2015 NFL Draft: Mocking The Draft Gives Vikings Quite The Haul

The first mock with the completely finalized draft order is out and available from our friends at Mocking the Draft and. . .well, if this draft came to fruition, I think that a lot of us would be very, very happy.

Dan Kadar has expanded his mock draft to two rounds, and with the first of those two picks he sticks with Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker.

This pick is just too perfect and easy to make. Combining Parker with his college quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is the type of thing people write books about. Parker would be the Vikings' No. 1 wide receiver of the future and would also let the Vikings figure out what to do with Cordarrelle Patterson and not worry if his struggles persist.

He's right. . .while wide receiver might not be the biggest need position for the Vikings, it would be nice to see the reunion of DeVante S. Parker, Esquire, and Teddy "Theodore" Bridgewater. Presumably, they would then call themselves WYLD CARDYNALS! Well, I'm guessing that's what we'd call them, anyway, and that's just as important.

The second round is where things get a little interesting, as he has the Vikings grabbing Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson. Yes, the same Shaq Thompson I've been on record as saying I would probably pound the table for at #11 overall. While Kadar doesn't provide any commentary for any of the second-round picks, he does address Thompson's absence from the first round of his mock draft.

A common refrain in the comments on these recent mock drafts - and yes, the comments get read - is that Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson is missing. It's true. He's missing in the first round above too. It's just hard to find a spot for a player without a real true position. Thompson is slotted as a weak-side outside linebacker in a 4-3. But how much value does that position really have in the draft? Ryan Shazier was picked highly from that position last year, but he's a much better player than Thompson. It's also no guarantee Thompson stays at linebacker. Some teams might see him as a safety. There have even been reports that some teams prefer him at running back. Basically, more work needs to be done on Thompson.

Wait a minute. . .the Vikings could use a linebacker. And they could use a safety. Hell, they could probably use another running back, too. Kadar is right in suggesting that Thompson is a bit of a hybrid player, and if there's any team that could make use of a player like that and put him in a position to succeed, it would be one led by Mike Zimmer and company.

If the Minnesota Vikings could walk away from the first two rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft with DeVante Parker and Shaq Thompson in tow. . .well, I for one would be a pretty happy fan, and I can imagine a lot of other folks would be pretty pleased, too.