The draft is 10 days away and the majority of Vikings fans expect an offensive lineman in the 1st round. I think that is a sound idea. Hard to argue but I will. I like to look past 2019 and look towards future salaries and possible adjustments. I read an interesting fanpost from Durdle and it had a link to an interesting article.

https://thepowerrank.com/2018/09/24/the-surprising-truth-about-passing-and-rushing-in-the-nfl/

Passing the ball and stopping the pass seem to be very important. If there is a pass rusher available in the first round (like Sweat, Ferrell, or Gary) then it is hard to see the Vikings pass especially when you look at the salaries given to pass rushers. From a pure salary cap perspective, it would be better to draft some and see them develop rather than having to pay out the yin yang.

As much as people hate the idea of another corner, maybe stopping the passing games is most important?

In this draft the Vikings get “greedy”. It makes too much sense. Zimmer is very greedy when it comes to drafting corners so ...

https://fanspeak.com/ontheclock/sharedraft.php?d=oybgwx

TRADES

CAROLINA PANTHERS

SENT: ROUND: 2 PICK: 18 & ROUND: 6 PICK: 36RECEIVED: ROUND: 2 PICK: 15

BALTIMORE RAVENS

SENT: ROUND: 3 PICK: 17

RECEIVED: ROUND: 3 PICK: 21 & ROUND: 5 PICK: 22

LA CHARGERS

SENT: ROUND: 4 PICK: 18

RECEIVED: ROUND: 4 PICK: 28 & ROUND: 6 PICK: 27

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

SENT: ROUND: 5 PICK: 26 & ROUND: 6 PICK: 27

RECEIVED: ROUND: 5 PICK: 7

ARIZONA CARDINALS

SENT: FUTURE ROUND 5 PICK

RECEIVED: ROUND: 6 PICK: 1

18: R1P18 CB GREEDY WILLIAMS LSU

HEIGHT: 6’1.7”

WEIGHT: 185

ARMS: 31.75”

HANDS: 9.5”

WING: 75”

40YD: 4.37

BENCH: 8

VERTICAL: 36”

BROAD: 10.4’

https://www.thehuddlereport.com/blog/?p=572

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/greedy-williams?id=32195749-4c03-6342-9735-d6d22ef97bb8

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

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Trade Xavier Rhodes to the Colts for 2.2 and 5.26

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34: R2P2 DL JEFFERY SIMMONS MISSISSIPPI STATE

HEIGHT: 6’4”

WEIGHT: 301

ARMS: 34.5”

HANDS: 10.25”

BENCH: 28

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jeffery-simmons?id=32195349-4d20-4336-493b-a309c446eb8f

Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

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47: R2P15 G CHRIS LINDSTROM BOSTON COLLEGE

HEIGHT: 6’3.6”

WEIGHT: 308

ARMS: 34.13”

HANDS: 10”

WING: 80.125”

40YD: 4.91

10YD: 1.68

3CONE: 7.61

BENCH: 25

VERTICAL: 30.5”

BROAD: 9.76’

pSPARQ: 124.9

https://www.thehuddlereport.com/blog/?p=710

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/chris-lindstrom?id=32194c49-4e45-1080-da0b-72312551b1b2

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

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85: R3P21 S JOHNATHAN ABRAM MISSISSIPPI ST

HEIGHT: 5’11.3”

WEIGHT: 205

ARMS: 31.38”

HANDS: 9.63”

WING: 73.625”

40YD: 4.44

10YD: 1.56

BENCH: 16

VERTICAL: 33.5”

BROAD: 9.67’

pSPARQ: 114.9

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/johnathan-abram?id=32194142-5215-9741-f276-aebd8758d3ad

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/draft-pff-data-suggests-johnathan-abram-is-a-strong-safety-in-the-nfl

Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

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130: R4P28 WR MECOLE HARDMAN GEORGIA

HEIGHT: 5’10.2”

WEIGHT: 183

ARMS: 30.25”

HANDS: 9”

WING: 71.625”

40YD: 4.33

10YD: 1.54

3CONE: 6.75

BENCH: 17

VERTICAL: 36.5”

BROAD: 9.92’

pSPARQ: 118.4

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/mecole-hardman?id=32194841-5206-9520-9e70-d5597391d8c0

https://lastwordonprofootball.com/2019/03/25/mecole-hardman-2019-nfl-draft-profile/

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

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145: R5P7 OT MAX SCHARPING NORTHERN ILLINOIS

HEIGHT: 6’5.7”

WEIGHT: 327

ARMS: 33.63”

HANDS: 10”

WING: 80.125”

40YD: 10YD:

3CONE: 7.77

BENCH: 27

VERTICAL: 28”

BROAD: 9’

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/max-scharping?id=32195343-4808-3616-ff9b-04768d49e58e

https://www.thehuddlereport.com/blog/?p=760

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

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160: R5P22 CB JOEJUAN WILLIAMS VANDERBILT

HEIGHT: 6’3.5”

WEIGHT: 211

ARMS: 32.5”

HANDS: 9.75”

WING: 78”

40YD: 4.55

10YD: 1.64

3CONE: 6.92

BENCH: 17

VERTICAL: 36”

BROAD: 10.58’

pSPARQ: 122.1

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/joejuan-williams?id=32195749-4c13-2673-3aea-3728cae94d2a

https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/vanderbilt/2019/03/15/nfl-draft-joejuan-williams-vanderbilt-football/3145427002/

https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/04/10/nfl-draft-2019-joejuan-williams-vanderbilt

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

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174: R6P1 QB WILL GRIER WEST VIRGINIA

HEIGHT: 6’2.4”

WEIGHT: 217

ARMS: 31.5”

HANDS: 9.38”

WING: 75.125”

40YD: 4.84

10YD: 1.68

3CONE: 7.09

VERTICAL: 34”

BROAD: 9.33’

pSPARQ: 100.9

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/will-grier?id=32194752-4902-2415-512e-3cae73b00f0f

https://www.milehighreport.com/2019/4/12/18306038/nfl-draft-profile-quarterback-will-grier-denver-broncos

https://sportsnaut.com/2019/03/will-grier-could-be-the-best-qb-in-the-2019-nfl-draft/

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

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190: R6P17 EDGE MAXX CROSBY EASTERN MICHIGAN

HEIGHT: 6’4.7”

WEIGHT: 255

ARMS: 32.88

HANDS: 9.75”

WING: 81”

40YD: 4.66

10YD: 1.62

3CONE: 6.89

BENCH: 18

VERTICAL: 36”

BROAD: 10.17’

pSPARQ: 135.8

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/maxx-crosby?id=32194352-4f37-1007-6c0e-db2de3f9d742

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/draft-theres-more-than-what-meets-the-eye-with-eastern-michigan-edge-maxx-crosby

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

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247: R7P33 G DRU SAMIA OKLAHOMA

HEIGHT: 6’4.6”

WEIGHT: 305

ARMS: 33”

HANDS: 10.13”

WING: 80.5”

40YD: 5.29

10YD: 1.833

CONE: 7.89

BENCH: 28

VERTICAL: 27.5”

BROAD: 8.42’

pSPARQ: 91.6

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/dru-samia?id=32195341-4d03-1944-4710-58ebf1a89b9c

https://www.cover1.net/scouting-report-dru-samia-g-oklahoma/

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

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250: R7P36 TE ZACH GENTRY MICHIGAN

HEIGHT: 6’8.1”

WEIGHT: 265

ARMS: 34.13”

HANDS: 9.5”

WING: 80.125”

40YD: 4.66 (at pro day)

3CONE: 7.4

BENCH: 12

VERTICAL: 29.5”

BROAD: 9.17’

pSPARQ: 92.6

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/zach-gentry?id=32194745-4e72-0399-13c5-f32125e7a948

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

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Here is a list of players not selected by the simulator whom I would consider trying to get

DL TRYSTEN HILL - UC

FS ZEDRICK WOODS - MISSISSIPPI

RB L.J. SCOTT - MICHIGAN ST

CB DERRICK BAITY - KENTUCKY

OT TREY PIPKINS - SIOUX FALLS

WR KEELAN DOSS - UC-DAVIS

LB DRUE TRANQUILL - NOTRE DAME

G RYAN BATES - PENN STATE

LB RYAN CONNELLY - WISCONSIN

WR JALEN HURD - BAYLOR

RB ALEXANDER MATTISON - BOISE STATE

G ALEX BARS - NOTRE DAME

S ANDREW WINGARD - WYOMING

DE JUSTIN HOLLINS - OREGON

CB IMAN LEWIS-MARSHALL - USC

WR DIONTAE JOHNSON - TOLEDO

G HJALTE FROHOLDT - ARKANSAS

P TYLER NEWSOME - NOTRE DAME

CB DERREK THOMAS - BAYLOR

K COLE HEDLUND - NORTH TEXAS

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This is a risky strategy for sure. Drafting another corner in the 1st round would set this site on FIRE!

But would it be a terrible strategy? Of course Williams could be a bust and trading Rhodes away would put a lot of pressure on the young rookie or Hughes to recover quickly. With Hill being suspended 4 games it will be tough over that stretch. Recent public comments by Zimmer about Rhodes were surely motivational and Rhodes liking some tweets adds fuel to the specualtion for sure. But Rhodes was not drafted by Zimmer and he may like his corners more in the shape of Waynes and Williams who are almost identical physically.

Trading Rhodes frees up 6.137 mil in cap space in 2019. In 2020, 2021, and 2022 the cap hits were set to be 12.9, 14.15, & 13.85 mil. Extensions for Waynes and Alexander would take up most of this but they are younger too. Yes, this makes a lot of sense actually.

The trade with Indy for their top 2nd round pick plus a 5th is optimistic but maybe that is Rhodes value. It is here.

Taking Simmons with that top 2nd pick with the knowledge he will sit for most if not all of the 2019 season is worth the investment. He would have been a likely top 10 pick had he not got hurt. Too much value to pass there even with the offensive line not addressed at that point.

I felt trading up was necessary because the other teams ahead of the Vikings could have snagged Lindstrom knowing the Vikings needed a guard. I think this is something that Spielman has to consider if he goes with a different position in the first round.

I could see Spielman dropping down a few spots in the 3rd round as it is often a round in which he does these kind of moves based on actual real drafts. Getting Abram that late would be a “steal” IMHO. He is the one safety who plays like Sendejo. Always bringing the wood!

Trading down again in the 4th is another move Spielman has made in more than one draft. Getting Hardman who would be a return specialist to start seemed like a good move especially with Sherels gone. I could have went with a tight end here like Kahale Warring and tried to find another receiver later but liked Hardman’s upside as a receiver too.

Scharping would be a nice tackle to hopefully develop into a starter in a year or two.

Williams did not run as fast as teams probably want but he is very big and physical and played in the SEC which may or may not mean much. He faced some top receivers and held up reasonably well. With Hill being suspended and there being uncertainty with him going forward, getting another corner seemed appropriate.

Trading a future 5th to get Grier probably is not going to happen and the trade may not have been enough to get that pick from the Cardinals. But I think the Vikings need to bring in another QB and I do not know about Mannion and Sloter for that matter. Competition never hurts.

Crosby would be another defensive end with the measure-ables the Vikings like and often take these kinds of players right around the 6th or 7th round.

Samia is one of my favorites this year and was surprised he was ranked so low by this board. He is nasty. Zimmer wants some nastiness in his linemen so Samia may have a good shot at making the team.

Gentry is underrated as a tight end and timed faster at his pro day (4.7s on many watches and 4.66 on another). At 6’8” he could become a real threat in the red zone.

I will say that many of these players likely go before I have them in this mock but you never know.

Anyway, just another crazy idea to throw out there for consideration.

I also think that post draft the Vikings could still sign a couple of free agents. First I would convert 8 mil of Hunter’s salary into a signing bonus which would free up 6.4 mil in cap space. That would give the Vikings about 16.5 mil in cap space not counting the Thielen deal which could free up cap space too.

I would try to sign Suh or Tim Jernigan, TJ Yeldon or Spencer Ware, Michael Crabtree or Pierre Garcon, Maxx Williams, Morris Claiborne or Orlando Scandrick, and Tre Boston.

Have at it.