Thursday, after the Indianapolis Colts informed quarterback Andrew Luck that the Stanford product will be the first overall pick. Almost immediately after, Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman announced that his team has narrowed his options down to three players.
Spielman stated that Minnesota will choose one of three potential draftees if it doesn’t trade the third overall pick.
USC tackle Matt Kalil, Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon and LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne were mentioned as the three players.
Here, we break down how each player would fit with the Vikings.
Matt Kalil
In a Viking offense predicated on running the ball to set up the pass, Kalil may not be the best fit here.
Though he’s a great player and would hold down the fort for Christian Ponder on the blind side, the team runs enough play actions and waggles to keep Ponder upright anyway.
Either way, this pick would be the safest investment as the Vikings make a commitment to building from the inside out.
Probability of this pick: 2 in 3
Morris Claiborne
After Antoine Winfield, who is aging anyway, the Minnesota Vikings have an extraordinarily weak secondary.
Adding Claiborne, the man-covering corner from LSU, would shore up the defensive back corps for the team and help the team stop the pass.
The Vikings run a heavy Cover 3 package and Claiborne wouldn’t be utilized as well as he could be. After scoring a four on his Wonderlic, the question begs whether or not it’s a smart idea to try to have Claiborne adapt to scheme which he’s not familiar with.
Probability of this pick: 1 in 6
Justin Blackmon
All along, Blackmon’s been another option for the Minnesota Vikings because the team needs a receiver to take coverage off of Percy Harvin.
He’s not a max effort guy and he’s not physically imposing, but Blackmon does a lot of things right and could be a productive guy in the league.
I could see Blackmon being the Matt Forte of receivers—a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ type who can do it all from the wideout position.
Probability of this pick: 1 in 6
Analysis: The Vikings are seeking an offensive identity and need to build a high-powered passing attack if they want to compete with the likes of the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, all division rivals.
If the pick is not Kalil, Minnesota will be taking a huge risk on potential. Blackmon would be a good fit in the Viking offense as he can play both the slot and split end positions.
I can’t see the team going with Claiborne when they have the chance to add a top-notch prospect on the other side of the ball.
The consensus here is that the Vikings will go with Matt Kalil, but don’t be surprised with a Blackmon pick here. He’s a good player who could make waves for the team.