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Here is my take on what the Vikings will do in the draft. Would you like to see Mettenberger in a Vikings uniform?

RD 1
Pick No. 8

C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama
I predict that Khalil Mack will be gone at this point, but even if he was available I think Mosley might still be the pick here. He is a very smart defender and while guys like Mack or Anthony Barr may one day be better linebackers than Mosley, only Mosley can step in on day one and lead a defense to success. I am a big fan of Audie Cole, but we only saw him in limited action and having Mosley in the middle will allow Mike Zimmer to experiment with Cole on the outside.

RD 2
Pick No. 40

Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU
I have spent some time thinking about which quarterback would best fit in Norv Turner's offense. Mettenberger arguably has the biggest arm of this draft class and improved on key areas of his game this past season (accuracy on deep throws, decision-making) before tearing his ACL. Much of his improvement can be attributed to Cam Cameron who, like Turner, is a devotee of the Air Coryell offense. While he is never going to be as exciting to watch as a guy like Johnny Manziel, he has the skill set and work ethic to become a very good NFL quarterback.

RD 3
Pick No. 72

Stanley Jean-Baptiste, CB, Nebraska
Jean-Baptiste is a first-round talent in my opinion, but there are a lot of good cornerbacks in this draft class and he could fall to the third round. If he does, the Vikings should be all over this pick, even if we do pursue a free agent like Alterraun Verner. Ideally, Jean-Baptiste would be brought along slowly, but once he adapts to pro receivers, a tandem of him and Xavier Rhodes will be one of the best in the league.

RD 3
Pick No. 96

DaQuan Jones, DT, Penn State
The Vikings will be looking for a defensive tackle to start alongside last year's first-round pick, Sharrif Floyd, as I hardly imagine they are comfortable with Fred Evans starting at the position. Jones has the ideal size and speed to compliment Floyd. This could be the Williams Wall 2.0.

RD 4
Pick No. 104

Chris Watt, G, Notre Dame
Rick Spielman will make sure he gets a Notre Dame guy in this draft. Watt could be just what the doctor ordered to help bolster the Vikings offensive line as he is an immediate upgrade over Charlie Johnson. The Vikings' line was hardly bad by any means, but the left side in particular suffered a setback from the incredible 2012 season. Even Matt Kalil looked like something was off in 2013, and I can't help but think he may have been trying to do too much in an attempt to compensate for Johnson's struggles.

RD 5
Pick No. 136

Marion Grice, RB, Arizona State
With Toby Gerhart leaving in free agency, the Vikings need to find a legitimate backup for Adrian Peterson. Grice is incredibly versatile, is a good blocker, and makes good catches out of the backfield. He did suffer a leg injury which kept him out of the Holiday Bowl, and if it weren't for the injury he most likely wouldn't be available here.

RD 6
Pick No. 168

Prince Shembo, OLB, Notre Dame
It just so happens that Spielman might get two Notre Dame players in this draft. Shembo is a raw talent – just the type that Zimmer likes to work with. He is powerful and has all the skill sets needed to become a starting linebacker in the league. He would compete with Audie Cole and Gerald Hodges for playing time and will learn behind one of the best – Chad Greenway. If Shembo is available at this spot, it's a no-brainer.

RD 7
Pick No. 200

Vinnie Sunseri, S, Alabama
The Vikings might like to see what Andrew Sendejo can do starting opposite Harrison Smith in the secondary so they may not feel pressed to get a safety earlier in the draft. Regardless of how they feel about Sendejo, they lack good depth at the position. Sunseri is good in coverage and anticipates routes, but isn't the best tackler and may struggle to make the team. He is also recovering from a torn ACL which may cause some teams to pass on him. If he can prove himself in special teams and make the team that way, look for him to compete for a starting job in a couple of years.

I too, like Mettenberger. Wouldn't be opposed to us drafting him, my hope is he slides to us in round three. Not so sure he will.

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Picking him up in the third would definitely be ideal. I've seen some good mocks having him taken in the fourth, and others have him as high as a late first-round pick. A bit stoic in the pocket, but I think his arm fits Turner's offense better than any other QB in the class.

I wouldn't mind it, but after watching him I'm a little worried. He can throw it forever, but a lot of his throws seemed to take forever to get there. There seemed to be more air than zip on them? From what I remembered seemed like he might not translate as well to the NFL.

Skol_Zoss wrote:Picking him up in the third would definitely be ideal. I've seen some good mocks having him taken in the fourth, and others have him as high as a late first-round pick. A bit stoic in the pocket, but I think his arm fits Turner's offense better than any other QB in the class.

Agree'd. My ideal situation would be to trade down a few spots and pick up some additional picks and draft Dennard or Mosely. Then draft Mettenberger in the third round. Rest of the picks go defense. Sign a guard in free agency. Would like to see us take a safety in the draft. I love Ed Reynolds from Stanford. He is going to be a great player IMO. I think he could be had in second or third round. Probably second but you never know.

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Skol_Zoss wrote: RD 1
Pick No. 8

C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama
I predict that Khalil Mack will be gone at this point, but even if he was available I think Mosley might still be the pick here. He is a very smart defender and while guys like Mack or Anthony Barr may one day be better linebackers than Mosley, only Mosley can step in on day one and lead a defense to success. I am a big fan of Audie Cole, but we only saw him in limited action and having Mosley in the middle will allow Mike Zimmer to experiment with Cole on the outside.

Outside linebacker is the more pressing need. Greenway doesn't look like he's going to be effective, or even playing much longer, and the other OLB position is vacant. There's no urgency for the Vikings to find an immediate impact player at linebacker. Rebuilding this defense is going to take a couple of seasons. I'd rather they draft someone with better upside.

The thing I worry about with Barr and Mack is, they seem like they will fit better in 3-4 schemes, as edge rushers. Mosley is a better fit for our scheme, and seems like he is a more well rounded player. He does hold up very well in pass coverage and is a thumper in the run game. He did play some outside backer in college as well. I actually think he projects best as a WILL in the NFL, not a MIKE.

All three have a dynamic skill set, of that there's no doubt.

frosted21 wrote:The thing I worry about with Barr and Mack is, they seem like they will fit better in 3-4 schemes, as edge rushers. Mosley is a better fit for our scheme, and seems like he is a more well rounded player. He does hold up very well in pass coverage and is a thumper in the run game. He did play some outside backer in college as well. I actually think he projects best as a WILL in the NFL, not a MIKE.

All three have a dynamic skill set, of that there's no doubt.

I think Mack has a similar skill set to Von Miller, who has excelled in a 4-3. Bruce Irvin in Seattle is another guy who comes to mind. I wouldn't have any concerns about his fit with the Vikings tbh, Zimmer is especially strong at fitting his scheme to what his players do well.

But I agree with your assessment of Mosley, I think he'll be a great linebacker in this league, but unless he goes to a 3-4 team, I think he will be playing OLB (I could see him at Will or Sam tbh). I honestly believe Mosley is not getting enough credit at this point though, and I could see him being a solid pick at 8. I think Mack is probably the better choice, but I'm not so sure that he's going to make it to our pick anyways. True LBs with his kind of pass rushing potential are a rarity in this league and I think we'll be lucky to see him make to us.

saint33 wrote:I think Mack has a similar skill set to Von Miller, who has excelled in a 4-3. Bruce Irvin in Seattle is another guy who comes to mind. I wouldn't have any concerns about his fit with the Vikings tbh, Zimmer is especially strong at fitting his scheme to what his players do well.

But I agree with your assessment of Mosley, I think he'll be a great linebacker in this league, but unless he goes to a 3-4 team, I think he will be playing OLB (I could see him at Will or Sam tbh). I honestly believe Mosley is not getting enough credit at this point though, and I could see him being a solid pick at 8. I think Mack is probably the better choice, but I'm not so sure that he's going to make it to our pick anyways. True LBs with his kind of pass rushing potential are a rarity in this league and I think we'll be lucky to see him make to us.

Fair point, many questioned Seattle for drafting Irvin, and he's been phenomenal. Miller's short career also obviously speaks for itself.

I think Mosley's injury history is hurting him (no pun intended). He's had his fair share of injuries. I get excited about his coverage skills mostly, I really hate the fact that we constantly get burned by backs and tight ends in the short catch and run game. It'd be nice to have a guy out there who seems to have a good head on his shoulders when it comes to man/zone concepts.

I think id rather take a guy like Gilbert with that pick instead of Mosley or a Khalil Mack, I would be happy with Zach in the 2nd or Garopolo also, I think it would be nice if we took a late round QB also ala Kirk Cousin effect.

I have been watching Video lately of Arron Murray, good god he has a beautiful throw.

highlight Video. I think this QB class is very deep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piAUVTjOIgU

Demi wrote:I wouldn't mind it, but after watching him I'm a little worried. He can throw it forever, but a lot of his throws seemed to take forever to get there. There seemed to be more air than zip on them? From what I remembered seemed like he might not translate as well to the NFL.

This seems to be the knock on him. I've seen plenty of throws where he gets great zip on balls, and others where he completely lofts them up there. I do think he threw less floaters this past season than the previous year though.

frosted21 wrote:The thing I worry about with Barr and Mack is, they seem like they will fit better in 3-4 schemes, as edge rushers. Mosley is a better fit for our scheme, and seems like he is a more well rounded player. He does hold up very well in pass coverage and is a thumper in the run game. He did play some outside backer in college as well. I actually think he projects best as a WILL in the NFL, not a MIKE.

All three have a dynamic skill set, of that there's no doubt.

I've heard this about Mosley (him projected as a weakside). This would make a lot of sense given how well he does in coverage. I think Zimmer would have a lot of fun with him.

Dirtyswabby wrote:I have been watching Video lately of Arron Murray, good god he has a beautiful throw.

highlight Video. I think this QB class is very deep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piAUVTjOIgU

Personally, Murray was one of my favorite QBs to watch the past couple of seasons. I think he will be a steal for whichever team takes a chance on him.

I have mixed feelings on Murray. I think he certainly is one of the more polished passers in the draft from the mental standpoint of the game. I think he shows nice anticipation on his throws and is quite accurate. I worry about his arm strength and his size. Don't know if they are valid concerns or not. I could get behind us drafting him. It'll be interesting to see how it shakes out.