The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a mildly surprising 2014 campaign that saw the team finish with seven wins and outside of last place in the NFC North. More than that, the Vikings have to be thrilled with the youngsters on their roster, including franchise signal caller Teddy Bridgewater, who was extremely impressive as a rookie. 

There are still some major holes for this team to fill if it wants to contend for a playoff spot next season. As we have seen in the past, the Vikings philosophy has been to build through the draft. And the good news here is that the areas that Minnesota has needs seem to be stacked with talent. 

Let's check in on an early look of top Minnesota Vikings needs for the 2015 NFL draft. 

1. Middle Linebacker

We could go weak-side with Chad Greenway here, but middle linebacker has to be Minnesota's top need heading into the offseason. If anyone thinks Jasper Brinkley or Audie Cole is holding down the fort here, they're simply kidding themselves. Minnesota's 4-3 scheme may not rely a whole lot on coverage from the linebacker position, especially with the stellar play of Harrison Smith at free safety, but this was definitely an area of weakness in 2014. Brinkley was solid against the run, be he was among the worst starting middle linebackers in coverage—an area that must be upgraded if Minnesota wants to contend in 2015. 

Mississippi State's Benardrick McKinney would be the absolute best fit for Minnesota in the first round. And the good news here is that the 6'5", 246 pound gem would be available with the 11th pick. McKinney is a prospect that combines the athleticism of Bobby Wagner with the on-field smarts of one Patrick Willis. His above-average coverage ability also seems to make the linebacker a generational type player at his position. If Minnesota were to look in another direction in the first round, Miami's Denzel Perryman would be an option on Day 2. However, his size could limit his production in Minnesota's scheme. 

2. Wide Receiver

We may be at the point of realizing that Cordarrelle Patterson is going to be nothing more than toolsy player that Minnesota can run certain packages for. In order for Teddy Bridgewater to take that next step from promising youngster to above-average starter, he's going to need a true No. 1. Charles Johnson surprised people a bit in 2014 and Jarius Wright has some upside. Meanwhile, Greg Jennings has been a decent second or third option. NONE of these players are true top-end wide outs in a good passing game. That's something the Vikings need to address. 

Let's all put the dreams of Teddy throwing to Amari Cooper away for a while here. Short of the Alabama product falling on draft day or the Vikings moving up, that's not happening. The key here is getting someone with size that can move the chains for Bridgewater in the passing game. That's where his former Louisville teammate, DeVante Parker, might come into play. A 6'2", 209-pound physical freak, Parker is actually the best possible fit for what Minnesota needs. However, the likes of Dorial Green-Beckham and Jaelen Strong—should they be available on Day 2—would provide more value. No one would argue with McKinney and Strong in the first two rounds, right?

3. Offensive Tackle

There are so many different levels to look at here, and most of them have to do with first-round bust Matt Kalil. To say that he's been atrocious in pass protection would be an understatement. According to Pro Football Focus, Kalil graded out as the fourth-worst offensive tackle in the NFL this past season. He's also not suited to move inside and the Vikings have a pretty good right tackle in Phil Loadholt. However, there's no reason to believe that Minnesota will simply move on from its first-round pick of three years ago. That's what makes this need so intriguing. Will it actually exhaust another top pick on a left tackle? 

The obvious selection at 11 would be Brandon Scherff, but that's assuming two things. 1) The Iowa product is available and 2) the Vikings spend a first rounder on a tackle. Outside of Scherff, I just don't see any tackle worth Minnesota's time at 11. Instead, they would be better off looking at Ty Sambrailo or Jake Fisher on the second day. The issue with that is neither really translate to a left tackle role in the NFL. That's Minnesota's biggest problem in attempting to upgrade from Kalil. 

4. Defensive End

Everson Griffen had a breakout 2014 campaign, recording 12 sacks and consistently putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Based on Minnesota's scheme, finding another elite pass-rush threat would make this defense one of the better units in the league. That's only magnified by the presence of Xavier Rhodes and the aforementioned Harrison Smith in the secondary and Anthony Barr at linebacker. Should an elite 4-3 EDGE fall on to the Vikings lap in the draft, it might have to think long and hard about picking that guy up. 

Just give me Randy Gregory here and be done with it. Pipe dreams aside, the Nebraska standout will be nowhere to be found at 11. Dante Fowler Jr. and Shane Ray—two other likely first-round picks—don't make much sense as pass-rushing EDGE players in Minnesota's 4-3 scheme. This is one of the reasons why I envision the Vikings waiting until later in the draft to nab someone to play opposite Griffen. Of the mid-round possibilities that I have watched tape on, Preston Smith (Mississippi State) and Za'Darius Smith (Kentucky) seem like best fits for the Vikings.