Mothman wrote:
Perhaps it speaks to a man a little too enamored with the draft day process and the fun of wheeling and dealing. It may also indicate that he isn't clear enough on which particular players he wants throughout the draft, that he's targeting positions more than individuals as the draft progresses. He has a reputation for preparing thoroughly so I hope that's not the case but I would hope when the Vikes are sitting in the mid-rounds, there would still be multiple players on the board they have identified as good fits for their team, for their specific plans and philosophies. When they pass on the opportunity to select players by repeatedly trading down for more picks later in the draft, it makes me wonder if they've sufficiently identified those specific fits beyond the early rounds.
We'll see how it all works out. It could be a Vikings draft class full of gold. It's impossible to tell right now but I was feeling increasingly frustrated as the draft moved forward.
Guys, hang on a minute.
Rick Spielman doesn't do this in a vacuum. It's not like Rick is locked in a room with a whiteboard, a coin to flip and a phone. The Vikings have lots of other coaches, scouts, and executives involved with this. If this draft turns out to be a failure for the Vikings, then the blame goes organization-wide, not just to Spielman. Of course, that's even more depressing.
Here's the irony for me. The Vikings turned one third-round pick into four later picks -- but I HATE the actual third-round pick they DID make. In essence, Ben Gedeon is Audie Cole -- a former 7th-round pick who has good instincts against the run but no speed and not strong in coverage. They're the same player, only Gedeon has never played a down in the NFL. What's the point of taking Gedeon in the 3rd? Why not just re-sign Cole?
I love our second-round picks. Cook is a first-round talent who I believe can end up being a Shady McCoy type of player, and Elflein could very well start from Day One. He was the best O-lineman on a very good OSU team.
Late-round picks? There's some value, I guess, especially with Hodges, but we've seen this "he's got so much talent" thing with Vikings tight end picks before, MyCole Pruitt being the latest. Hodges wants to be a legend.
“I want to be great,’’ said Hodges, who had 48 catches last season for 691 yards. “I want to be a legend. I want to be a name that’s remembered forever in the NFL.’’
Link.
Prove it on the field, bud.
I don't hate the pick of Ifeadi Odenigbo. The guy was only a starter for half a season but had 25 career sacks. He's really raw -- only been playing football for six years -- and needs to add strength, but he can get after the QB. Dude made a mockery out of Iowa last year.
Opinions vary on the overall grade. It's about a B for me. Higher if you consider Sam Bradford's value, which is, in my opinion, higher than anybody the Vikings could have taken with a first-round pick. It's all luck, of course, but if you ask me, the Vikings couldn't have picked a better year to not have a first-round pick. YMMV.
EDIT: Crap! Gedeon was taken in the 4th round. Ugh!
Oh well. Still hate the pick.