Vikings Draft Musings

With a division title under their belt and only a few needs that need to be addressed this coming off-season, the Minnesota Vikings find themselves in a somewhat enviable position as they prepare for the 2009 draft. Unlike years past, where there were almost too many holes that could be plugged with the draft, the Vikings have only a few needs, and it’s almost a stretch to say that. With maybe the exception of the quarterback position, the Vikings enter the 2009 NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting with a pretty strong roster from top to bottom. There are several positions that need to be addressed, but with the overall strength of the roster, the Vikings can go with the “best player available” strategery at the expense of having to reach for a player at a position of need. See Underwood, Demetrius. These needs are in no particular order, and with the willingness of owner Zygi Wilf to spend money for whatever free agent the club identifies as a need, these could very well be taken care of prior to the draft.

QB: Is it going to be Tarvaris Jackson or not? If it is, he needs a backup, unless the legend that is John David Booty will suffice. If it isn’t, there won’t be a Joe Flacco or Matt Ryan in the low 20’s available, and let’s face it, the Vikings aren’t going to draft a quarterback on the first day to be a backup. If you think that QB is your number one priority, make a trade for a proven guy that’s going to hit the free agent market, and don’t half ass it. Whoever you deem the top quarterback on the free agent market to be, go get him. I would be utterly shocked if the VIkes use a first day pick on a quarterback.

OT: Todd Steussie, I mean Ryan Cook, has become a false start machine, which is great if there was a need in the NFL for offensive lineman who twitch more than Michael J. Fox when they go in the set position. There isn’t, so that’s a big drawback for the big man. When the Vikings actually get the ball snapped, his run blocking is pretty good, and in my opinion he tends to get better in that department as the game progresses, but he seems very inconsistent as a pass blocker. He’s a serviceable lineman, but is still sub-par as an NFL starter. Same for the two primary backups, Marcus Johnson and Artis Hicks. All three seem to do pretty good for short periods of time, but none of them can elevate their performance and stay consistent for an entire game, like former journeyman Anthony Herrera has done. On the other side, Bryant McKinnie isn’t going to go to the Hall of Fame, but it’s not his on field performance that is the problem. If he doesn’t get his off the field issues straightened out, he could be facing a one year suspension. Therefore, I think it’s necessary for the Vikings to look for a tackle in the draft.

C: The most unsettled position next to quarterback is the center position, and that is very troubling. Matt Birk has played at a very high level for 10 years, and it seems that the Vikings are lukewarm, at best, to bring him back for the 2009 campaign. As good as the left side of the line has been, it’s the center that makes the blocking audibles at the line, and Birk has been almost taken for granted he’s been go good at it. If the Vikings aren’t going to bring Birk back, then the question remains whether or not it will be Cook or John Sullivan that will take over. If it’s going to be Cook, who was a center in college, that makes the drafting of a tackle even more imperative. If it’s going to be Sullivan, then the Vikings will need to find a backup for him.

DB: CB Antoine Winfield and S Darren Sharper have been great players for the Vikings, but Sharper seemed to have lost a step this year, and with the combination of age and reckless abandon that Winfield approaches the game, he’s down to maybe two years left at the high level he’s playing at. He is north of 30, and has never shied away from contact. The Vikings got younger last year with the selection of Tyrell Johnson, but when Sharper went out in the playoff game against Philadelphia, deep pass coverage took a noticeable drop. Madieu Williams was a significant upgrade over Dwight ‘The Original Stairmaster’ Smith, so the Vikings are drafting both the CB and S position for depth and eventual successor to a proven veteran, although the CB has a chance to be a nickel guy right off the bat, depending on the status of Charles Gordon.

DE: I think this depends a lot on what the status os Kenechi Udeze is. First of all, I hope that he lives a long and healthy life, whether he steps between the lines again or not. If doctors clear him to play, I really, really like the line of Allen, Williams, Williams, and Udeze, with Robison, Edwards, and Evans being the primary backups. Maybe throw Jimmy Kennedy in there, too. He seemed to be okay as a late season fill-in. So, Udeze healthy I think the Vikings bypass DE in the draft, if not, they draft for depth.

If I had to place a bet, I'd say the Vikes address the QB issue through free agency, and my money there is on Matt Cassel. Then they spend the first couple of picks on the defensive backfield and then move to the offensive line.

Of course, all rational bets are off if James Laurinaitis or Malcolm Jenkins are still on the board. If one of those two guys fall to the Vikings, I'd soil myself with joy if the Vikings picked them.

But that's just me.