It was thought that the Minnesota Vikings could be looking for a replacement for Ryan Longwell sooner rather than later, and with their sixth-round pick, it looks like they were thinking the same way.
With the 175th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Vikings selected Georgia kicker Blair Walsh.
Walsh struggled a bit as a senior for the Bulldogs, converting 21-of-35 field goals. He does have a very powerful leg, and would be able to handle kickoffs in the NFL as well as field goals. He went 20-of-22 in 2009 as a sophomore, when he was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, and 20-of-23 as a junior in 2010.
Truth be told, I think the Vikings really wanted Missouri Western's Greg Zuerlein, who was taken by the St. Louis Rams just a few picks earlier. The team had Zuerlein in for a visit during the pre-draft period.
But, Ryan Longwell now has competition for the kicking duties in Minnesota.