How happy are you with this draft?

[Grashopa]

I am happy about how the first round went for us, especially since all 3 of the players we got were not projected by most to make it to us at 23, let alone at 25 and 29.

As far as i remember we have had great sucess with players who have slid in the first round (Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin....).

I am concerned that we dont have another pick for awhile to use on a linebacker, hopefully we can work our way back into the 2nd or 3rd round to pickup a linebacker and then nab a value DE and/or G in the later rounds. That would make this Draft perfect (in foresight).

[Tark10]

I like the picks in round one. I believe they may have given up too many picks to draft the wide receiver though. Still no middle linebacker. Maybe they willl trade up in round two for Manti Teo. It may take a 2014 pick to do it.

[Mothman]

The Vikings choices in last night's first round clearly indicated that despite a surprising 10 win season last year, Spielman is taking the long view and that's the advantage of having a GM in charge and not an HC or us eager, impatient fans. Whether the Vikings needed a new starting DT in 2013 or not isn't as important in the bigger picture. Kevin Williams is 33. They will need a new starting tackle soon.

Do the Vikes now have 3 starters for 2 CB spots? Robinson hasn't nailed down a starting job yet and Cook has yet to play an entire season so it you could say the Vikings have zero proven, reliable starters at CB and in a division with Brandon Marshall, Calvin Johnson and a hoard of annoyingly effective Packers receivers the Vikings need good CBs. They will often be playing in nickel or dime sub-packages and with Winfield gone, CB depth needed to be addressed. The Vikes should be stronger at a important position in a pass-oriented division.

Patterson is a roll of the dice, there's no doubt about it. He's a risky pick but he's one of the few offensive players in this draft with serious game-changing ability. He could be a bust but he could also become an impact player and he can be a huge threat as a returner, which isn't something to be underestimated.

Patterson and Floyd, in particular, show that Spielman is still firmly in rebuilding mode and is thinking as much about how good he can make the team in the next 5 years as about how good he can make them now. In the end, that could pay huge dividends. The Vikes drafted potential impact players in the draft last night and because they drafted them in the first round, I think they'll have 5th year options on all of their contracts. They're trying to address pending needs as well as immediate needs and they're trying to use young talent to build a sustainable winner.

I wouldn't say, as VikingLord did, that the first round of the draft isn't about filling immediate needs because sometimes (by necessity) it is but I agree with him that getting the best players available should always be a consideration. To me, what every round of the draft is about is team-building. Spielman entered last year with a new title as GM and a clear agenda to rebuild the team. He's now managed to make 5 first round picks in two drafts! He is stock-piling young, high-end talent and it's impressive.

Regarding the cost to trade up for Patterson, I like the way Pelissero described it and I think it's accurate:

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Peli ... 042613?t=2

So, the Vikings gave up their third-round pick (No. 83 overall), one of their fourths (No. 102) and a seventh (No. 229) to flip their second-round pick (No. 52) for New England's first (No. 29) and make a third addition from a category of players they believe can be difference-makers.

That's a perfect description of the real cost of the trade. Even if the Vikings stand pat for the rest of the draft and just use their remaining picks, they will come away from a 7 round draft with 8 players. I think Spielman continues to do a heck of a job and I'm thrilled with this draft so far. I give the Vikes an A+for what they accomplished last night.

[headless_norseman]

Just got done reading an article where all three guys were either rated #1 or #2 consensus at their respective positions. Conjecture, I know, but I don't think those sort of ratings are that far off, let alone grabbing 3 legit starters in the first round like this. I think offering a pick from next years draft might be worth it in moving up to say the 3rd round, because next year won't come close to this one.

[headless_norseman]

I like the picks in round one. I believe they may have given up too many picks to draft the wide receiver though. Still no middle linebacker. Maybe they willl trade up in round two for Manti Teo. It may take a 2014 pick to do it.

Forget about TEO ALREADY! We and everyone else did not want him in the first round for a reason.

Basically we traded a dime, two nickles and a penny for a shiny new quarter.

[Thaumaturgist]

I know it's just a pet peve of mine... But can we quit saying that they gave up four picks? Last time I checked, -4 + 1 = -3 picks. We gave up 3 picks + swapped our second for NE's first. We moved up what.... 23 spots? I know it's still a lot, and I'm really hoping we don't get from the Cordarrelle pick, but I'm pretty happy!

[VikeMike]

I was very pleased that Spielman passed on Te'o. Way before the championship game and the whole fake girlfriend, I thought he was an overhyped player. A good one, sure, but not a game-changing presence on defense. But we all know that you never really know about any draft until a few years later.

I was hoping they would be able to get LSU LB Minter in the second, but that shocking move to trade back into the first to get Patternson negated that wish. That was a ballsy move, my friends. I really hope it doesn't blow up in our collective faces, but it could. That was a lot of picks to give ... I really hope it was worth it.

I was pleased they went Floyd and Rhodes. They were looking towards the future with the DT, and also addressed a big hole want CB. I've always kind of cringed at the "quality at that pick" label (what? A team isn't looking for quality at any given pick? Ridiculous), but if the scouts are right at rating those players against the others at that position, then this was a stellar first round.

It better be, because we don't pick for a day now ...

Oh, I wish we had a chance to take Minter!

[Eli]

I question the "long view" opinion. Not from the picks themselves, but by giving up their 3rd and high 4th round pick to take a flyer on a single player when you have so many needs and so little depth at virtually every position on the roster.

These were three immediate, critical positions of need for the Vikings, not BPAs selected to shore up the roster.

The Vikings have been declining in the middle of the DL for several years and today their former Pro Bowl DT, the oldest man on the team, is still head and shoulders better than anyone else at the position. He's one or two years from retirement and they badly needed to find a starter at DT. With Sharrif Floyd falling to them, I think it was no-brainer.

Josh Robinson is unproven at CB and a question mark as a starter. Hopefully he'll continue to improve, but the Vikings play a lot of nickel defenses and needed a third CB. They're also now woefully thin at the position. I think Xavier Rhodes will be expected to start at CB, so his pick certainly isn't one for the long view.

The need for a big young WR was huge. I have questions about the Cordarrelle Patterson pick, but if it works out, it could be a great one. With what they paid for him, though, he's going to need to become a no-questions-asked superstar at the position. If he doesn't contribute almost immediately, there are going to be rumblings.

[Mothman]

I question the "long view" opinion. Not from the picks themselves, but by giving up their 3rd and high 4th round pick to take a flyer on a single player when you have so many needs and so little depth at virtually every position on the roster.

Depth is built over time and the Vikings had picks to spare in this draft. Even if they had kept all of their picks and drafted 11 players, how likely was it that 11 rookies were going to make the team? You've pointed out in the past how often players drafted in mid-to-late rounds may end up staying with a team for a couple of years but how few of them stick for the long haul. The Vikes still have a chance to come away from this draft with as many as 8 picks, which is more than they'd get in a normal 7 round draft without the benefit of trades, etc. They can still add depth to their roster.

The Vikings have been declining in the middle of the DL for several years and today their former Pro Bowl DT, the oldest man on the team, is still head and shoulders better than anyone else at the position. He's one or two years from retirement and they badly needed to find a starter at DT. With Sharrif Floyd falling to them, I think it was no-brainer.

Josh Robinson is unproven at CB and a question mark as a starter. Hopefully he'll continue to improve, but the Vikings play a lot of nickel defenses and needed a third CB. They're also now woefully thin at the position. I think Xavier Rhodes will be expected to start at CB, so his pick certainly isn't one for the long view.

I agree about Rhodes but I think you may have taken my "long view" comment more literally than I intended. I wasn't suggesting these picks exclusively take the long view without consideration for immediate needs but their choice of Patterson suggests they're willing to be patient and develop a player they see as more talented than some of the arguably more pro-ready receivers they might have taken instead. The choice of Floyd can be seen as a BPA pick that also addresses a need but it wasn't their most pressing need. I'm just talking about the difference between drafting someone whose ultimate role is likely to be as successor to a current starter (Williams) rather than a player they immediately need at a position because there's a gaping hole to fill.

The need for a big young WR was huge. I have questions about the Cordarrelle Patterson pick, but if it works out, it could be a great one. With what they paid for him, though, he's going to need to become a no-questions-asked superstar at the position. If he doesn't contribute almost immediately, there are going to be rumblings.

Let 'em rumble. It was a risk worth taking and they didn't give up that much to get Patterson. Their net loss is a 3rd round pick, an extra 4th rounder and an extra 7th rounder and they gained quite a bit by moving from the late second to the late first. It's not like they gave up a high second or next year's first round pick in the transaction.

The famous (or infamous?) draft value chart says the 29th pick is worth 640 points. The Vikes traded the 52nd, 83rd, 102nd and 229th picks to get there. This chart says those picks were worth 380, 175, 92 and 2 or less, respectively. That's a total of 649 points. In other words, the chart value is just about right. I realize that's just a rough guide and each pick is a potential player but it really doesn't look like the Vikes paid an excessively steep price to move up. Heck, isn't the flexibility to make moves one of the best reasons to accumulate extra draft picks?

[Mothman]

I'm generally liking what you're saying. I guess if Xavier and Cook nail down the primary starting spots, Robinson can come in on 3rd down in a more limited role as a big playmaker, which he seemed to show a penchant for doing last year. (making plays) And if Cook gets injured again (which Vegas odds would likely say he does), then we aren't left with our pants down (which we would be since Antoine was shown the door). So I guess that will work out.

I hope so anyway.

[Eli]

Someone did point out that having such strength on our d-line would make things that much easier for our MLB (whoever it ends up being), that perhaps "star" talent isn't necessarily required.

That's theoretical, at best. Floyd doesn't appear to be much of a pass rusher, but he should make run coverage much easier. The Vikings have had no trouble finding a string of run-stopping MLBs - it's their pass coverage ability that's been awful. If a DL is going to help them, it's going to be mostly by getting at the QB.

[losperros]

Floyd doesn't appear to be much of a pass rusher, but he should make run coverage much easier. The Vikings have had no trouble finding a string of run-stopping MLBs - it's their pass coverage ability that's been awful. If a DL is going to help them, it's going to be mostly by getting at the QB.

I've seen Floyd play almost every game in his college career. Not a pass rusher? Don't buy it for a second. Floyd may not always get to the passer but he'll be the reason that someone else does. Keep in mind that the Gators use a mixed D, which means switching around a lot, sometimes a 3-4 set and sometimes a 4-3 set. Through it all Floyd gets great penetration and is always disrupting the opposing team's offensive backfield and that includes making life hell for the QB.

[John_Viveiros]

Like it or not, it will be the Patterson pick that defines the value of this draft. For the most part, the other two were "no-brainers" - regardless of whether they are busts or not, they were the right picks.

Yes, I agree that we needed to give up a 3rd and a 4th to move up from #52 to #29. It's odd, and not entirely rational, but I would feel a lot better if we had given up the later 4th round pick, than the early one from Detroit. Those early picks on the second and third day are Golden. You can spend the night evaluating who's left, and target a couple players for those slots. IIRC, that's how we got Everson Griffen. Now, the Vikes are looking at some 20 players going off the board even after the 64 come off today.

[losperros]

Floyd had I think 3 of the 4 sacks of all of Florida last year. They had no outside passrush so getting to the quarterback isn't exactly an easy task. So I never got that knock. Now he's playing with some future HOFers in Williams and Allen. Also Mayock had Floyd going #3 to the Raiders, I think many Viking fans agree that Mayock's word on the draft can almost be taken as the Bible at times. I see a lot of Warren Sapp and John Randle in this young man, and it's got me pumped! Last time the Vikings had 3 first round picks? One of them ended up being some man named Alan Page.

FWIW, the Florida Gators D had over 25 sacks last season with Floyd and Dominique Easley combining for 7 of them, not to mention 21 tackles for a loss.

Speaking of the Gators, Jonathan Bostic is still out there.

[Arjuna]

We kicked arse. Floyd was a no brainer, I don't think anyone thought he would fall so far. I thought the Rhodes pick was great value as well. Patterson has more potential than any other player in this draft imo. His rawness scares me but the more I think about this pick the more I like it. We can manufacture touches for him on screens and end arounds like we did for Percy, he is money with the ball in his hands and he can also replace the kick return ability we lost Harvin. The real difference being Patterson has the size and athletic ability to develop into so much more. Patterson needs time to learn but he can still be an immediate big impact. It was a pricey trade but not as bad as some are making it out to be. We basically swapped our second for their first with the third, fourth and seventh as incentive. In a normal draft you only get three picks in the first three rounds, we got all of ours in the first...You can't fill every single need in one draft.