what QB should we draft at #8 assuming ALL are available

[King James]

Teddy Bridgewater = Jarmarcus Russell 2.0

[VikeMike]

I'm waning on Bridgewater ... I read one scouting report that called him "the most pro-ready" QB in the draft, but one who "struggles to stretch the field."
Sound familiar?

The more I read about any of the potential QBs, the more I'm inclined to take a LB or BPA in the first, or trade down and get more picks, and then take a quarterback in the second or third. Of course, it matters who is available when No. 8 comes up.

What's really great is we have another two months to speculate!!! (sarcasm).

[Mothman]

Mike Mayock discusses Bridgewater's pro day as well as some other draft stuff...

http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/vide ... 77992d8797

[dead_poet]

Mike Mayock discusses Bridgewater's pro day as well as some other draft stuff...

http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/vide ... 77992d8797

Thanks for the link. I thought Mayock's quote here was very important:

I'm trying not to have a knee-jerk reaction. Remember, the best quarterback pro day I ever saw in my life was JaMarcus Russell, and we all know how that turned out.

[Purple bruise]

Saint said,
"It's a "gamble" to take anyone. Teddy is no more a gamble than taking CJ Mosley or Justin Gilbert. But as far as QBs go, Teddy Bridgewater is smallest gamble in the draft.[/quote]

Of course it is a gamble to take any player, but I have to strongly disagree I would imagine that Robinson, Mack, Watkins, Gilbert, Matthews, Barr are all less risky than Bridgewater. As far as the least risk as a QB I would say that taking him as the 8th selection over say Garoppolo (2nd or 3rd) or Murray (3rd or 4th) is a much greater gamble. Time will tell but if the Vikes spend an 8th pick on Bridgewater and he fails then the team is set back another 2 years at the QB spot.

[PacificNorseWest]

I was going to mention Mayock's Russell comments, but couldn't find time to dig up the actual quotes. I remember that he, along with others, were head over heels for Jamarcus. "Experts" were clamoring that he was the best prospect since Elway and a can't miss kind of guy. This was all after his pro day. The game tape is, and always should be, the highest weighted factor for evaluating any quarterback.

I will agree though, that for an NFL caliber quarterback, you should still look good against air. In reality, pro days can do more harm than good when it comes to draft positioning.

[saint33]

Saint said,
"It's a "gamble" to take anyone. Teddy is no more a gamble than taking CJ Mosley or Justin Gilbert. But as far as QBs go, Teddy Bridgewater is smallest gamble in the draft.

Of course it is a gamble to take any player, but I have to strongly disagree I would imagine that Robinson, Mack, Watkins, Gilbert, Matthews, Barr are all less risky than Bridgewater. As far as the least risk as a QB I would say that taking him as the 8th selection over say Garoppolo (2nd or 3rd) or Murray (3rd or 4th) is a much greater gamble. Time will tell but if the Vikes spend an 8th pick on Bridgewater and he fails then the team is set back another 2 years at the QB spot.

First off, Mack, Watkins and Matthews are less of a gamble, I agree. But those are 3 players that I expect to be gone before 8. The same with Robinson, I expect him to be gone. However with Robinson and Barr, I see Bridgewater as less of a gamble. Robinson and Barr are both very raw prospects, boom or bust types. They both have the natural size and ability, but both require significant development compared to say Matthews and Mack. As far as Gilbert goes, I think he's around the same gamble as Bridgewater, I evaluate their talents similarly. Bridgewater is not Andrew Luck like Gilbert is not Patrick Peterson. But they're both very good prospects worth a high investment.

yes if Teddy doesn't work out, we'll be set back at QB for a couple years but if you take a QB in a later round to develop as your franchise QB, the same could be said. Tarvaris Jackson was drafted in the 2nd round with that same mindset and held us back at QB for 3 or 4 years because he showed just enough signs for our coaching staff to believe he could progress.

The point is that Bridgewater is less of a gamble because he's a better prospect. Taking a guy like Garappolo or Murray may be a smaller investment, but there's also a smaller chance they succeed. With Bridgewater you're betting more money on a higher percentage bet. With a lower round rookie, you're putting less money in the pot, but the percentage of paying off is smaller. If you hit on either your payment is the same, but the odds of hitting on the higher pick are better than the odds of hitting on the lower pick.

And when your need at QB is as great as ours is, investing small money with the thought that "hey if we miss, it's no big deal, it's just a 2nd or 3rd or w.e." is misleading, because the odds are greater that you'll be investing another pick on a QB in the near future, and the more time and the more picks you use to find a QB start to add up.

[Angels Wings]

I voted Bortles but, I also would like to(if possible) trade back into the first and draft Kelvin Benjamin. 6'5"and 242 isn't anything to sneeze at...

[Decker85]

I would be completely fine with bridgewater or carr.

[PurpleKoolaid]

Teddy Bridgewater = Jarmarcus Russell 2.0

Some of the things you say. I cant even reply or I would be banned. Again. But have you seen a single game Teddy has played? Even a highlight reel? And yet you like AJ? Who might go in the 3rd?

[King James]

Some of the things you say. I cant even reply or I would be banned. Again. But have you seen a single game Teddy has played? Even a highlight reel? And yet you like AJ? Who might go in the 3rd?

Oh please don't saying anything mean to me!!! I don't want you to get banned.

But seriously, I've seen plenty of games from Bridgewater. I just don't believe he is worth the hype he is getting. As for AJ, just because he won't go in the 1st doesn't mean he won't be successful as a starter in the NFL.

[sonicology]

Lets just say at least 2 of the top 3 QBs are available when we pick. Say we like them both. Behind us there isn't a team likely to take a QB until maybe Arizona at 20...

Makes sense, provided we're committed to drafting a QB in the first; personally I'd rather see us draft a defensive player.

As for AJ, just because he won't go in the 1st doesn't mean he won't be successful as a starter in the NFL.

If he's still there in the third, I'd be happy to see him playing in purple and gold next season.

[S197]

I voted Bortles but, I also would like to(if possible) trade back into the first and draft Kelvin Benjamin. 6'5"and 242 isn't anything to sneeze at...

Had Benjamin run faster I think a lot of teams would be interested. I think this 40 times drops him into the 2nd round.

[saint33]

Had Benjamin run faster I think a lot of teams would be interested. I think this 40 times drops him into the 2nd round.

I would be shocked if he fell into the 2nd round. I have him as my 3rd WR on my board, and couldn't see him being any lower than 6th, and 6 WRs should be taken in the 1st round

[Angels Wings]

Unless he projects to be Mike Williams, I agree that I doubt he falls that far....