The Vikings will likely draft a wide receiver, but who?

[Texas Vike]

I'd be quite upset if we go in hoping we can find another WR like Diggs in the 5th. Those aren't easy to find and rarely are there any sitting there. We have upgraded our line but this is a deep oline class and you can find very good OL in the middle rounds still. There isn't a safety that warrants a first round pick in this draft. So yes, this is why I think WR is a big need. 2nd round at the latest IMO. We have a young QB. You have to give him some weapons on the outside.

Look at how he played in college when Parker was his go-to guy. Big jump ball WR that can make the big play and a guy he trusts and has good chemistry with. Diggs can make some big plays but he isn't a huge redzone target and isn't a jump ball WR. I would say we lost our minds if we took a WR any later than the 2nd. I really don't want to sit around and hope some 4th rounder develops into something good. Teddy needs weapons and needs that big guy on the outside that fits Turners offense (Vincent Jackson, Josh Gordon, etc.) Our alternative to that is Charles Johnson and that doesnt cut it IMO.

Whoever said we don't need to go WR if BOTH Treadwell and Doctson are there is out of their tree! Treadwell was the nations best WR. Just like I thought the same when Hopkins came out and we passed on him and he's putting up huge numbers with a bunch of delinquents at QB. We can't afford to pass on another guy like that IMO and both Treadwell and Doctson are being compared to him due to their "non-blazing speed", catching ability and route running.

DIggs could be considered a number 1 but is much better suited as a #2 with a big complement on the outside with him and Wright in the slot. That sounds a hell of a lot better than the guys we have thats for sure.

Everyone is so worried about catching another Patterson in the first but Patterson was a gadget guy from the start, dumber than a box of rocks and only played 1 season of legit college ball. Treadwell has been consistently good for a few years now and Doctson is arguably the best deep ball WR in the country. It's a no brainer IMO

Nice post. I agree entirely. I also think that the OL stunk so bad last year that it has posters over-reacting, thinking that it is the only position that needs attention. Well, it does need attention, which it's received in FA and which I hope it continues to receive in the draft. But it's not the only position that needs attention. In FA we LOST a WR and we were somewhat weak to begin with (even WITH Wallace), so we definitely need a WR in rounds 1 or 2 IMO.

[mansquatch]

IMO, the draft is ALWAYS an either / or proposition. At each pick you only get one player out of the entire class. So you are picking that one guy over all the others.

The point of my post above was to ask if incrementally adding a WR would benefit the team more than say adding a different Pass Rusher? I do not know the answer, but I think argument can be made that fixing the terrible OL might offer up more passing production than a new WR via the draft. As I outlined above it is likely that 4 of 5 positions on the OL will see a different face than the ones we saw in 2015. So does adding a WR on top of the line changes add a ton of value? I'm not sold on the idea that it does.

IMO, the Front Office indicated a similar point of view when they released Wallace.

All that being said, if a WR is BPA when we draft, then I hope they take him.

[Mothman]

As always, I think the team has to take the long view in the draft and focus on talent and fit more than how much a particular move will immediately improve production. That said, ideally, they'll be able to get some players who will provide an immediate boost and become long term "answers" at their positions.

As I see it, the biggest problem the Vikes face is a dysfunctional passing game with a very uncertain future. It's why I don't see them as an inevitable "team on the rise". At this point, it's not entirely clear who will be starting on the o-line or at WR in 2016, much less beyond I think the future of everything from QB to OL to WR looks pretty hazy past this upcoming season. Heck, even RB, since Peterson's contract makes his return in 2017 unlikely unless there's a renegotiation of that deal. Will McKinnon be ready to carry that load?

As we've discussed elsewhere, there are a lot of one year or final year contracts on the team. Kalil, Loadholt, Berger, Smith, Harris, Thielen, Johnson and Patterson could all conceivably be gone in 2017. Sullivan's signed through 2017 but depending on how he performs, he'd be an easy cut under the terms of his contract. It's likely that some of them will remain Vikings but it's not clear who or just how valuable they will still be to the team at that point.

They'd be perfectly justified in taking an OL or a WR in the first round. I would hope most of us can agree on that. I'm probably the only one who feels this way but i even think they'd be justified in taking a QB. Hill will be 37 in 2017 (would they sign him to a new deal at that point?) and as I've been saying since they drafted Jackson, I think it's a mistake for the franchise to keep putting all of their eggs in one QB basket. If, for example, Paxton Lynch were to get past the Rams and others and fall to the Vikes at #23, I'd seriously consider drafting him. I doubt Spielman will though and despite all the BPA talk around here, I doubt many Vikes fans would approve of a move like that either.

[fiestavike]

As always, I think the team has to take the long view in the draft and focus on talent and fit more than how much a particular move will immediately improve production. That said, ideally, they'll be able to get some players who will provide an immediate boost and become long term "answers" at their positions.

As I see it, the biggest problem the Vikes face is a dysfunctional passing game with a very uncertain future. It's why I don't see them as an inevitable "team on the rise". At this point, it's not entirely clear who will be starting on the o-line or at WR in 2016, much less beyond I think the future of everything from QB to OL to WR looks pretty hazy past this upcoming season. Heck, even RB, since Peterson's contract makes his return in 2017 unlikely unless there's a renegotiation of that deal. Will McKinnon be ready to carry that load?

As we've discussed elsewhere, there are a lot of one year or final year contracts on the team. Kalil, Loadholt, Berger, Smith, Harris, Thielen, Johnson and Patterson could all conceivably be gone in 2017. Sullivan's signed through 2017 but depending on how he performs, he'd be an easy cut under the terms of his contract. It's likely that some of them will remain Vikings but it's not clear who or just how valuable they will still be to the team at that point.

They'd be perfectly justified in taking an OL or a WR in the first round. I would hope most of us can agree on that. I'm probably the only one who feels this way but i even think they'd be justified in taking a QB. Hill will be 37 in 2017 (would they sign him to a new deal at that point?) and as I've been saying since they drafted Jackson, I think it's a mistake for the franchise to keep putting all of their eggs in one QB basket. If, for example, Paxton Lynch were to get past the Rams and others and fall to the Vikes at #23, I'd seriously consider drafting him. I doubt Spielman will though and despite all the BPA talk around here, I doubt many Vikes fans would approve of a move like that either.

I'm not sure about Lynch, but if Wentz/Goff freakishly fell to 23 I don't think we could pass him up...and I love Teddy! QB is too critical in the NFL today to not grab a guy who has a legitimate claim to being the best one in the draft. The downside is how the media and fanbase would react. It would probably make for a disaster unless they traded Teddy or The QB they just took. In a vacuum though, I would do it without hesitation. Practically its probably a bad idea.

But another guy I'd really like in the mid rounds, who wouldn't bring so much controversy is Vernon Adams.

[Mothman]

I'm not sure about Lynch, but if Wentz/Goff freakishly fell to 23 I don't think we could pass him up...and I love Teddy! QB is too critical in the NFL today to not grab a guy who has a legitimate claim to being the best one in the draft. The downside is how the media and fanbase would react. It would probably make for a disaster unless they traded Teddy or The QB they just took. In a vacuum though, I would do it without hesitation. Practically its probably a bad idea.

But another guy I'd really like in the mid rounds, who wouldn't bring so much controversy is Vernon Adams.

He's a pretty different type of prospect than Wentz, Goff or Lynch (or, say, a player like Cook). I'd view Adams as more like the long shot prospects the Vikes have typically taken to develop over the years. That isn't to say he couldn't develop into a good player, of course but I'm not 100% convinced he'll even be drafted and if he is, I'm guessing he'll go pretty late. Of course, I could be dead wrong about that.

I realize using a first or second round pick on a QB at this point would be seen as controversial but I don't think the team should ever let potential fan and media reaction keep them from making what could be a good football decision. Unconventional thinking might lead to some choppy waters but a good coach and GM should be able to navigate those waters. Practically speaking, I think that kind of move would be a very good idea (with the usual caveats about player evaluation). I believe the potential benefits outweigh the drawbacks but there would be drawbacks.

I'm glad you're open to the general idea! Not everyone is...

[mondry]

The best example of that working out recently was with RG3 and Cousins being drafted shortly after. I'm not against it if they feel come our pick the best player by a good margin is a QB but I do think it get's pretty hard to explain why your -starting- QB is still running for his life with mediocre weapons to attack with and your hall of fame running back still doesn't have any holes to run through so you can pick a guy to sit on the bench -in case- the starter fails. That's a little bit like fulfilling your own prophecy to me.

Every round after the first though I'd be more and more open to it. Shaun Hill isn't going to save our season if something happens to Teddy and with how fast and dangerous the game is these days (we saw teddy get knocked out!) I do think teams should be more willing to invest in trying to find a 2nd guy who has the potential to be better than the first guy but primarily can still win you some games if necessary.

The problem with that though is it's really expensive. To find a guy with as much or more potential as Teddy basically means a first rounder and probably one higher than we'll likely have going forward. So then you can look at a 2nd or 3rd round guy but then I think the quality of prospect goes way down because there are FAR more teams more desperate than us that need QB's who would be willing to invest a christan ponder like 12th overall pick on a mediocre guy.

I guess that's the long winded way of saying I wouldn't be against it but it doesn't seem likely nor does it seem like it's best move but who knows. I do think our team is "strong" enough now that you could spend a pick on a QB and it wouldn't be the end of the world, we still have what, 6+ picks to work with so if ONE being spent on a QB kills ya your team has bigger problems.

[Mothman]

The best example of that working out recently was with RG3 and Cousins being drafted shortly after. I'm not against it if they feel come our pick the best player by a good margin is a QB but I do think it get's pretty hard to explain why your -starting- QB is still running for his life with mediocre weapons to attack with and your hall of fame running back still doesn't have any holes to run through so you can pick a guy to sit on the bench -in case- the starter fails. That's a little bit like fulfilling your own prophecy to me.

There are lots of ways to look at it. In my view, it's not just "in case the starter fails", it's also "in case the starter can't play for an extended period of time".

Every round after the first though I'd be more and more open to it. Shaun Hill isn't going to save our season if something happens to Teddy and with how fast and dangerous the game is these days (we saw teddy get knocked out!) I do think teams should be more willing to invest in trying to find a 2nd guy who has the potential to be better than the first guy but primarily can still win you some games if necessary.

Exactly. We all acknowledge that QB is the most important position in the game and we all know it's not unusual for a QB to get injured and miss significant playing time. Why not make depth at that position more priority than afterthought?

The problem with that though is it's really expensive. To find a guy with as much or more potential as Teddy basically means a first rounder and probably one higher than we'll likely have going forward.

I don't think that's necessarily true. There are starters and Super Bowl winners who were drafted later than Bridgewater. I know you're a fan but he's not exactly the gold standard at QB.

So then you can look at a 2nd or 3rd round guy but then I think the quality of prospect goes way down because there are FAR more teams more desperate than us that need QB's who would be willing to invest a christan ponder like 12th overall pick on a mediocre guy.

I guess that's the long winded way of saying I wouldn't be against it but it doesn't seem likely nor does it seem like it's best move but who knows.

Oh, it's not likely at all. I just think the willingness to do so should be there. If the opportunity arises, it should get serious consideration. What may not look like the best move to people now could prove to be a prescient, highly beneficial move and short order... or not. There's always risk in the draft.

I do think our team is "strong" enough now that you could spend a pick on a QB and it wouldn't be the end of the world, we still have what, 6+ picks to work with so if ONE being spent on a QB kills ya your team has bigger problems.

True!

[losperros]

They'd be perfectly justified in taking an OL or a WR in the first round. I would hope most of us can agree on that. I'm probably the only one who feels this way but i even think they'd be justified in taking a QB. Hill will be 37 in 2017 (would they sign him to a new deal at that point?) and as I've been saying since they drafted Jackson, I think it's a mistake for the franchise to keep putting all of their eggs in one QB basket. If, for example, Paxton Lynch were to get past the Rams and others and fall to the Vikes at #23, I'd seriously consider drafting him. I doubt Spielman will though and despite all the BPA talk around here, I doubt many Vikes fans would approve of a move like that either.

You're not the only one who thinks the Vikings would be justified in taking an OL player, WR, or even a QB. I agree and I'll even add OLB to the list since there are going to be some good ones available in R1.

Regarding receivers, it's no skin off my nose if the Vikings draft a WR in R1 and even another one later in the draft. I'm fine with that. But as a Vikings fan, I'm in no mood to hear the reason for the team's abysmal passing game last season was because of the receivers, especially with the kind of flailing performance they got from the offensive line in recent years. And I know it's not fashionable to say this, but I still don't think there will be any kind of deep passing game until Bridgewater stops missing his deep throws. Teddy needs to accurately get the ball to the receivers, regardless who the receivers are.

[CbusVikesFan]

Truthfully, I could care less about the past. Just because we've missed on WRs in the first before means we shouldn't take one if Doctson or Treadwell are sitting there? I sure hope we don't go into the draft thinking that.

I agree with you 100%. Sure would bolster the offense with a legit number one guy. Will it play out that way?

[fiestavike]

The best example of that working out recently was with RG3 and Cousins being drafted shortly after. I'm not against it if they feel come our pick the best player by a good margin is a QB but I do think it get's pretty hard to explain why your -starting- QB is still running for his life with mediocre weapons to attack with and your hall of fame running back still doesn't have any holes to run through so you can pick a guy to sit on the bench -in case- the starter fails. That's a little bit like fulfilling your own prophecy to me.

Every round after the first though I'd be more and more open to it. Shaun Hill isn't going to save our season if something happens to Teddy and with how fast and dangerous the game is these days (we saw teddy get knocked out!) I do think teams should be more willing to invest in trying to find a 2nd guy who has the potential to be better than the first guy but primarily can still win you some games if necessary.

The problem with that though is it's really expensive. To find a guy with as much or more potential as Teddy basically means a first rounder and probably one higher than we'll likely have going forward. So then you can look at a 2nd or 3rd round guy but then I think the quality of prospect goes way down because there are FAR more teams more desperate than us that need QB's who would be willing to invest a christan ponder like 12th overall pick on a mediocre guy.

I guess that's the long winded way of saying I wouldn't be against it but it doesn't seem likely nor does it seem like it's best move but who knows. I do think our team is "strong" enough now that you could spend a pick on a QB and it wouldn't be the end of the world, we still have what, 6+ picks to work with so if ONE being spent on a QB kills ya your team has bigger problems.

Personally, I don't think RG3 ever had the disposition to succeed as an NFL QB, but you could argue that the Cousins move was a disaster in the sense that it seemed to make RG3 incredibly insecure and contributed to his failure...at least if you believe reports.

Like I said, I think a QB that fragile won't succeed anyway and the Redskins would have been better off not trading up to draft RG3 and just selecting Cousins when they did anyway.

[fiestavike]

He's a pretty different type of prospect than Wentz, Goff or Lynch (or, say, a player like Cook). I'd view Adams as more like the long shot prospects the Vikes have typically taken to develop over the years. That isn't to say he couldn't develop into a good player, of course but I'm not 100% convinced he'll even be drafted and if he is, I'm guessing he'll go pretty late. Of course, I could be dead wrong about that.

I realize using a first or second round pick on a QB at this point would be seen as controversial but I don't think the team should ever let potential fan and media reaction keep them from making what could be a good football decision. Unconventional thinking might lead to some choppy waters but a good coach and GM should be able to navigate those waters. Practically speaking, I think that kind of move would be a very good idea (with the usual caveats about player evaluation). I believe the potential benefits outweigh the drawbacks but there would be drawbacks.

I'm glad you're open to the general idea! Not everyone is...

I have a higher opinion of Adams that you do, but generally I think it could be wiser to take a QB in the mid rounds who has potential to develop into a legit starter (I think Cousins, for example, was a 4th rounder?) rather than selecting one in the first round. I understand your point of view, that those choppy, controversial waters shouldn't prevent a team from doing what would be best in a vacuum. I think that's a tough call. Sometimes those choppy waters can have an actual effect that's difficult to quantify. The guys in the locker room are reading the press too! Its a tough call, but I would bet that if Wentz or Goff slid to 23, the vikings would be trading out of that pick to get extra ammo, rather than selecting either one of those guys. I'm honestly not sure that's the right decision, but I think its more likely.

[Mothman]

I have a higher opinion of Adams that you do, but generally I think it could be wiser to take a QB in the mid rounds who has potential to develop into a legit starter (I think Cousins, for example, was a 4th rounder?) rather than selecting one in the first round.

I think that just depends on the players and opportunities involved. For example, if we had a crystal ball and could see that 2 years down the line Bridgewater won't be considered a viable starter and Lynch or Goff will look like the next Aaron Rodgers (not predicting that, by the way!), it could be very wise to draft one of them, controversy be damned. It's also the kind of move that could be a disaster. Ideally, drafting a QB in the 3rd to 5th round who can develop into a quality starter would be better because it enables the team to avoid some of the potential controversy that would arise from drafting one high but again, it comes down to how the prospects are rated.

As for Adams: I just think teams are going to look at his size, release and experience and consider him a late round pick, if not a post-draft free agent. He can play so I expect he'll end up on an NFL team this summer. I just don't think he's likely to go in the middle of the draft.

I understand your point of view, that those choppy, controversial waters shouldn't prevent a team from doing what would be best in a vacuum. I think that's a tough call. Sometimes those choppy waters can have an actual effect that's difficult to quantify. The guys in the locker room are reading the press too! Its a tough call, but I would bet that if Wentz or Goff slid to 23, the vikings would be trading out of that pick to get extra ammo, rather than selecting either one of those guys. I'm honestly not sure that's the right decision, but I think its more likely.

I would too but I'm not talking about what's likely, I'm just talking about potential strategies. I don't think it's likely that the Vikings will bring in anyone who could even remotely be perceived as a challenger for the QB position. I fully expect them to keep all of their eggs in the Bridgewater basket and in a year or two they'll either be extending his contract or they'll be right back to where they were in 2011 and (sorry Cassel fans) 2014, when they practically had to draft a QB in the first few rounds. I suspect Taylor Heinicke is all the challenge Bridgewater's going to get (and admittedly, Heinicke showed some potential last summer).

[mondry]

Personally, I don't think RG3 ever had the disposition to succeed as an NFL QB, but you could argue that the Cousins move was a disaster in the sense that it seemed to make RG3 incredibly insecure and contributed to his failure...at least if you believe reports.

Like I said, I think a QB that fragile won't succeed anyway and the Redskins would have been better off not trading up to draft RG3 and just selecting Cousins when they did anyway.

Oh yeah he's a total train wreck so I don't think drafting Cousins is what killed him and if it did then that's probably better for the skins that they got it out of the way early cause sooner or later down the road something else would have come along.

[Jordysghost]

Personally, I don't think RG3 ever had the disposition to succeed as an NFL QB, but you could argue that the Cousins move was a disaster in the sense that it seemed to make RG3 incredibly insecure and contributed to his failure...at least if you believe reports.

Like I said, I think a QB that fragile won't succeed anyway and the Redskins would have been better off not trading up to draft RG3 and just selecting Cousins when they did anyway.

I don't think RG3 to Cousins is applicable as noone would bat an eye if the Vikes took a 4th round QB.

If RG3 was really feeling insecure on account of a 4th round pick that is his problem, certainly not an error on the GM and coaches part, I personally think RG3 was wrecked by his injury, he was the rookie of the year prior to that.

[mondry]

I don't think RG3 to Cousins is applicable as noone would bat an eye if the Vikes took a 4th round QB.

If RG3 was really feeling insecure on account of a 4th round pick that is his problem, certainly not an error on the GM and coaches part, I personally think RG3 was wrecked by his injury, he was the rookie of the year prior to that.

For sure, now that his legs are no longer a factor he's been exposed for the extremely poor pocket passer that he is. It completely changed how you defend him now.