Vikings 2019 Draft Class Review

[Husker Vike]

Good discussion,I gave a B grade.I loved the Bradbury pick,more than ok with Smith jr pick ,very unsure on the Mattison pick really liked Samia pick ,ok with Cameron Smith pick, really like the Watts pick . Don't know much about Epps or Udoh or Boyd, Mithchell could surprise.

[CharVike]

could only imagine where that D came from we could’ve landed 8 first round picks and there’s always a bitter fan. Can’t please everyone I guess. Some guys are really taking these trade downs to heart. Some of you guys do realize that if you trade down in the 3rd, there’s no way you get a first round pick in return right? We trade down to get our RB and use a pick we got in the trade down to move up to land Samia. Good move if you ask me

The trade downs didn't net a thing. IMO having 10 7th round picks versus a couple 2nd rounders I would take the 2nd rounders. I didn't see one post stating trade down and get a first. Most of the frustration is why would a team want a bunch of 6th and 7th round picks? It would be fine if we are a dominate team. We need impact players and IMO it's much easier to find them in the beginning than at the end. We don't need a bunch of scruffs for the practice squad and that's if you pick well with these low picks. This is the most I've been frustrated with Rick. He wanted air time and couldn't do the correct thing to get it. But we all have a different view on what's correct.

[PurpleTears]

I agree more with Percy. We may not yet have shown a record of a "dominant team". But we do have the roster of one on the D side and the Salary Cap space of one on the O side. As such, if we can get a couple same year contributors out of draft on rookie contracts, which we did IMO in Rd 1 and 2, the rest have to be cheap lottery hits to fill roster out. If we hit, Great, and best way to improve lottery shot is more tickets. None in 4, 5, 6, 7 are good bets to make roster we have outside of oline depth, so you buy a bunch of tickets and hope you can hit the big one on a dollar bet, which is what we can afford to wager now.

[Pondering Her Percy]

could only imagine where that D came from we could’ve landed 8 first round picks and there’s always a bitter fan. Can’t please everyone I guess. Some guys are really taking these trade downs to heart. Some of you guys do realize that if you trade down in the 3rd, there’s no way you get a first round pick in return right? We trade down to get our RB and use a pick we got in the trade down to move up to land Samia. Good move if you ask me

The trade downs didn't net a thing. IMO having 10 7th round picks versus a couple 2nd rounders I would take the 2nd rounders. I didn't see one post stating trade down and get a first. Most of the frustration is why would a team want a bunch of 6th and 7th round picks? It would be fine if we are a dominate team. We need impact players and IMO it's much easier to find them in the beginning than at the end. We don't need a bunch of scruffs for the practice squad and that's if you pick well with these low picks. This is the most I've been frustrated with Rick. He wanted air time and couldn't do the correct thing to get it. But we all have a different view on what's correct.

Ok? You aren’t trading down to get a couple 2nds either. He was trading down in the 3rd. What do you think trading down in the 3rd warrants in compensation? Look at teams that traded down in the 3rd and let me know what they got in return. Unless you’re dropping 15+ picks, your compensation is going to be 6th round picks. Not 1sts, not 2nds, not even 4ths unless you’re picking in the early 3rd

[YikesVikes]

1. You are trying to fix Mattison's slow time by using his pro day numbers? Are you serious. No one takes pro day numbers seriously. He ran a 4.67 at the combine with Lazer times but some how improved a few weeks later over .15 of a sec How can you compare his pro day to other guys combine. He's Slow... Face it.

2. The Bears have an average group of Wrs? Robinson is as good as the guys we have. I too prefer our guys. Gabriel is a perfect weapon for what they need. Miller is a talented guy who is still young. They don't have 2 top guys but their corps was already set with 3 guys. They still added a 4th. We don't have a 3rd. Their corps is better than ours before and after the draft.

3. Watts has potential. He won't make the team. DTs: Johnson, Joesph, Holmes Stephan's. He's not making the team over those 4 guys. So I guess you are assuming they are going to keep 5 DT. That would require one less DE. We will be keeping Hunter, Griffen, Weatherly, Bowser, Ogenigbo, and Aruna. That's going to be Tuff.

What's the point of just agreeing with everything the Vikings do. The point of a messageboard is to give YOUR opinion. You sound like the Vikings Media Network. How do YOU feel? That's what we care to know about. We don't care to hear from a guy that changes his opinion to mirror the Vikings. Take a stand on your own beliefs. Stop parrotting the Vikings.

[YikesVikes]

The trade downs didn't net a thing. IMO having 10 7th round picks versus a couple 2nd rounders I would take the 2nd rounders. I didn't see one post stating trade down and get a first. Most of the frustration is why would a team want a bunch of 6th and 7th round picks? It would be fine if we are a dominate team. We need impact players and IMO it's much easier to find them in the beginning than at the end. We don't need a bunch of scruffs for the practice squad and that's if you pick well with these low picks. This is the most I've been frustrated with Rick. He wanted air time and couldn't do the correct thing to get it. But we all have a different view on what's correct.

Ok? You aren’t trading down to get a couple 2nds either. He was trading down in the 3rd. What do you think trading down in the 3rd warrants in compensation? Look at teams that traded down in the 3rd and let me know what they got in return. Unless you’re dropping 15+ picks, your compensation is going to be 6th round picks. Not 1sts, not 2nds, not even 4ths unless you’re picking in the early 3rd

We dropped 21 spots. Had we just taken that. That's worth a 4th

[Bigwehrm]

1st- Garrett Bradbury- C/NC State

2nd- Irv Smith Jr.- TE/Alabama

3rd- Alexander Mattison- RB/Boise St.

4th- Dru Samia- OG/Oklahoma

5th- Cameron Smith- LB/USC

6th (1)- Armon Watta- DT/Arkansas

6th (2)- Marcus Epps- S/Wyoming

6th (3)- Oni Udoh- OT/Elon

7th (1)- Kris Boyd- CB/Texas

7th (2)- Dillon Mitchell- WR/Oregon

7th (3)- Olabisi Johnson- WR/Colorado St.

7th (4)- Austin Cutting- LS/Air Force'

UDFA (known so far)- Jake Browning- QB/Washington


Overall, I love this draft. I thought we landed some immediate impact players early on and got great value throughout the middle to late rounds. Guys keep barking about the trade downs but again, if they aren't in love with someone, why not go back and add one extra player to this roster. Blown away that Zim went offense with the first 4 picks. Either way, I give this draft an A. This is a draft that can improve this offense immediately. And given the value we got late, we very well could have filled some holes on defense.

I could give this draft an A- if our 3rd rd pick was McGovern, still took Samia in the 4th. Then took Dexter Williams from Notre Dame in the area he went. Just my 2 cents.

[808vikingsfan]

Again, FALSE regarding him being "slower than muh(any?) better bigger back" or being "slow" in general.

Mattison ran multiple times at his pro day and ran a top time of 4.52 and didn't have a run slower than 4.57.

Alexander Mattison- 4.52-4.57 (at pro day)
Leveon Bell- 4.60
Leonard Fournette- 4.51
James Conner- 4.65
Nick Chubb- 4.52
Mark Ingram- 4.53
Derrick Henry- 4.54
Marlon Mack- 4.50
Josh Jacobs- 4.52-4.56 (at pro day)
Melvin Gordon- 4.52
David Johnson- 4.50
Aaron Jones- 4.56
Kerryon Johnson- 4.54
Devonta Freeman- 4.58
Todd Gurley- 4.52 (analysts calculated with game tape since he didn't run)
Chris Carson- 4.58
Jordan Howard- 4.58
David Montgomery - 4.63

Thats 17 starters in the NFL. A few teams I didn't even consider because I don't know who their starter is (KC, Wash, TB, SF). Mattison is either faster than the guys above or near the same compared to them. And that's me addressing every teams NFL starter for the most part. Not just "better bigger backs". So you saying that he's slower than those guys or in general is also 100% false. Not sure why you and others keep fighting that battle.

The one measurement that is being brought up is Mattison's 10yd split. He had an excellent time at 1.51 (3rd among all RBs). So he has an excellent burst of speed to hit holes. He was also 3rd in missed tackles and never fumbles. AFWIW, I think #2RB was much more important for this team this year than #3WR, especially with Murray gone.

[Pondering Her Percy]

Ok? You aren’t trading down to get a couple 2nds either. He was trading down in the 3rd. What do you think trading down in the 3rd warrants in compensation? Look at teams that traded down in the 3rd and let me know what they got in return. Unless you’re dropping 15+ picks, your compensation is going to be 6th round picks. Not 1sts, not 2nds, not even 4ths unless you’re picking in the early 3rd

We dropped 21 spots. Had we just taken that. That's worth a 4th

Right but all at different times. Again you have no idea what their board looked like. I’m sure if they knew they’d be moving 21 spots they’d take a 4th. Something unpredictable happened along the lines there. Either way, his argument wasn’t a 4th. It was a 2nd.

[Pondering Her Percy]

1st- Garrett Bradbury- C/NC State

2nd- Irv Smith Jr.- TE/Alabama

3rd- Alexander Mattison- RB/Boise St.

4th- Dru Samia- OG/Oklahoma

5th- Cameron Smith- LB/USC

6th (1)- Armon Watta- DT/Arkansas

6th (2)- Marcus Epps- S/Wyoming

6th (3)- Oni Udoh- OT/Elon

7th (1)- Kris Boyd- CB/Texas

7th (2)- Dillon Mitchell- WR/Oregon

7th (3)- Olabisi Johnson- WR/Colorado St.

7th (4)- Austin Cutting- LS/Air Force'

UDFA (known so far)- Jake Browning- QB/Washington


Overall, I love this draft. I thought we landed some immediate impact players early on and got great value throughout the middle to late rounds. Guys keep barking about the trade downs but again, if they aren't in love with someone, why not go back and add one extra player to this roster. Blown away that Zim went offense with the first 4 picks. Either way, I give this draft an A. This is a draft that can improve this offense immediately. And given the value we got late, we very well could have filled some holes on defense.

I could give this draft an A- if our 3rd rd pick was McGovern, still took Samia in the 4th. Then took Dexter Williams from Notre Dame in the area he went. Just my 2 cents.

That wouldn’t have been a bad approach either. I would’ve liked that too

[Pondering Her Percy]

Again, FALSE regarding him being "slower than muh(any?) better bigger back" or being "slow" in general.

Mattison ran multiple times at his pro day and ran a top time of 4.52 and didn't have a run slower than 4.57.

Alexander Mattison- 4.52-4.57 (at pro day)
Leveon Bell- 4.60
Leonard Fournette- 4.51
James Conner- 4.65
Nick Chubb- 4.52
Mark Ingram- 4.53
Derrick Henry- 4.54
Marlon Mack- 4.50
Josh Jacobs- 4.52-4.56 (at pro day)
Melvin Gordon- 4.52
David Johnson- 4.50
Aaron Jones- 4.56
Kerryon Johnson- 4.54
Devonta Freeman- 4.58
Todd Gurley- 4.52 (analysts calculated with game tape since he didn't run)
Chris Carson- 4.58
Jordan Howard- 4.58
David Montgomery - 4.63

Thats 17 starters in the NFL. A few teams I didn't even consider because I don't know who their starter is (KC, Wash, TB, SF). Mattison is either faster than the guys above or near the same compared to them. And that's me addressing every teams NFL starter for the most part. Not just "better bigger backs". So you saying that he's slower than those guys or in general is also 100% false. Not sure why you and others keep fighting that battle.

The one measurement that is being brought up is Mattison's 10yd split. He had an excellent time at 1.51 (3rd among all RBs). So he has an excellent burst of speed to hit holes. He was also 3rd in missed tackles and never fumbles. AFWIW, I think #2RB was much more important for this team this year than #3WR, especially with Murray gone.

Exactly what I’m saying. He has great burst and league average speed but guys are just saying he’s “slow”. That’s completely false

[S197]

I think this is a pretty fair assessment:

https://www.walterfootball.com/nfldraftgradesteam.php

[StumpHunter]

I think this is a pretty fair assessment:

https://www.walterfootball.com/nfldraftgradesteam.php

Pretty fair. I hate when analyst call a pick a reach though. It was a reach based on a bunch of non NFL GMs boards. That is not the gold standard of a players draft rank. Where they are actually drafted is, as well as how they actually play in the NFL compared to others drafted after them.

[StpViking]

I graded the draft a C. They took the safe, predictable route by drafting for need. There were definitely better options at their first 2 picks, but Rick and his staff went for need. That at least should make half the members of this board happy.

The end goal will always be the franchise first Super Bowl trophy. I just don't know if playing it safe will lift a franchise that has a long history of not being good enough.

[Pondering Her Percy]

I think this is a pretty fair assessment:

https://www.walterfootball.com/nfldraftgradesteam.php

Pretty fair. I hate when analyst call a pick a reach though. It was a reach based on a bunch of non NFL GMs boards. That is not the gold standard of a players draft rank. Where they are actually drafted is, as well as how they actually play in the NFL compared to others drafted after them.

Agreed. NFL.com draft grades had Mattison being a good pick and had him as a projected 4th rounder. Walter football has it as a reach and say he was a projected 5th. It's not like WF is very reliable anyways. But all the grades I have seen for our draft from any analyst ranges between A and B. I find it funny whoever graded our draft as an F has stayed quiet. I'm very happy with the draft. Solid picks early and good value late. Not often can you say that.