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Mel Kiper has a sort of mock draft out, but this one has a slightly different twist. Kiper has taken each of the 32 NFL teams and put together what he feels would constitute a "Grade A" draft for each of them. Kiper explains the difference between his regular mock drafts and this one like this:
For this, I'm the GM -- for every team. Typically I'm asked to project picks. But for the "Grade A" draft, I make them. Each pick I select what I might for that team, in that spot, based on who is gone and who is available. Best outcome for each team at each spot.
So, who does he have the Vikings taking with their four selections in the first three rounds?
Well, with the first pick, Kiper has the Vikings selecting Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles. In this projection, Kiper has just one quarterback. . .Johnny Manziel. . .going before the Vikings' pick at #8 and Teddy Bridgewater dropping to the Tennessee Titans at #11. Frankly, I don't see the Vikings passing on Bridgewater for Bortles if both were available. I know I certainly wouldn't be able to do it if I were Rick Spielman. Remember. . .just four months ago, the mantra was "Tank for Teddy," not "Blow for Blake" or anything like that.
In the second round, Kiper moves on to the Vikings' secondary with the selection of Utah's Keith McGill. He refers to McGill as the best "big" corner in the draft, with McGill measuring in at a little over 6'3" and about 210 pounds.
Kiper stays in the secondary with the first of Minnesota's two third-round picks as he tabs Florida cornerback Marcus Roberson. Roberson doesn't have McGill's size, but he does have very good raw coverage skills, according to Kiper.
The Vikings second third-round pick goes a bit off the beaten path, as Kiper has the Vikings selecting Auburn running back Tre Mason, who rushed for over 1,800 yards for the national runner-up last season. Kiper sites the drop-off from Adrian Peterson to his back-ups being "too large," and says that Mason could have an impact right away.
This isn't a bad draft, though I'm not sure I like not adding a guard or a linebacker with these selections. Other than passing on Bridgewater for Bortles, though, I don't have a whole lot of issues with the way this draft worked out for our favorite football team.
What do you think of Mel Kiper's latest mock draft?