NFL Draft: Round 1 Recap

As expected, the NFL Draft was freakin' awesome in round one! I love watching the Draft every year. It's so awesome to see these guys get drafted and have their dreams come true. This year is especially fun since the Vikes drafted early. As expected, Andrew Luck went number one, followed by Robert Griffin III at two were the first two picks. After trading to the Browns, who took Trent Richardson with the third pick, the Vikes grabbed big offensive tackle Matt Kalil from USC. This dude is a total beast, and I can't wait to see him blocking for Adrian and keeping Ponder safe all year.
There were a few strange picks as well. I definitely was not expecting Seattle to take Bruce Irvin with that high of a pick at 15. Also I thought Shea McClellin went to high at 19 to Chicago. The best part of the draft to me was at pick number 29. The Vikings trade up and take probably my favorite guy in the draft: Harrison Smith. The safety from Notre Dame was a four-year starter, and the only player to record 200+ tackles in his career at ND. Not to mention the guy is also a ball hawk and finished with seven interceptions last year. Can't wait to see this kid play.
There is more Draft tomorrow starting at 6pm. I am definitely ready for a weekend full of this. No plans for the weekend, but chillin' and watching the draft. I'd love to see the Vikes take Brandon Boykin from Georgia with that 3rd rounder tomorrow. I think he will definitely be a good choice. We'll see what we can get though!

Jazz Clinch Playoffs

Big Al Jefferson absolutely went off last night! He was amazing in the final minutes of the win against the Phoenix Suns to clinch a playoff spot for the Jazz this season. This also comes as great news for Wolves fans like myself, because that means we will have a first round pick in next year's draft. With such a deep draft class, this is a huge year to get that pick back. So thank you Al Jefferson! Now I'll be cheering for them to lose so we can get that 19th pick overall!

Mrs. Irrelevant?

Damn... Good luck to Mr. Irrelevant I guess....

Vikings Draft Options

So the 2012 NFL Draft is slowly approaching, and the Vikes have the 3rd pick overall. We got a lot of holes to fill, so this year's draft is crucial. Here are a few guys that I really like, and I'd love to see the Vikes take a chance with them:

Morris Claiborne - CB, LSU
 Everybody knows who Morris Claiborne is in this draft. I'd love to see the Vikes go after him with the 3rd pick. As crucial as a left tackle is for our young quarterback, the Vikes need a ton of help at cornerback. I think Claiborne is gonna be one of the best corners in the NFL eventually. Plus, in a division that we have to take on Calvin Johnson, Greg Jennings, and Brandon Marshall... we're gonna need a shutdown corner. There is no way we can survive with the secondary we have now, and it's time to bring in the young guys. I wouldn't be disappointed with Kalil or Blackmon at all, though. All three of these guys have top talent and I think will all be great athletes in their career.

Harrison Smith - S, Notre Dame
Second round and I think the Vikes should go with some more defensive backs. Harrison Smith is a bright kid who has proven to be a great football player. The guy had three picks in his bowl game and solidified himself as a great draft prospect. I'm just hoping he can fall to us in the second round. It's gonna be a crazy draft, so who knows where he could land. I think if he's available to the Vikes in the second round we should go with him. Again, in a division with probably the best receivers in the NFL, we gotta beef up that secondary and try to slow down these passing threats. Harrison Smith at safety would be a solid pick here.


Mohamed Sanu - WR, Rutgers
I have discussed this guy over the last few months with a lot of people. Nobody thinks he will be an all-star but they can't disagree with his athletic ability. I don't think he'll be an amazing game-changing guy, but that isn't what the Vikes need on offense. Ponder just needs another target. We have been talking to former Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson, which would be a nice signing, but if we don't get him, we're gonna need to find someone. I think Sanu could turn out to be better than expected. He's got a lot of raw talent which can easily be molded into some skills in the NFL. I'd love to see the Vikes snag him if he drops to the third round.


Kirk Cousins - QB, Michigan State
I have probably been the biggest supporter of Kirk Cousins over the last few weeks. I have seen this guy's highlights, and I really have no idea how he is not a guaranteed first round pick. Can anyone tell me what is wrong with this guy?? Really, I have no idea... please help me figure this out. I actually think he is the third best QB behind Luck and RGIII. I don't know why everyone is talking about Tannehill. Cousins is gonna be a great quarterback, and even though the Vikes have Ponder, there is high value in this pick. If anything happened to Ponder, or maybe he just didn't turn out how we'd hoped, Cousins could be a tremendous insurance quarterback. He is someone who clearly understands the game and his position.

Doug Martin - RB, Boise State
The Vikes don't really need a runningback, after we signed like 3 free agents this offseason, but Martin wouldn't hurt. He's a young guy with some speed. He's just an all-around great runningback. I would go to high on him, but if he's a fourth round option, I would like to see us take a chance. There are far too many position players I have been looking at for the Vikings, but I think these might be good options. If Peterson and Gerhart continue to struggle with injuries, Martin would be a nice fill in alongside some of the other guys we have signed, such as Lex Hilliard and Jordan Todman. I'd like to see us find a back somewhere in this draft, even if it is the late rounds.


Markus Zusevics - OT, Iowa
Here's a big boy that would be a good draft pick for the Vikes. He's got good size and strength and would be a solid fourth or fifth round pick. He has been overshadowed by the guy on the other side of the line, Riley Reiff. The Vikes obviously need some work up front on the line, especially with the departures of Anthony Herrera and Steve Hutchinson. Zusevics is a guy that I think we can develop into a starter, either as a tackle or a guard. From what I've read, he seems to be pretty underrated, and he's a good kid with a lot of upside. Here's my offensive line suggestion for the Vikes.


Jaquies Smith - OLB, Missouri
This guy is pretty much a monster. He's a little undersized, but he plays big. Another guy that has been overshadowed by a stud who played in front of him. Last year Aldon Smith (who had an amazing rookie season) was the guy that silenced the skills of Jaquies Smith. I think this guy will go late and he will be a good pick for whoever gets him. Hey, the Vikes could use a little help at linebacker... let's try him out and see how it works. I think we will be hearing Jaquies Smith's name as an impact defender in the NFL in the near future.



Keshawn Martin - WR, Michigan State
Here's another guy I've been high on for a while. I don't know what it is that impresses me so much with these Michigan State guys... I think Keshawn Martin is highly underrated. He was an impact performer who was always a go-to-guy in the final minutes. On the other side B.J. Cunningham was getting all the attention, yet it seemed like nobody could keep up with Martin. Cousins said that Martin was gonna be a surprised to a lot of people, and I agree with him. Huge upside with this pick, and I think we can get him on a last day pick. He'll be a steal wherever he goes.


Dale Moss - WR, South Dakota State
Ok, this is a homer pick. Gotta go with the South Dakota guy in round seven. I got to see this guy play football and basketball against my high school, so it would only be awesome to see him play for the Vikings. I don't know how great he'll be, but we might as well take a chance. From what I've heard, he's an extremely athletic kid. Also, he has a lot of size and speed. That's a pretty good combo for a wide receiver. Best of luck to Dale in his professional football career.

2nd Round Draft Prediction: Mohamed Sanu to the Vikings?

I haven't done as much draft research as I need to be doing, but I have found a few guys that I think could be big names in the NFL. Last week I discussed the first round options for the Vikes with their 3rd overall pick. I think I've come to the conclusion that Morris Claiborne is the best pick at that spot, but I wouldn't mind drafting Matt Kalil there either.
Then there is discussion of who the Vikes take in the second round. With the 35th overall pick, I wouldn't mind, and it wouldn't surprise me, if we went after a receiver. I don't think our receivers are too bad right now, but after seeing the highlights and the stats that this guy put up, I would love it if we took Mohamed Sanu right here. This guy is insanely athletic and catches anything thrown his way. In fact, the most surprising thing to me in mock drafts is that this guy isn't a top 20 pick. Is there something I'm missing here??
Sanu led Rutgers last year with 115 catches for 1206 yards and seven touchdowns. And at 6'2" with 215 lbs, the dude has some pretty good size. He is a tremendous blocker which is a huge positive for a receiver these days. He has a lot of raw talent, and I've read that he needs to work on his route running techniques, but other than that he seems to be an all-around good football player. Everywhere I've read that he is very coachable and a really smart kid. I just don't know how he isn't considered a higher pick! Maybe the combine will change people's minds, but if not, I really hope the Vikes can snag this guy at 35th. I really can't wait to look back on this post in a few years and see if I was correct with this prediction. Mohamed Sanu is a beast! Here's a quick highlight vid:

Vikings Draft Prospects

So what are the Vikes gonna do in the draft this year? I have no freakin' clue, but I have some ideas. We have a lot of holes to fill, so anyone would help right now. This also one of the more talented drafts in my opinion. Here are the guys that I would love to see playing in purple next year:
1) Matt Kalil - OT, USC
Kalil is huge dude and he knows how to block defenders. He is especially good pass blocker, which is exactly what we need in Minnesota. Ponder is gonna need a lot of protection in his second year, especially since we have some injuries to our backfield. I hope we can also grab a receiver in the later rounds to really build this offense around Ponder. That is a key issue for the Vikes this year, so I think Kalil is the best pick at this spot.
2) Morris Claiborne - CB, LSU
This might be the best player in the draft right here, which is why it is very difficult to pass on Claiborne. He can just flat out defend and he has great size. He has awesome awareness and can catch to make big plays. I definitely think this guy is gonna be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL at some point in his career. He is gonna be able to take on any receiver. There wasn't a single guy that could beat Claiborne in college so he has proven he is ready for the next level. I'd love to see the Vikings grab Claiborne here as well, as we need a lot of help in our secondary. He would be a huge addition to our defense.
3) Justin Blackmon - WR, Oklahoma St.
I think St. Louis will probably be taking Blackmon with the second overall pick, but if not, maybe the Vikes will take a chance on him. I don't think he is going to be anything fantastic, but he definitely has the skills to make it in the NFL. His speed is one of the main attributes that will help him to succeed as a pro. I don't think the Vikes will have a chance at him, but you never know. He would also be a big factor to help out Ponder and the rest of our offense.