Minnesota Vikings Draft Recap

When the words, “Percy Harvin” came out of Commissioner Goodell’s mouth, the room was deflated at my draft party. We were all expecting Michael Oher, Offensive Tackle from Mississippi, to be the Vikings building block for offensive line dominance. As with getting center Matt Birk in free Agency, the Ravens will be operating with 2/5 of a Vikings “should have been” offensive line.

TThe Minnesota Vikings drafted #22, Percy Harvin, Wide Receiver from Florida. At #54 in the second round, the Vikings drafted Phil Loadholt, a monster tackle from Oklahoma weighing in at 334 pounds and 6’ 8” tall. With the addition of Loadholt, it is easier to swallow for Viking fans knowing that we secured a tackle and may reap rewards with the talented Harvin. Hopefully, Harvin’s off-field issues will not emerge anytime soon.

The next three picks for the Vikings were solid selections that will compliment a top ten NFL defense. I like the next three defensive picks. Asher Allen, cornerback from Georgia, may see time in nickel packages in his first year. Jasper Brinkley, linebacker out of South Carolina, may get a back up role and special teams. He may emerge as a stop-gap tough linebacker that the Vikings need. Jamarca Sanford, safety from Mississippi, should add some depth to the backfield if he makes the team. The key to all three players is the lack of speed which led to their late round status in the NFL draft.

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Covering the draft, I thought I was watching comedy central observing the demise of the Oakland Raiders. Al Davis continues to drive his organization into the ground. Instead of trading down for more picks, the Raiders reached for Darrius Heywood-Bey. Then to supply more surprise, they reached for Mike Mitchell who had the ESPN analysts looking for drafting books and film footage. Word is out that most draft analysts consider this a desperate reach in the midst of plenty talent in the second round. All the rest of the Raiders prospects are speed-driven gambles or projects.

By Marty Beil
ProFootball-fans.com Minnesota Vikings Correspondent