Who do we draft?

[Texas Vike]

Not only are they buddies, but Cooper and Bridgewater were teammates in high school. So Teddy has played with him.

Is he worth trading up for? I think he'll go top 5. Lots of time before the draft, obviously, but he's looking top 5 now.

[saint33]

My top 5 targets at #11 at this point. It's still way too early to even tell who will be available, considering we don't even have a full list of players that have declared yet, but it's never too early to get the discussion started.

1. DeVante Parker, WR Louisville

He might not make it to 11, with Oakland and St. Louis looking like the most likely teams in need of a WR ahead of us. He possesses ideal size, and great hands. He has a knack for making difficult catches look routine and has the ability to make incredible catches regularly, similar to that of Larry Fitzgerald or Mike Evans, although he does not have the same physical build as either of those players. His experience with Bridgewater at Louisville only makes him that much more intriguing.

2. Brandon Scherff, OL Iowa

Scherff is an intriguing prospect on a number of levels. His arm length will come into question leading up to the draft, which will determine whether he gets drafted as an OT or OG. With the struggles of Kalil, the contract Loadholt has going forward and the hole we have at LG, Scherff offers a versatile piece who can be groomed in a number of areas. Ideally Kalil and Loadholt play well and stick with the team long term, making Scherff our LG of the future, but if Kalil continues to falter or Loadholt doesn't play up to his contract going forward, we have a piece who can slide into a tackle position as well.

3. Trae Waynes, CB Michigan St.

Not as heralded coming out of college as former teammate Darqueze Dennard, Waynes actually intrigues me more as a prospect. As a Michigan St. fan, I can say this kid reminds me very much of Xavier Rhodes. Long, physical corner who excels in press coverage and was matched up vs. the opponents #1 WR, and held his own. He has occasional lapses, particularly against the deep ball, but recovers well after giving up a play. He will need to work on his open field tackling in the pros.

4. Shaq Thompson, LB Washington

An extremely athletic and gifted LB, Thompson had a knack for the ball and big plays in college. A former safety, Thompson has the range to run sideline and sideline and excels in coverage. The 11th overall pick may be a tad high to draft him, but I like this kid a lot and think he would make a very solid pairing with Barr as our LBs for the future.

5. Melvin Gordon, RB Wisconsin

Most fans will not like seeing a RB this high in the draft, and it's something I am struggling with as well. But Gordon is just that good in my eyes. He shows excellent patience before exploding through holes, and has both the speed and vision to beat defenders in the second level, as well as the power to run though defenders if needed. Some may worry about the system he comes from, as former Wisconsin backs have struggled at the NFL level, most recently Monte Ball. But none of the previous backs from Wisconsin encompassed Gordon's elite skill set and vision. Gordon may be the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson.

[VikingPaul73]

Cooper, if at all possible. If not, then Parker. Those 2 WR's really stand out, and would make the biggest impact right away. If you haven't, you should watch Cooper, from Bama, highlights on youtube. He's a buddy of Teddy, just like Parker. But Cooper has everything you want in a WR. He is so sure handed and runs routes like no one ive seen since Sammy. Just like last year, when we got teddy, I was so happy. If we get Cooper, he is that big of a deal.

Then a CB.

Then Oline

Let our current LB's fight it out, or go FA.

But theres no doubt in my mind the 1 single best player we could get, immediate impact on this team, to at least an 8-8 record, and a good shot at a wild card even, is Cooper.

What did you think of Audie Cole yesterday? I thought he did a pretty good job. What about Cole in the middle, with Hodges and Barr on the outside? It would be a young group, could be exciting. And it would allow the Vikings to focus on addressing other pressing needs like OL, WR, CB

[IIsweet]

All very good ideas. All I kept thinking yesterday was do we have a MLB in Cole? Is he CJ Mosely?No, but he was all over the field making plays. I like Ragland from 'Bama at MLB in the draft also. Thinking we need more speed at the LB position also.
Also, I would love any of Scherff, Parker, Waynes. All 3 immediately make us better.

[Mothman]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_ ... raft-order

Another linebacker, as well as an upgrade at safety, could be good places to start. ESPN's Todd McShay has Alabama's Landon Collins 11th on his latest draft board , and the athletic safety might be a nice fit next to Harrison Smith. Players like Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd could also intrigue the Vikings.

And then there are the questions the Vikings have to address on offense. If Adrian Peterson isn't coming back, would Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon make sense? Could Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker -- a former college teammate of Teddy Bridgewater's -- be an option if the Vikings don't think Cordarrelle Patterson will be their No. 1 wideout? The Vikings have a number of places they could look for upgrades, and they are sure to consider all of them over the next four months.

[44crm]

I really want Patterson to step up and be the WR we all know the Vikings need, but I am tired of waiting on players we have and missing on greats in the draft. Cris Carter said Amari Cooper is the best WR he has seen come out of college since Calvin Johnson. I would trust Cris Carters opinion on this. I think we grab Cooper if he is there, but I highly doubt he gets passed Oakland. I highly doubt Rick would trade up.

There's also a lot of WR's hitting free agency this year.. but I would prefer Cooper or Parker to grow with Teddy. Would like to see us grab another cb, ss, and re-build our O-line.

I think Captain is a waste of money, along with Felton, Greenway and a few other low salaried guys. But getting rid of Greenway and Munnerlyn will free up some money to sign replacements in FA. Might not be for their open positions, but that's what the draft is for!

I think it would be stupid to get rid of Kalil, when we could move him inside to LG get rid of charlie johnson and draft a good LT at 11 worst case..

O-Line and WR are the biggest needs in my opinion. I think we have good Linebackers with Hodges and Barr. The MLB can be filled by current player,a FA pick up or later rd pick.

It would be nice to see Ahmad Dixon get some reps at SS this off-season, was considered a pretty good player out of college.

I also want us to take a chance on Gurley and maybe trade back into rd 2 to get him. With his injury I can't see him going RD 1 after what the niners went through with Marcus Lattimore. But Gurley sitting behin AP for a year would be a good idea.

[PurpleKoolaid]

We need so many players BPA should work. If Cooper, Parker or White are within our reach (and we don't break the bank on white) that's the no brainer. NO WAY do we go high pick on RB if AD is back even a few years. If hes gone, then no RB under rd 3 or later (unless Gorden falls in our lap, Id pass on acl Gurley. Then its BPA on Oline, DBs, and LBs.

[CbusVikesFan]

Let's see, pretty much the top 3 OL will be gone. The Top 2 QB's. Two or three DL or pass rushing hybrids. So that leaves your top CB's and WR's. Or if there is that other special standout player that is still there We could get a decent CB at this spot or the 2nd WR. Have to start looking at the other teams needs that are in front of us. Since we need a MLB and missed out last year on a jackpot, I am not too confident that a chance like that will happen again anytime soon. Glaring need vs upside.
The glaring need to me is still MLB but OL and WR are not far behind. CB and DL are needs as well. Not far behind those positions. Fusco should be coming back and maybe a year working with Yankey may improve that situation.
Somewhere along the line the Vikings need to address the back up QB situation in the draft. Might be able to nail down a good project late in the draft. Like Joe Webb.

[HardcoreVikesFan]

Wouldn't mind seeing P.J. Williams, Landon Colins, Scherff, Parker, Flawer Jr., or Shane Ray in purple this coming year.

[CbusVikesFan]

Perryman, Kendricks, or Scherff?

I would think that one of these 3 should end up a Viking in 2015. It would be intriguing to have Barr's teammate playing beside him. Scherff would definitely be an asset immediately seeing as he can play multiple positions on the line. Question is which position will suckle hind teat again?

[kurtkeoki]

The more I think about the Sherff pick, the more I like it. By drafting him, not only do we fill a huge hole at LG, but we have a plan in place to replace Kalil after next year if necessary. 11 is too high for a guard, but we'd be getting a guard with the potential upside of a left tackle.

[The Breeze]

This would be a good year to trade down IMO. Seems to be lots of polished players in the middle rounds.

Still with the new rookie contracts is it too high to draft any player you think will be a solid starter?

Didn't Jerry Jones take his current center in RD1 a couple of seasons ago? He just made the probowl. Cowboys fans booed the pick. The guy was considered a 2nd or 3rd rounder but Dallas needed to upgrade their line, and boy did they.

I'm beginning to change my perspective on 1st rounds picks since the new CBA....the traditional value system has to be thrown out. How is it a reach to pick the best player at his position especially if it's a position you truly need.

I think the Vikes need to get their ducks in a row and comprehend the nature of want vs need.

[frosted]

Is he worth trading up for? I think he'll go top 5. Lots of time before the draft, obviously, but he's looking top 5 now.

I do not believe he's worth trading up for.

[Texas Vike]

This would be a good year to trade down IMO. Seems to be lots of polished players in the middle rounds.

Still with the new rookie contracts is it too high to draft any player you think will be a solid starter?

Didn't Jerry Jones take his current center in RD1 a couple of seasons ago? He just made the probowl. Cowboys fans booed the pick. The guy was considered a 2nd or 3rd rounder but Dallas needed to upgrade their line, and boy did they.

I'm beginning to change my perspective on 1st rounds picks since the new CBA....the traditional value system has to be thrown out. How is it a reach to pick the best player at his position especially if it's a position you truly need.

I think the Vikes need to get their ducks in a row and comprehend the nature of want vs need.

I was thinking the same, primarily because our biggest needs seem better suited to be chosen in late first to early 4th territory. If we can get 5 picks in that range by trading out of 11, I'd do it. Then take: OG, LB, WR, CB, and RB or S, in no particular order, according to BPA.
The only other scenario I like is Scherf... I think... I need to watch a bit more of his film.

[44crm]

I really don't see us staying at 11 or moving up. It just doesn't sound like a Slick Rick move. I think the best move would be to trade down and pick up an offensive player. Who knows, Rick could work some magic and trade back and get a Tackle, then trade back in to the first round for the 32nd pick and grab a great player like Gurley, Perryman, Gordon or Kendricks?

It looks like there is a really good chance that there will be great players available at the positions we need, towards the end of the first round. Should be a great draft for us!