Months of speculation, debate and attention conclude in three days. Now the draft's done and the work up to the NFL season begins, for the players. I get to check out from the Vikings for a while. Can't say I'm disappointed by it but I know by the time July & August roll around I'll be all in again. Before the intermission, gotta recap & rapid fire my takes on who the Vikes took & abstained from taking.
Round 2
Dalvin Cook
Kind of like finding a toy at the top of a box of cereal or a million dollars or a new iphone or practically anything else that shouldn't be where it is but with a little work is attainable. After making the wise choice and doing nothing on day one, they got the next hall of fame running back. Okay, maybe I should pump the brakes on that a little bit...until after week 1...of the preseason. All kidding aside, he's the jewel of the draft and pretty much guaranteed that it would be more successful then the 2016 draft was for the Vikings!
Round 3
Round 3 is where the Vikings theme for the weekend really began to come into focus - trade. Up or down, this team or that one, just make trades. It was a comedy show without trying to be, but made for an extra reason to pay attention. There were also players taken during the malestrom of trade reports and the one in the third round may be as significant for the Vikings in the Fall as Cook will be.
Pat Elflein
A Center with guard potential. Not sexy. Not flashy. Substantive & incredibly significant. Should probably have already been penciled in as the starter 24 hours ago. The second pick of the draft may seem high for a Center but if he has a career like Matt Birk or John Sullivan did then there will only be positives to say about it.
Round 4
Round 4 is the point at which I started to really hope for specific players at positions of need. Not that I wasn't during two & three but I like the underdog angle of the later picks and really liked some of the possibilities. Desmond King, Anthony Walker & Brad Seaton were the players that I was most intrigued with and disappointed by their being skipped by the Norsemen. But sometimes it requires trust that they got it right and that's what I'm trying to go with!
Jaleel Johnson & Ben Gedeon
I'd never heard of either of these two but had Defensive Tackle & Linebacker on my big board of needs so Zimmer gets a couple more toy's to play (and destroy Aaron Rodgers) with a few months from now. Coaching em up & having them join the rotations is the best outcome.
Round 5
Rodney Adams & Danny Isidora
I personally didn't think that receiver was enough of a priority to use a draft pick on the position, but with all the extra currency that was acquired, swinging for some depth at the position makes sense.
As for Isidora, he'll initially just be around for the sake of competition. If he develops to the point of deserving playing time, terrific. If nothing else, he will be of benefit to the entire offense just through competition.
Round 6
Bucky Hodges
I would really like to overlook the fact that he calls himself Bucky, but I just can't. It's not as bad as a grown man going by Danny or Jimmy or Stewie or something as a primary name but it's not better by very much. There is more to a player then this name though so I'll try to get past it.
He's got Tackle size and was a productive offensive weapon in college but he's at best a less talented version of Kyle Rudolph so it'll fall on Morgan to be the primary blocker of the group. Can't expect a complete player to be available in the sixth, without serious personal concerns and it does make sense to err on the side of scoring over blocking. Only time will tell if he was worth the pick though.
Round 7
The seventh round may be GM Spielman's favorite. They only kept four picks in the round but at one point had more then that. I think I'd have better luck trying to untangle string then trying to succinctly grasp everything that happened with just the seventh round picks. But I do understand this much, the Vikings finished the draft strong and seemed to have carried that over into the scrum. If that becomes the norm for the team, I wouldn't have any complaints about it!
Stacy Coley
The beginning of the end was much more rapid then the beginning of the beginning. The Cane averaged over 10 yards a catch and has true 4.4 speed. Whether he stands out during workouts won't be known for a while but he'll get a chance to stick.
Ifeadi Odenigbo
A tackle or end who's best route to future success with the Vikings will be through the practice squad this season and improving enough to break in next year. That's the most positive way things can work for him and the rest of the team.
Elijah Lee
Lee may have the best chance of getting onto the 53 man roster this year because of the uncertainty surrounding the linebacking corp. It's a long shot but I'd favor him over the rest of the seventh rounders.
Jack Tocho
Sorry to say it but as a Corner his only shot would be via the practice squad. If the plan is to convert him to Safety, it may improve his future odds but that's what I wanted Desmond King for and no I don't plan to just let it go. Tocho may prove to be back up worthy and has four years of experience to draw from already but the odds of him becoming more then a reserve are unlikely.
In conclusion, the Vikings got at least two players who I think will get starter level snaps with two or three others that may contribute meaningfully in the 2017 season. If it indeed works out that way it would be a much needed and much more expected result from the tundra operators. The perception will be strongly effected by the rookie rushers decision making but no matter how great his star becomes he will not be the only to impact whether it is a success or not.
Congratulations to each of them on the start of the next step in their professions! Learn quickly to think about the things you do, before you do them!