Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman did what he does best last weekend, as he wheeled-and-dealed moving up, down, and every way possible, putting the Vikings in the best position to get the players they secretly coveted. Spielman’s most notable and reputable move was moving back up into the first-round to grab former Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater after already picking former UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr with the ninth overall selection.
By the end, Spielman moved around enough to collect 10 total picks, the number of selections he originally targeted in his “predraft plan." Here is a snapshot look at all 10 selections by Spielman and the Vikings.
First Round, Ninth Pick: Anthony Barr, Linebacker, UCLA
The Vikings owned the 32nd ranked pass defense in almost every statistically category. Barr, who is a freak athlete, combined for over 20 sacks and 40 tackles for loss in just two seasons. Defensive minded coach Mike Zimmer will attempt to mold this talented ball of football clay into the center-piece of the Vikings front seven for years to come. The down side however, Barr is extremely raw after playing defense for just two-seasons, which is why his perceived risk had him projected much later in round one.
To soften the blow of what looked like a reach, Spielman was able to attain a fifth-round pick from the Browns to move down just one spot before selecting Barr. Netting that extra fifth-rounder makes this high-risk high-reward player seem like much better value, after moving down just one selection later. Grade: A-
First Round, 32nd Pick: Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback, Louisville
He does it again! In typical Spielman fashion the Vikings general manager moved back up into the first-round, giving the team a total of seven-first round selection in the last three years. This years trade up was to attain what the Vikings hope will be their new franchise quarterback in Bridgewater.
After being projected as the number-one overall pick months back, Bridgewater fell because of a poor pro-day and slender frame. Even so, Spileman said Bridgewater had the best tape of any quarterback they scouted, on top of a successful private workout with Norv Turner and Mike Zimmer. Bridgewater will comepete with Matt Cassel during training camp, but will eventually be anointed the starting position, where he will have weapons like Adrian Peterson, Greg Jennings, and Kyle Rudolph. Oh, and that Patterson guy too. Grade: A
Third Round, 72nd Pick: Scott Crichton, Defensive End, Oregon State
Crichton was an animal off the edge for the Beavers and was highly disruptive forcing a school-record 10 forced fumbles. Zimmer gets another toy to develop in the front-seven in addition to Barr, and will help fill the void left by Jared Allen at defensive end. Crichton was projected as a top-50 prospect and will surly be thrown in the fire right away in Zimmer’s heavy defensive-line rotation. Grade: B-
Third Round, 96th Pick: Jerick McKinnon, Running Back, Georgia Southern
Explosive athlete doesn’t give McKinnon the credit he deserves, for a player who excelled at cornerback, quarterback, and running back. McKinnon will stick to the tailback position for Vikings as a change of pace back in hopes to save some tread on Adrian Peterson’s tires. Offensive genius Norv Turner will find ways to use him much like he did with Darren Sproles out of the backfield, as a receiver in the slot, and anywhere else he sees fit. With a slew of running backs available to the team late in the third-round, Spielman admits he tried to move down before grabbing McKinnon, but after he had no luck, he knew the the talented playmaker would be gone by the time their next pick came around with no fourth-round selection. Grade: C+
Fifth Round, 145th Pick: David Yankey, Offensive Guard, Stanford
Yankey was a giant head-scratcher on draft weekend as to why he fell so far. A former All-American, Yankey was a highly touted and regarded guard for the Cardinals as a road-grading run blocker. Yankey will come in and give current starting left guard Charlie Johnson a run for his money right out of the gate, and as the last weak-link on the Vikings offensive line, Johnson will likely be shoved aside by Yankey’s strength and power. The Vikings addressed a quiet need with incredible value stealing Yankey in the fifth round, and should see steady improvements in the passing and running game throughout the year because of it. Grade: A
Sixth Round, 182nd Pick: Antone Exum, Safety, Virginia Tech
The Vikings didn’t address their secondary until the sixth round, but they still managed to get great value in Exum as late as they did. Exum was poisoned by injury-riddled play throughout his career, but when healthy he showed more potential than teammate Kyle Fuller, who was selected with the 14th overall pick. Exum is a physical cornerback who excels in press coverage, but will likely be used at safety where he split time for Virginia Tech. He will be buried on the depth chart, but based on pure talent, Exum has a legitimate shot at starting next to Harrison Smith. Grade: B-
Sixth Round, 184th Pick: Kendeall James, Cornerback, Maine
This speedster from Maine is small and undersized, but carries excellent athleticism and great tenacity at the cornerback position. James will have a tough time cracking the 53-man roster based off the amount the amount of players already owned at the position, and his lack of NFL bulk. Grade: C-
Seventh Round, 220th Pick: Shamar Stephen, Defensive Tackle, Connecticut
I had Shamar Stephen in my top-15 defensive tackle rankings and was surprised to watch him drop this far. He is big enough and strong enough to have an impact at the next level, but needs to be refined from a technique standpoint. Mike Zimmer loves rotating his defensive line with a passion, and since the Vikings cleaned house with aging veterans, it was important to add more talented bodies to the rotation. The way I know Zimmer will run his defensive, tells me Stephen has a great shot of making the team, and could be a key part of the defensive line down the road. Grade: B-
Seventh Round, 223rd Pick: Brandon Watts, Linebacker, Georgia Tech
A true sideline-to-sideline linebacker, Watts is a bullet when attacking his opponent with his rare speed. However, in his current position Watts is extremely under sized and will get swallowed in the NFL. If anything, Watts projects more as a strong safety at the next level, where he immediately matches up better. Grade: D
Seventh Round, 225th Pick: Jabari Price, Cornerback, North Carolina
A tough gritty player, Price shows good aggressiveness in the run game, and gives receivers fits when the ball is in the air. Price is undersized however, and will have a tough time against bigger stronger players, with his adequate skills in coverage. None the less, as his 11.38 60-yard shuttle would suggest (fastest at the combine), the physical ability is there, he just needs the right coach. Grade: C
Overall Grade: A-
Like most teams, when we look back in a handful of years, this draft will come down to what was made of general manager Rick Spielman’s two first-round picks. The first selection being Anthony Barr, the pass-rushing specialist dominated in college, and showed all the potential to be a super star.
However, after playing just two years on the defensive side of the ball, Barr is considered a huge risk as the number nine-overall selection. Teddy Bridgewater was passed up on by 31 other teams, and has his own risks-and-rewards as well, and the Vikings were rumored to have preferred Johnny Manziel.
Still, the potential of the two impacting their positions for the Vikings is an exciting situation to watch unfold. Scott Crichton is a nice toy for Mike Zimmer and and the same can be said for Jerrick McKinnon teaming up with Norv Turner. David Yankey in the fifth-round was a tremendous value as a fifth-round pick.