2014 Vikings Draft Discussion

[Purple bruise]

I am not sold on him either. He has been the most highly praised player this year, but I don't see why. I would rather take Barr or Mack with our first pick (if Teddy isn't there).

Everson Griffin better just get signed

[Purple bruise]

Stanford's Trent Murphy is unreal. I would spend a high high draft pick on this kid. Leads the nation in sacks and looks as good as Clay Mathews.
2013 Season Awards, Honors and Commendations:
Pre-season All-American second teams: SI.com[41] Phil Steele[42] Athlon Sports
Pre-season All-PAC-12: Phil Steele[44] Athlon Sports[45] Lindy's All Pac-12
PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Week, October 7 and again October 28
Team Captain
Award watch list and semifinalist: Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Award, Butkus Award, Rotary Lombardi Award
Stanford's co-Defensive Player of the Game: vs San Jose State, vs Washington State, vs Oregon State
PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Week, October 7 and again October 28
Stanford's Jack Huston Award for exceptional performance and unheralded efforts, second year running.
Stanford's Frank Rehm Memorial Award presented to the Outstanding Lineman in the Big Game.[51]
Post-season All Pac-12 teams: ESPN.com[52] Athlon Sports Second Team[53] Sporting News[54]
Post-season All American Second teams; Associated Press[55] CBSSports.com [56] USA Today[57] Athlon Sports
Post-season All American First teams: Walter Camp Football Foundation[59] American Football Coaches AssociationFootball Writers Association of America [61] Sporting News[62] SI.com, ESPN.com
Based on the votes for All-American honors, "Murphy is Stanford's first consensus defensive player since 1974"
Invited to the Reeses Senior Bowl in Mobile Alabama

[The Breeze]

I've seen several posts suggesting a trade for Cousins. Is he being shopped? I would find that hard to believe giving the frequency that RG3 gets nicked.

Also, if there is a move for another teams backup, I think Mallet is an intriguing prospect. I doubt that Pats would trade him either.

[Purple bruise]

I am watching QB Bortles, UCF and Baylor looks good, great size.

[Texas Vike]

I am watching QB Bortles, UCF and Baylor looks good, great size.

Glad you changed your photo. Studwell > Rodgers cartoon.

Bortles doesn't impress me too much. He seems to panic.

[Purple bruise]

The Vikings find themselves on the bottom of all the teams needing a quarterback in the first round. Houston, Jacksonville, Cleveland and Oakland will have all likely selected a passer by this time, and barring any trades, the Vikings will simply be handed whomever is left.

That's what we get for winning meaningless games, left overs

Yeah, how dare they win games that do not mean anything

[Mothman]

I was part of the group who wanted to tank but at this point those wins might be a blessing in disguise because I don't think any QB in this class is worth a a Top 10 pick other than Bridgewater unless Hundley declares and it looks like TB, Manziel, Carr and Bortles could all go in the Top 6.

I'm curious, why do people seem to think as many as 4 QBs could go in the top 6 or 7 this year, especially when there are also many posts saying they don't think most of these QBs merit such high picks? A run like that would be unprecedented. The closest thing to it would be the top of the '99 draft when Couch, McNabb and Smith went with the first 3 picks in the draft and that should serve as a cautionary tale.

It's possible that 4 QBs could go in the top 6 or 7 but if that happens, it might be a real blessing for the Vikes. It would give them a shot at one of the very best non-QBs in the draft.

[The Breeze]

As it is, the Vikes should be able to grab a solid starter with the #8. The current situation on defense poses as much significance as the hole at qb. If they reach in either case it will mirror Ponder running out of the pocket before making his progressions.

[Mothman]

Because QB is so important they get over drafted for fear of not getting one later. We seen this in 2011.

Say for example you're a QB needy team picking 5th and you have Derek Carr valued as a mid-late first. You may reach for him for fear you won't get him (or any other quality QB) later.

Thanks for your response. I figured that was what you were thinking. QBs certainly get over-drafted but the desperate dynamic you're talking about has existed for some time now and we've never seen 4 QBs drafted so high. We've seen 3, so it's not impossible, but I'm guessing we'd be more likely to see a team trade down than to see 4 QBs from this class go in the top 7.

Maybe I'm wrong and history will be made! If so, as I said, that might be a blessing for the Vikings.

[dead_poet]

I'm curious, why do people seem to think as many as 4 QBs could go in the top 6 or 7 this year, especially when there are also many posts saying they don't think most of these QBs merit such high picks?

I think it's a combination of factors.

1) There's not an Andrew Luck/Peyton Manning-type prospect. Many draft evaluators/media members have a large group of QBs ranked fairly close to each other. It does seem like there are considerably more "Tier 2" QBs this year than in recent memory.
2) As it generally goes, a lot of QB-needy teams are selecting in the first few picks
3) A lot of draft-eligible QBs have done well in the last couple of years. I mean, there are some surprising numbers out there with guys breaking national/state/school records.
4) These QBs (or I should say "some of them") could be ranked higher than their offensive and defensive counterparts (for example, Bortles could be more highly ranked than, say, Anthony Barr.

This will be a very interesting draft and you gotta believe if some of the supposed "top QBs" "fall" to 8 (I just don't see four QBs going before our pick), they could, conceivably, fall into the second round. The Vikings could, conceivably, wait until Round 2-3 to get a guy like Carr, Mettenberger, McCarron, Boyd or Garoppolo (though they may need to trade up a bit in the second round to do so). Though if a guy like Manziel or Bridgewater is there, you likely couldn't pass them up in R1. It wouldn't be a bad idea to snag a guy like Connor Shaw in the 6-7 round-range either.

[Texas Vike]

Thanks for your response. I figured that was what you were thinking. QBs certainly get over-drafted but the desperate dynamic you're talking about has existed for some time now and we've never seen 4 QBs drafted so high. We've seen 3, so it's not impossible, but I'm guessing we'd be more likely to see a team trade down than to see 4 QBs from this class go in the top 7.

Maybe I'm wrong and history will be made! If so, as I said, that might be a blessing for the Vikings.

Absolutely it would be a blessing. We'd pick up one of the defensive studs who look to be a much surer bet and we could take a QB in rd. 2 or 3, which looks to be a safer investment this year. The one QB that would be worth a shot at 8, if we were to get it, is Manziel, IMO.

[mondry]

Thanks for your response. I figured that was what you were thinking. QBs certainly get over-drafted but the desperate dynamic you're talking about has existed for some time now and we've never seen 4 QBs drafted so high. We've seen 3, so it's not impossible, but I'm guessing we'd be more likely to see a team trade down than to see 4 QBs from this class go in the top 7.

Maybe I'm wrong and history will be made! If so, as I said, that might be a blessing for the Vikings.

I actually believe the opposite will happen, though that assumes GM's are on the same page as me. Anyway, I only see 3 QB's taken in the first round, Bridgewater and Manziel won't make it out. One or the other will go #1 overall to Houston depending on who they fall in love with and the other won't make it past the other 4-5 QB needy teams. The 3rd QB will come from a trade up back into the first round. That is because as the 2nd round nears, all the QB needy teams will be coming back up to the plate and the on deck circle and while most of those teams should have been patient in round one, I see round 2 as the round you want to jump ahead of all those other teams to get your guy and a patient strategy there might just leave you empty handed or reaching.

I just see it more like 2010 than 2011 but who knows. The trade ups back into the first round could spark a chain of more trade ups if they happen early enough, say pick 24 or so and you -could- get 4 Qb's going by the end of the first round, but I definitely don't see a scenario where we are we talking about like 4-5 QB's in the first 15 picks.

[andrewjay14]

With the 8th pick draft either LB barr, or DT nix, or DE clowney if he falls that much. If all those teams before us draft, brigewater, brotles, manziel, then I say don't even think about a QB tell the third round, or trade a third round pick for cousins. In the second round we might still have a chance of getting ROBY the stud CB from ohio st. that has fallen down the draft board. So now we got a capable QB in cousins and he's young. We got a stud LB in barr or our new pat williams in NIX and another CB to play along side Xavier. Maybe a couple more free agent signings. And finding another steal with our other third rounder. This is my dream scenario thou. Go vikings

[PurpleKoolaid]

Clowney took the year off and played not to get hurt. He woulda came out last year if he was allowed too.

That's one excuse for it.

Im pretty sure its a proven fact you are more likely to get hurt playing half a$$ed.

[PurpleKoolaid]

The Vikings find themselves on the bottom of all the teams needing a quarterback in the first round. Houston, Jacksonville, Cleveland and Oakland will have all likely selected a passer by this time, and barring any trades, the Vikings will simply be handed whomever is left.

That's what we get for winning meaningless games, left overs

We can just tank the next 2 years at TCF then right? I mean we aernt going anywhere anyways. That's should give us TONS of draft picks.