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For those of you that are mock draft addicts, drafttek.com needs to be your crack house. They are probably the most comprehensive mock draft site out there, and have writers assigned to each team to know their specific needs. They do a new mock every Wednesday, and what you're reading is their newest mock for the Vikings.
Brett Stott is their Vikings expert, and approached me about doing a head to head mock. The head to head rules were pretty simple-Brett and I picked our draft separately using the drafttek.com big board rankings, then we compared notes and critiqued each other. I hope you guys enjoy this, and let us know how we did.
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RD (Overall) |
Drafttek's picks |
Ted's Picks |
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1 (23) |
WR Keenan Allen |
LB Kevin Minter |
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The addition of Greg Jennings certainly plugs one hole in the starting lineup but the Vikings, as a unit, still lack size at the WR position. Adding the 6'2" Keenan Allen would give Christian Ponder a big target, capable of attacking the ball at its highest point. A trio of Jennings, Allen, and Wright in Bill Musgrave's scheme should consistently create mis-matches for the offense, making Ponder's job much easier. |
With WR Greg Jennings in the fold, that position is still a need, but MLB is more important. Alex Ogletree will probably be gone, and Manti Te'o just doesn't impress me as much athletically as Minter does. Minter is the best tackler/pass defender combo in the draft, and I have him as my top MLB. Draft Minter and the MLB position is settled for a decade. |
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1 (25) |
LB Arthur Brown |
CB Desmond Trufant |
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MLB is the biggest hole left on the Vikings' depth chart as Audie Cole and Tyrone McKenzie would be battling for the starting job if training camp started today...YUCK! As a prospect, Arthur Brown offers the best combination of talent and character, capable of playing the MLB position. Brown is a strong tackler who plays bigger than his listed size and his coverage skills would be an asset in the Vikings' Cover-2 scheme. |
After MLB, CB is the next biggest need since Antoine Winfield was cut, and Trufant is probably the best overall player left on the board as well. He'll contend for a starting job immediately and will make a good tandem opposite Chris Cook. There's a case to be made for WR here, but there'sa bigger case to be made for CB. |
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2 (52) |
DT Kawann Short |
DT Jonathan Jenkins |
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Kevin Williams is a starter going into this year but, with age becoming a factor, for how long he will continue to play at a high level remains to be seen. Kawann Short will provide another rotational D-lineman early on but he could also end up the succession plan for K-Will in the long run. A disruptive 3-tech DT, Short's premier pass rushing abilities would be ideal for a Cover-2 that requires pressure from the Front 4 to succeed |
At 346 pounds, Jenkins eats up blockers and becomes the next Phat Pat Williams. He tires easily, but Vikes regularly rotate linemen, and he will be a run stopping force, which is something the Vikings have sorely missed the last two or three years. He's not a pass rusher, but I'm not drafting him for that. I'm drafting him to rebuild the Williams Wall and to stop the run. When it's third and long, Jenkins won't be in, but he'll have done his job. |
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3 (83) |
CB Will Davis |
WR Ryan Swope |
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This is the exact reason why I felt comfortable passing on a CB early in the draft - there is LOTS of depth at the position this year. Coming into the draft season, Will Davis was heralded as a ‘sleeper' option that he would likely be selected in the middle rounds, yet had the potential to end up a starter down the road. His stock has fallen a bit with a lackluster performance at the Senior Bowl, but the potential is still there. Good size, strength and speed combo and should have no issue playing in the Cover 2. |
Vikings get a solid, but not necessarily spectacular wide receiver that can get thrown in the mix and contribute early. This gives Minnesota a good player without putting huge expectations on him in the wake of the Percy Harvin trade. Swope adds depth to a receiving group that suddenly doesn't look flat out horrid. |
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4 (102) |
CB B.W. Webb |
LB Nico Johnson |
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Double dipping on the corners here for a couple reasons. Firstly, I'm not convinced that Brandon Burton will develop into anything more than a depth player. Second, the opportunity to grab B.W. Webb was too good to pass up. Webb has made some noise in the evaluation process by stepping up at the Senior Bowl and then following that up with an outstanding performance at the Combine, where his athleticism really stood out. It may take him some time to acclimate himself to the NFL, which can be said for most rookies, but his upside is much higher than your average 4th round pick. |
I almost went CB here again, but with A.J. Jefferson coming back as a RFA, the Vikings still need some LB depth. Nico Johnson is a great at the point of attack, but pass coverage is a weakness. Would be a solid run-stopper but would need to rotate out on most passing situations. |
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4 (120) |
LB Gerald Hodges |
DE John Simon |
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I love Chad Greenway and Erin Henderson as much as the next guy, but let's face it... neither of them are particularly strong in coverage and that weakness seems to be exploited regularly by opposing offenses. Recruited to Penn State as a safety, Hodges has above-average coverage abilities for an OLB, though some question his tackling abilities. In the Cover-2, it's essential that the linebackers can read a play and react quickly, which are strengths of Hodges' as well. When you factor in the solid coverage abilities, it makes Gerald a great fit. Good value here for another prospect from the real "Linebacker U". |
Simon would be an absolute steal here. Jared Allen is entering the last year of his contract, and the Vikings need his eventual replacement. This is admittedly a partly sentimental pick, but the Vikings do need DE depth, and Simon would be great value here. |
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5 (155) |
RB Kenjon Barner |
OL Vinston Painter |
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One of the things that made Percy Harvin so successful in the Vikings offense was his ability to get the ball in space on a short pass or toss and then make things happen. Jarius Wright might have those abilities, but having another option who's comfortable out of the backfield would make a lot of sense. Kenjon Barner can be that guy. Rebounded nicely from a poor showing at the combine with a sub-4.4 forty at his Pro Day. |
The Vikings starters on the offensive line are set, but the departure of Geoff Schwartz leaves them vulnerable from a depth perspective. Painter can play guard and tackle, and can become a solid sub up and down the line. |
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6 (189) |
P Brad Wing |
RB Le'Veon Bell |
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Signs are pointing to Chris Kluwe's time as a Viking coming to an end...1. Rick Spielman hasn't confirmed his status on the team (much like he did with Ryan Longwell last year). 2. His performance has slipped in recent years. 3. His cap number would be wiped clean if the Vikings cut him. Adding the big leg of Brad Wing might come as a surprise, but it makes a lot of sense. |
Bell isn't going to supplant Adrian Peterson, but he's a powerful runner that can add some serious depth to and already deep group. Drafttek has him rated lower than a lot of other sites, so I'll freely admit he'll probably be gone by this pick. But if he isn't, man, this would be a soild value pick up here. |
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7 (213) |
DE Armonty Bryant |
LB Travis Johnson |
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The physique and talent looks to be in place for Bryant to be a successful pass rusher in the NFL, but his Div-II background and character questions will scare a lot of teams away. Given the hit rate of 7th round picks, adding some upside in Armonty Bryant makes a lot of sense. At worst, he could be stashed on the practice squad as he develops his game. |
Vikings add depth at outside linebacker. I would say more here, but I'm admittedly throwing things against the wall to see what sticks, and drafttek.com's big board had him as the best LB left. How's that for strategery? |
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7 (229) |
WR Jasper Collins |
TE Jake Stoneburner |
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Another small school talent with potential here. Jasper Collins may not be the physical specimen that Cecil Shorts or Pierre Garcon was, but there's a lot to like about him as a prospect. He's a silky smooth route runner with steady hands and, I think, working with a similar player like Greg Jennings could do wonders for this kid. |
Seriously, I'm not being an OSU homer here-Stoneburner was a wide receiver converted to tight end, and I think I've picked him in two of three mocks. I think he can be a solid #2 TE in the NFL. He can't be any worse than John Carlson, can he? CAN HE?? |
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7 (231) |
OT Braden Brown |
P Quinn Sharp |
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Brown is a project OT who has decent measureables but will need to add some bulk to his frame. It's obviously not major position of need with Kalil and Loadholt in the fold for the next few years at least. This is simply a decent depth option who could eventually develop into a swing tackle. |
ST coach Mike Priefer seemed a little irritated with Chris Kluwe's off the field antics and activism last year, and it wouldn't surprise me to see the Vikings bring in some competition to send Kluwe a message. I ddon't expect Sharp to beat out Warcraft, but I didn't see Blair Walsh coming, either. |
Ted's rationale: Before the Vikings signed Greg Jennings, wide receiver was the biggest need the Vikings had. It's still an issue, but not as serious as cornerback and middle linebacker. And even if WR was still critical, I'm not sold on Keenan Allen being healthy. He didn't participate in the Combine or Cal's Pro Day, and he seems like a huge risk to me in the first round.
I like Minter the more and more I watch him, and although Arthur Brown is a good pick, by going MLB/CB at 23 and 25, I get what I feel are the two best high character/low risk players left on the board. Jennings gives the Vikings flexibility to get a good WR early in the draft without putting added expectations and pressure on him, and I only took one WR because I believe Greg Childs will be healthy and ready for camp. Swope isn't the speed demon most people think the Vikings should grab, but with Jarius Wright and Jerome Simpson on the roster, the Vikings have that. They need guys that can get open, and Swope can do that.
As for the Jenkins pick, I like him more than I do Short at this point--Jenkins is more of a run stopper than Short, and with a regular rotation he'll be a better fit along the line than Short would be. He's 350 pounds that eats up the middle of the line, allowing the linebackers to fill gaps and make plays. He's not a pass rusher, but with the Vikings roatating defensive linemen like they do, he doesn't need to be.
After that, it's time to get depth. The rest of the guys I picked give the Vikings that up and down the roster, and I also think I got some great value later in the draft with Bell, Simon, Painter, and Stoneburner.
Brett's rationale: I've promised Ted that I'll take it easy on him here, so that I will...for the most part. Looking at the draft I've put together with the Drafttek DRAFTSIM, I'm extremely pleased with the outcome of this mock.
In the first round, I would say an Allen/Brown combo is the closest thing to an ideal scenario that we're going to get (when factoring in how the rest of the draft went). Allen has the size that we lack at the WR position. He also offers some YAC potential. Brown brings some much-needed coverage abilities to the MLB position, which could make our Cover-2 more successful if he isn't too much of a downgrade moving downhill (which he shouldn't be). Because of his lack of coverage abilities, I'm not as high on Minter for the Vikings compared to Arthur Brown... so I've happily avoided him in the 1st round.
I'm also going to have to disagree with Ted on his assessments of the DTs. He makes a great point on the Vikings frequent rotation of the DTs, but I'm not sure we need a big nose tackle. Kevin Williams can still generate pressure but, at some point, he will begin to slow down. Neither Fred Evans nor Letroy Guion offer much in the way of a pass rush, which forces the Vikings to move guys like Christian Ballard and Everson Griffen inside on passing downs to get after the QB. Kawann Short is a natural pass rusher with violent hands and sound technique. He would be a great fit in the rotation, with the potential to develop into a starter down the road.
Looking at the rest of the draft, I like the double dip on the corners as both of those guys are talented and should fit into the scheme fairly well. If they can develop relatively quickly, a dime package featuring Cook, Robinson, Davis and Webb would be the deeper than any we've seen with the Vikings in recent years. Gerald Hodges is a great pickup for depth. I'm not sure I like the addition of Nico Johnson in Ted's draft. He's such a liability in space that he was frequently subbed out in college on passing downs, even as a Senior. Not a great fit for the Cover 2.
The DRAFTSIM assigned Barner there in the 5th and I love that pick. I think the Vikings will add a player like that in the draft as they've lost that kind of versatility when Percy was shipped out. It's Barner here, but it could just as easily be Kerwynn Williams, Ace Sanders, Onterrio McCalebb, etc. ... the point is I think a player like that would make sense in the mid to late rounds. In Ted's draft, Bell is certainly a value pick at RB but I think it would be overkill to have three power backs on the roster.
I have to hand it to Ted on the selection of Vinston Painter [ED Note: WOOOOO ME!]. He's a nice sleeper option later in the draft. At Drafttek, our resident OL scout believes Painter has the ability to develop into a starter down the road with the right coaching. It's rare to find that ability out of a late round OT. Nice call.
In the late rounds, it's always a crap shoot. I like the idea of taking shots on some smaller school guys and Rick Spielman has shown an affinity towards that in the past. I probably should have grabbed a guy like Zeke Motta simply because, especially with 11 picks, Spielman will undoubtedly grab a Golden Domer and I didn't take any.
I want to thank Brett from drafttek.com for a couple of things: suggesting we do this and force me to start paying more attention to players outside of the Big Ten, and not taking me to the wood shed for the picks I selected. If you ask me, either one of these drafts, were they to pan out like this for the Vikings, would be a good draft, and would help the team for a long time.