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The folks from the SB Nation mothership have released their most recent NFL Mock Draft, projecting what they see happening this May. Yes, we have to wait until May for the draft this year. Like that isn't going to stink.
Anyway, who do they have the Minnesota Vikings selecting with the eighth overall pick? The good news is that it's a quarterback. The bad news. . .depending on how you look at it. . .is that it's not Johnny Mondo Delicious Ice Cream Football Manziel.
No, in this case, they have the Vikings selecting Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles. Here's what the write-up has to say about him.
The Minnesota Vikings are in the midst of another rebuild of sorts. A new coach will be in place and a new quarterback is likely on the way as well. After the disaster the Vikings endured at the position in 2013, they won't hesitate to take a chance with the No. 8 pick. Blake Bortles played well to close out the season and declared for the NFL Draft on a high note. He has the ideal build for an NFL quarterback and can make plays with his feet. He has the arm to make plenty of throws but has some issues with anticipation and mechanics that could hold him back. While he may not grade out as a top 10 player, Bortles has a shot to win someone over.
This mock has Bortles going as the third quarterback off the board, with Teddy Bridgewater going #1 overall to the Houston Texans and Manziel going to the Cleveland Browns at #4 overall. The next quarterback selected in this mock is Derek Carr, who goes to the Arizona Cardinals with the 20th overall pick.
Bortles is an interesting project, and I'm sure that Arif and CCNorseman and others will have more to say about him as the off-season process plays out. If they do select Bortles, they need to take a late-round flier on someone named James, too.
Raise your hand if you're old enough to get that. Awesome. . .we thank you for your support.
Anyway, that's what the latest SB Nation Mock Draft has happening for the Minnesota Vikings. We're going to get deeper into draft coverage the closer we get to the Combine and things of that nature, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.