David Cobb from Minnesota are still available as well. Even if we keep AP, I wouldn't mind taking one of these backs.

Nfl.com round 5, pick 137: Jamison Crowder, WR Duke.
At this point in the draft, he'd be a good value pick. He's a bit smaller and good in the open field, meaning his skillset is similar to the receivers we currently have, but the pro comparison video on nfl.com compared him to Antonio Brown. If Crowder becomes half the player Brown is then he is well worth a fifth round pick.

from: nfl.com

My preferred pick: how about a guard here? Josue Matias from Florida State or Arie Kouandjio from Alabama would be nice. They could compete with David Yankey and possibly Joe Berger for the left guard spot.

Nfl.com round 7, pick 228: Dres Anderson, WR Utah.

At 6'1 and 187, he's got good height but is a bit small. Based on his draft profile, he plays bigger than his height, isn't afraid to go over the middle, but struggles with press man coverage. We've got receivers like that already, so I'd prefer to pass on him. And two late round receivers seems a little much when we already have five receivers that will make the roster. Late round picks are for developmental players, though, so I won't be upset by who we take here.

from: deseretnews.com

My preferred pick: like I mentioned above, I'm pretty much good with whoever we take at this point.

Nfl.com round 7, pick 232: John Timu, ILB Washington.

At 6'1 and 246, he's a bit undersized for the run-stuffing middle linebacker that I think Zimmer would like, but he's good in zone coverage and gets off blocks well. He doesn't change direction well though, according to nfl.com, so if he misses the correct read, he'll have issues chasing his assignment. At this point in the draft though, bringing him in with his former teammate Shaq Thompson would immediately upgrade our pass coverage from the linebacker core. 

from: usatoday.com

My preferred pick: like I mentioned, getting this far down I don't feel comfortable standing behind any picks. However, in looking at the list of notable free agents left, I see Zack Hodges, the OLB from Harvard. He's more of a pass rushing linebacker at 250 pounds, but he could backup Barr and we'd have a player in a similar mold. I really think Hodges will be drafted though, definitely in the 7th if not in the 6th. 

Let me know what you think. 

2015 Draft Profile - Shaq Thompson

If you read my previous post, then some of this information might be redundant. Either way, reading it again won't hurt you. You can just be enamored by Thompson's abilities and versatility once more.

Shaq Thompson is listed as a linebacker who played for the Washington Huskies, but he also played safety and running back. That's a lot of positions to play at, but Thompson did more than just play them. He excelled at them. As a running back, he ran for 456 yards last year and averaged 7.5 yards per carry. That's ridiculous for a defensive player. Oh, he scored two touchdowns as well. On defense he played all the linebacker positions and started at strong safety for a game. His stat line on defense shows an even more productive player: 81 tackles, an interception that he returned for a touchdown, and 4 fumble recoveries, 3 of which he returned for touchdowns.

from: nflcom

But his defensive stat line doesn't show everything. Thompson began his freshman year of college as the Huskies nickelback. Yep, he played cornerback. And he had 74 total tackles. Currently listed at 6 feet tall and 228 pounds, I would imagine he's bulked up a bit since playing cornerback, but he is considered undersized for a linebacker. But his coverage skills, man and zone, are fantastic. At the NFL level he will be able to cover running backs, tight ends, and some receivers. Bleacher Report had an article advising the 49ers to make sure they got Thompson, as they not only need help at linebacker but they need someone who can cover Jimmy Graham. I'm hoping that doesn't happen though, as I want to see Thompson in purple.

The former Huskie put up more reps of 225 during the combine than Anthony Barr did. Barr played a pass rushing linebacker for UCLA at 255 pounds. Thompson is more than 25 pounds lighter. Granted, he didn't have an outstanding 40, but I'm currently of the belief that the 40 isn't very important for elite prospects. He plays much faster and quicker than his 4.66 would lead you to believe.

from: usatodayhss.com

Here's where I'm going to get redundant. I would be ecstatic to pair Thompson with Barr. We'd have an amazing pair of linebackers that would most likely be perennial Pro bowl players. Both are crazy athletic and have versatile skillsets. OK, taking a break from Barr to focus on Thompson. He's said he's a linebacker and I would agree there, but just as we now label some players as offensive weapons and simply as EDGE, maybe we should have a defensive weapon. Thompson could be that.

In our base 4-3 he could play the safety spot opposite Smith. He'd play closer to the line, like the Seahawks' Kam Chancellor, allowing Smith to be a true mid fielder. That would put Hodges as the weakside linebacker and Audie Cole or someone else in the middle.  But when we go with a nickel look, Thompson would drop down a bit farther and play the weakside linebacker spot next to Barr. We'd then bring in Robert Blanton or Taylor Mays or whoever to play the safety spot alongside Smith. Even though our pass defense was surprisingly good last year, in our division plus the increasingly pass happy league, it can't be a bad thing to get more help in coverage. We also spent a considerable percentage in our nickel set last year, so Thompson could realistically take most of his snaps as a linebacker in this scenario. It's one that I would certainly find fascinating.

The other scenario is we draft him as a linebacker and only play him on the weakside, in the mold of Lavonte David. He'd be very good in that position as well, where he isn't asked to take on lineman one on one, but plays more of a mop up role.

from: rantsports.com

In either case, I think Thompson may be a bit of a reach with our first round pick unless we trade back. If we don't, we better get him in the second. If I were Spielman, I would even consider trading up a bit higher to make sure we got him. Then again, if Byron Jones is available at the end of the first or even early in the second, I wouldn't complain about that pick.

One Major Change I'd Like to See in Madden 16

I know this is a Vikings blog, but I love Madden. My second round prediction in the 2015 draft for the Vikings, Shaq Thompson, got me thinking about what I'd like to see added to Madden 16. While there are more than a few things I'd like changed, I'm only going to expand on the one that applies to Thompson if he were to be drafted.

from: espn.go.com

I tend to use the Broncos defensive playbook. Zone coverage seems to work better for me and this playbook blitzes the left outside linebacker quite a bit. Perfect for the type of player we have at that position, Anthony Barr. But in nickel packages the game forces the left backer to leave the field while the middle and right linebackers stay on the field. Why does the player substitution have to be based on the player's position? I'd like to be able to designate who I want my nickel backers to be.

Thompson takes this to the next level. A bit undersized at 225 to 230 pounds, Thompson has been mocked as a safety almost as much as a linebacker. He's crazy athletic and has good coverage skills, so he could be a decent safety. I see him as a linebacker, as he's said he sees himself at the combine, but there's a third option. Why not a hybrid player?

On offense we have players like Percy Harvin and Cordarelle Patterson who primarily play one position but also get some snaps at other positions. Many defensive line players do this as well, such as a defensive end sliding inside on an obvious passing down to make room for another pass rusher (see the New York Giants NASCAR set). So why not a hybrid linebacker/safety?

2012 Giants NASCAR Set; from: bleacherreport.com. 

The Vikings would find a very cool and interesting way to use Thompson. Of that I have no doubt. One way I've seen mentioned is playing Thompson as the strong safety in our traditional 4-3 formation. He would play up closer to the line, while Harrison Smith was back deep playing center field. Then in nickel situations, Thompson could drop down to linebacker, joining Anthony Barr. We'd then bring in Robert Blanton or another safety to play deeper.

I don't have the stat on hand, but we played in nickel a lot of last season. That would mean a lot of reps for Thompson. But this kind of customization isn't possible in Madden. A player is either a safety or a linebacker and they can't be placed on the depth chart at any other position.

I understand not giving us the option to put our quarterback at defensive end, but other than that I think the player should have free reign to put whatever player he wants at a given position. That should also be formation specific too. I want to be able to say Barr and Thompson will be my nickel linebackers, Robison and Griffen are my nickel ends, but then I want Thompson to play safety in a base 4-3 and I want Crichton to play the left end spot in that same formation.

That's not too much to ask, right? I leave it to you EA Sports.