8 picks
#30, 62, 93, 128, 161, 167comp, 199, 237
Cornerback
Injuries have put them in a bit of a pickle. Cedric Griffin blew his ACL while the team was blowing their Super Bowl dreams against the Saints. How long the rehab takes considering the timing of the surgery, and what kind of player he is once he does return is impossible to predict. It's easier to figure out the future of Antoine Winfield who is hampered by a bum foot. The guy will be 33 in June and having now missed 6 games twice out of the past three seasons anything they get from him is gravy. Asher Allen was drafted last year (third round) with this in mind, and they also have one of the Giants' picks from the sixth round DeAndre Wright. Veteran Benny Sapp was locked up for 2 years, but Karl Paymah fell out of favor and was not tendered as a restricted free agent. Even if they love Wright and Allen, it is easy to see them drafting a front line potential starter in this draft or at the very least a middle rounder.
Free Safety
The word I would use to describe Madieu Williams is underwhelming in his two seasons as a Viking. He's just one of those players starting because no one has taken the job from him. On an otherwise outstanding defense he is a liability. Because of the situation at cornerback with Griffin and Winfield, if they don't get better play at free safety it will be a glaring weakness. On the strong side Tyrell Johnson has been inconsistent, but Jamarca Sanford stood out in limited time as a willing hitter. Eric Frampton, a restricted free agent, was retained for his work on special teams. A consistent tackler at the free safety spot will be sought in the draft's middle rounds.
Quarterback
The Wrangler jeans wearing, undecided on which television to buy fellow is going to play this season. It is only a matter of when he announces it. The question is what happens in 2011. Sage Rosenfels, the poor guy, thought he was going to compete for a starting role last year. Now he is barely even discussed as an option when people question if Favre is retiring. It's always about Tarvaris Jackson. Does anyone believe he has a future as a starter? When "Chilly" went with him in that playoff game two years ago over Gus Frerotte it took away any chance the team had of winning. They gave T-Jax a third round tender as a restricted free agent and no one took the bait. Even if this is not a great quarterback crop, the Vikings have to at least consider drafting someone.
Offensive Line
The Vikings have Adrian Peterson so they dominate running the football right? Right? Uh, not so much as it turns out. One of the reasons Favre was such a shot in the arm for their offense with his 4,202 passing yards is that the running game has been mediocre. Their average per rush (4.1) was the ninth lowest in the NFL, much worse than their rank (#13) in yards per game (119.9). The holes are not there for AD to blow through on a consistent basis, and that's usually about the guard/center spots. They lost super backup Hicks (Redskins) who helped at guard and tackle. Cook, a reserve all across the line basically, was given a third round tender as a restricted free agent which he signed. The starting center Sullivan did not have an easy time replacing Birk, who was a steady presence for years before leaving for Baltimore. Herrera has not been great at right guard, and with Hutchinson turning 33 during the season it makes sense for them to select a guard. It also makes sense to pick up a top center who can contribute at guard if unable to push Sullivan out of the starting role. Another tackle is also needed. McKinnie's antics are starting to get old, and with so many question marks along the line multiple additions are needed. Pinpointing their exact strategy is tough, but bolstering the depth is a must.
Linebacker
Greenway and Leber are both entering their contract year, never a good situation to be in on the outside. In the middle, Brinkley was forced into a starting role when E.J. Henderson broke his leg in December. Someone with a little positional versatility would help them deal with these situations. Ideally a future weak side starter is preferable since Leber will be 32 when they need to determine whether or not to give him another contract.
Defensive Tackle
I think I've been saying Pat Williams is about to retire for about four years now. Kennedy put his autograph on a two-year deal after working his way past Evans, a tendered free agent who signed it to stay this year, on the depth chart. They're not going to collapse without making an addition in the draft, but with Kennedy and Kevin Williams both 30 by opening day when is it time to plan for the future? I would love to see them make a bold move early and keep this run defense stout. Their situation at end is set, especially with the signing of Mike Montgomery (Packers). Any rookie tackle added to this mix would be going to a dream scenario.
Wide Receiver
It seems kind of strange to say this, but another receiver could be a consideration. Berrian was supposed to blow up with Favre at the helm. Instead, his production dipped considerably. The strangest part was his average dipping from 20.1 to 11.2. Other than Rice, they haven't really hit on a receiver since taking Moss in 1998. Harvin counts assuming he can quit getting headaches and fumbling away the season, but the need is for someone who can line up consistently outside.
Running Back
Very few things surprise me. Hearing they are moving Darius Reynaud to running back from wide receiver fit the bill. That's part of your plan to offset the loss of Chester Taylor (Bears) backing up Adrian Peterson? Yes, I know he was a high school running back. They apparently are confident in Albert Young, and that's okay. He did lead Iowa in rushing three straight years (2005-2007) right? More importantly he caught 77 passes over that span. The Vikings are putting a lot of pressure on an unknown, but I guess if you think about it he has more experience than a rookie. We all know that AD can get a case of the fumbles at any time, and being without a veteran stud to plug in when it happens could hurt them. His production (94 carries, 44 receptions) will be missed. The more I think about it, a redistribution of duties will help. Harvin might get more touches out of the backfield than his 15 as a rookie. Whatever they do, another "crash test dummy" to make sure Peterson isn't overworked if the Young/Reynaud experiment fails is a good idea. It could be a day 3 pick or even a rookie free agent.
