Minnesota Sports Forum

I have not looked at sleeper QBs. Partly because I honestly can't decide after Mayfield to rank any of them. The other part is we are set at QB.

Bleeds Mock Draft.

Using Fanspeak and Fanspeak board from 4/10 I went forward with the draft.

Round 1:
I likey would trade back from this position. I would have a list of guys that would force me to keep the pick vs trade it. Run on OL really left me with limited options. I debated Goedert for us at that point as TE of the future.

THE PICK:
I go with BILLY PRICE-G. Elfein's teamate at Ohio State. Price is one of the rare offensive line prospects who can claim starting experience at all three interior positions. Offensive line coaches will love that, as well as the fact that he plays every snap like he's out for blood. Price is as aggressive an offensive line prospect as there is in this draft.

ROUND 2:
I was debating Goedert as my first pick. Guess what. Goedert is still there. I debate briefly on drafting Frank Ragnow since he was available.

THE PICK
DALLAS GOEDERT-TE. One of the best offensive playmakers in the draft, Goedert is a weapon both before and after the catch. He has the size and body control to make spectacular catches and also the athleticism to create after the catch as he tied for the national lead with 12 missed tackles forced and averaging a gaudy 8.2 yards after the catch per reception last season. Goedert dominated FCS competition but also showed well when facing FBS teams during his career, and he has offensive mismatch potential at the next level. He is a guy Kirk and our OC will love.

Round 3:
I can't believe it. Frank falls to me here. Glad to take him and he will start at LG or RG.

THE PICK
FRANK RAGNOW-G/C fell and I took him. Ragnow doesn't have the rare physical traits that Nelson possesses, but he's been arguably as dominant when healthy over the past couple seasons. He's been PFF's top-graded center in back-to-back seasons despite being only limited to 415 snaps this past year. In 2,603 collegiate snaps, Ragnow did not allow a single sack.


Round 4:

No pick. This is round lots of good player go off the board. FRED WARNER went off the board. OREN BURKS is still on board and one of my 3 LB's I want.

Round 5: It gets really hard after this to find solid players. It seems like players in rounds 3-5 are pretty equal for most positions. SKAI MOORE-LBis top rated coverage LB and he is available. JEREMY REAVES-S is available and is a productive ballhawk tackling machine that is on the smallish and slowish side. TROY FUMAGALLI-TE is sitting there, but we picked a TE. BRANDON PARKER-LT is a small-school sleeper in this offensive line class, Parker used an impressive week of practice at the Senior Bowl to prove he can hang with top competition. A massive blocker with long arms and a solid combination of athleticism, balance and technique, Parker turned more than a few heads down in Mobile. A four-year starter at left tackle, Parker was rarely penalized, and often dominated whichever defender had the misfortune of lining up against him. ALLEN LAZRD-WR was tempting here too. .

THE PICK
OREN BURKS-LB from Vanderbilt. A former safety who is a good cover LB. Good player to develop that has skills to become a starter. 6-3 233lbs with 4.5 speed.

Round 6:

Things get interesting here. We have 3 picks: RYAN NALL was on my list. Nall clocked in with a 4.58-second 40-yard dash and added a strong 6.95-second mark in the 3-cone drill. A bit of a sleeper prospect, Nall was a candidate to boost his stock with a strong workout in Indianapolis. Considering Nall's status as a "big back" at 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds, his ability to run a sub-4.6 40 and place among the top running backs in an agility drill like the 3-cone is impressive. Nall's workout numbers support the production he had in college. He can catch the ball and could be a FB that can carry for short yards and be a threat in the passing game. He was very good at getting yards after contact and shedding tackles.

THE PICKS:

ALLEN LAZRD-WR fell and I picked him. At 6-5 230lb big target who excel at moving the chains and imposing their will in the red zone, and Lazard is among the best in the group. With a huge frame and massive catch radius, Lazard makes life difficult for smaller defensive backs, both at the line of scrimmage and the catch point. Ran a 4.5 40 and likes catching over the middle.

PHILLIP LINDSAY-RB. Small fast 3 down back with 4.3 speed and 5'8" and 190lbs. Productive runner, receiver, and pass blocker. Change of pace back to replace McKinnon.

PARRY NICKERSON-CB - Hidden gem. 6'0" and 180lbs that ran 4.32 40-yard dash at the NFL combine ans has four years of strong production under his belt from a PFF standpoint. He's graded at 80.0-plus in three of his four seasons at Tulane, flashing impressive ball skills that saw him pick off 16 passes and deflect 25 on 240 career targets. Nickerson has a few spectacular plays on tape in which the speed shows up in a big way, and when combined with his ability to play the ball in the air, Nickerson has the tools to make an impact on the outside. He capped his career with his two highest grades (84.2 in 2016, 85.7 last season), allowing only 45 percent of targets to be completed into his coverage while allowing only two touchdowns to go with 10 interceptions. Depth candidate for Zimmer to develop.

7th Round

Things get tough here. I like JOHN FRANKLIN Myers as a project a DT. TEGRAY SCALES-LB was productive at Indiana, but is undersized and slow. WR's RICHIE JAMES and JAVON WIMS look like good options too. TROY APKE-S has size and 4.3 speed without enough experience and production.

THE PICK
JALEN DAVIS-CB - Has 4.4 speed and production. Can play both inside and out. Davis was a combine snub largely due to his lack of size, but he showed well athletically at his pro day with a 36-inch vertical and 40-yard dash times in the 4.4s. On the field, Davis is a ballhawk who looks to make plays on the ball and has excellent ball skills when he gets there, as proven by his five interceptions along with his 12 passes broken up in 2017. Opposing quarterbacks didn't have much success targeting Davis in 2017 and his 30.5 passer rating when targeted ranked third among all draft-eligible cornerbacks. Also had 4 sacks and one forced fumble in 2017. Someone for Zimmer to develop.

SUMMARY
1: R1P30 G BILLY PRICE OHIO STATE
2: R2P30 TE DALLAS GOEDERT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
3: R3P30 C FRANK RAGNOW ARKANSAS
4: R5P30 LB OREN BURKS VANDERBILT
5: R6P30 WR ALLEN LAZARD IOWA STATE
6: R6P39 RB PHILLIP LINDSAY COLORADO
7: R6P44 CB PARRY NICKERSON TULANE
8. R7P7 CB JALEN DAVIS UTAH STATE

What ESPN Mock has for us in first 3 rounds.

Minnesota Vikings
Round 1 (30): Isaiah Wynn, OG, Georgia
Round 2 (62): Ian Thomas, TE, Indiana
Round 3 (94): Avonte Maddox, CB, Pittsburgh


With Joe Berger's retirement, Minnesota has a need at guard (or tackle if Mike Remmers plays inside). Wynn is a college left tackle who will likely shift inside. He's a complete player and would be a nice addition. Thomas is a good blocker and average pass-catcher who would provide depth behind Kyle Rudolph. Maddox is a small (5-9, 184), twitchy cover corner.

I would love Wynn. I don't see him lasting that long.
Not as big a fan of Ian Thomas
Maddow seems like a huge reach and I think Parry Nickerson and Jalen Davis are better prospects.

The Vikings update thinks the Vikings could look to trade down if a QB drops or Lamar Jackson is there and team want to trade up to get him etc. It makes sense unless there is a guy they really want. Your mock draft looks good I'll take it. Call the NFL and tell them how you want it to go down. :)

monsterpile wrote:The Vikings update thinks the Vikings could look to trade down if a QB drops or Lamar Jackson is there and team want to trade up to get him etc. It makes sense unless there is a guy they really want. Your mock draft looks good I'll take it. Call the NFL and tell them how you want it to go down. :)

I would trade down. It seems like the tier 1/2 guys are all in first 20-25 picks and then tier 3 goes from there to 120-150 range. To me, the key is knowing how many players you like at a position. It should be interesting. I like some of the late CB's in this draft. I am not as worried about size as some if they have shown to be ballhawks and are solid tacklers.

bleedspeed177 wrote:What ESPN Mock has for us in first 3 rounds.

Minnesota Vikings
Round 1 (30): Isaiah Wynn, OG, Georgia
Round 2 (62): Ian Thomas, TE, Indiana
Round 3 (94): Avonte Maddox, CB, Pittsburgh


With Joe Berger's retirement, Minnesota has a need at guard (or tackle if Mike Remmers plays inside). Wynn is a college left tackle who will likely shift inside. He's a complete player and would be a nice addition. Thomas is a good blocker and average pass-catcher who would provide depth behind Kyle Rudolph. Maddox is a small (5-9, 184), twitchy cover corner.

I would love Wynn. I don't see him lasting that long.
Not as big a fan of Ian Thomas
Maddow seems like a huge reach and I think Parry Nickerson and Jalen Davis are better prospects.

It does seem that the Vikes are waiting to draft at least 1 if not 2 Oline guys in the first 3-4 rounds. The holes at guard and the depth overall is a concern of mine.

Lol another Tight End. We've taken a TE in every draft from 15' to present. How many TE's do we need to go through when we already have Rudolph and our blocker Morgan?

khans2k5 wrote:Lol another Tight End. We've taken a TE in every draft from 15' to present. How many TE's do we need to go through when we already have Rudolph and our blocker Morgan?

The Vikings seem to love TEs no matter who the coach is or who is in charge. It's supposed to be a really good draft for TEs so...idk I thought Blake Bell looked pretty solid last year before getting injured. It seems like even if they don't draft someone they add some exciting undrafted player etc. I still remember the outcry from fans when they drafted Rhett Ellison. That turned out to be a pretty good pick and he had a nice season with the Giants last year after getting a very nice contract.

khans2k5 wrote:Lol another Tight End. We've taken a TE in every draft from 15' to present. How many TE's do we need to go through when we already have Rudolph and our blocker Morgan?

Kirk's best QB ratings are with multiple TE's. John DeFilippo likes to use TE's and Kle Rudolph will turn 30 in 2019 and cost us 8M in salary. Not a bad idea to add another TE to the roster and honestly, the smart teams know how much a weapon they are if you have the right talent.

bleedspeed177 wrote:

khans2k5 wrote:Lol another Tight End. We've taken a TE in every draft from 15' to present. How many TE's do we need to go through when we already have Rudolph and our blocker Morgan?

Kirk's best QB ratings are with multiple TE's. John DeFilippo likes to use TE's and Kle Rudolph will turn 30 in 2019 and cost us 8M in salary. Not a bad idea to add another TE to the roster and honestly, the smart teams know how much a weapon they are if you have the right talent.

I would just argue the lack of depth we have at several positions means we just can't luxury pick a TE so early in the draft. We need another edge rusher, corner, safety, LB and interior line. I would prioritize all of those over another TE. We have so many receivers that we need to figure out how to utilize them all and not run just Thielen or just Thielen and Diggs for most of the game. Use the resources you have and fill your needs before you start picking for luxury. Every year has been a "good" TE draft for like the last half dozen years and then most of them don't end up being game changers like a Gronk or Kelce.