Minnesota Vikings Draft Review

1st Round, Pick #12: Christian Ponder (QB Florida State)

I think Minnesota really wanted Jake Locker, and they believed he would be available here, so when he wasn't, they were caught with their pants down and made this blunder. I have been critical of people who think Christian Ponder was worthy of a late first round choice, let alone worthy of the #12 pick. I just don't get it with Christian Ponder, he is just very very average, he reminds me a lot of Chad Pennington. And while Chad Pennington was not a bad player in the league, if I am drafting a QB in the first round, he needs to be a top-notch guy, not just somebody who is there to not lose the game. Christian Ponder will have a long and average career in the NFL, which I think is a terrible value at pick #12.

Grade- F

2nd Round, Pick #43: Kyle Rudolph (TE Notre Dame)

This pick didn't make a whole lot of sense to me when it first happened, but the more I think about it, the more I like it. Whoever is going to be playing Quarterback for Minnesota is going to need all the help they can get, and everybody knows that young/struggling QB's love to throw to Tight Ends. Add in the fact that Rudolph is a complete tight end who would have been a first round pick had he not blown out his knee, and you've got a good value pick. Rudolph and Visanthe Shiancoe will force defenses to cover the middle of the field, allowing more space for the wideouts to work deep. This clearly makes the Vikings a better team.

Grade- A

4th Round, Pick #106: Christian Ballard (DT Iowa)

I am aware of Christian Ballard failing his drug test at the NFL Combine, but it doesn't really make sense to me that he would fall all the way to the 4th round because of it. There are so many College kids that get in trouble, I just don't get how NFL Teams totally pass on guys like Ballard, but have no problem pulling the trigger on guys like Cam Newton and Phil Taylor early in the draft. The fact is that Christian Ballard can play! He is an excellent 3 technique defensive tackle who can get up the field and get after the quarterback, and also has the size and strength to hold up blockers, and make plays against the run. Huge steal in round 4, and defensive tackle is a position of need with uncertainty with both members of the Williams wall.

Grade- A+

5th Round, Pick #139: Brandon Burton (CB Utah)

Brandon Burton exploded onto the scene last year in Utah's first game of the season when he totally shutdown Pitt Receiver Jonathan Baldwin, and looked great doing it. His stock was in the first round range at that point, but ever since then, things haven't been going so good for him. In the Pitt game he showed very fluid hips, great speed, and a very good transition out of his back pedal, but ever since then he looked rather stiff, and didn't really do himself any favors at the combine. We know Brandon Burton has the talent, but whether he can put it all together, and consistently play at a high level is a question mark. However, this is a tremendous value in the 5th round.

Grade- A

6th Round, Pick #138: Demarcus Love (Guard/Tackle Arkansas)

Demarcus Love is another guy whose stock was very high to start the season, but precipitously fell as we all got a better look at him. He played both Left and Right Tackle for the Razorbacks last year, looking good at times, but looking horrendous at other times. When playing on the edge, he looked totally overmatched against speed rushers, and was routinely burned by quicker and fast players. Showing heavy feet, and slow movement. He does however have good size, good strength, and can get a solid push against the run. So I think this is a very solid pick in the 6th round as Love has the skill set to be an above average Guard at the next level. Nothing special, but he will definitely stick around.

Grade- A

6th Round, Pick #170: Mistral Raymond (Safety South Florida)

There were definitely a number of players I would have taken over Mistral Raymond here, but I'm not going to knock this pick, and I can see what the Vikings like about him. He is a very raw athlete at this point, but he has good size at 6-2 and runs a very solid 4.5 40. Raymond has displayed good instincts and aggressiveness, which makes him a solid safety prospect. He has the potential to play either Safety or Corner, but I definitely think his future is at safety. Not a bad pick here in round 6.

Grade- B

6th Round, Pick #172: Brandon Fusco (Guard/Center Slippery Rock)

Coming out of very small Slippery Rock in Western Pennsylvania, Brandon Fusco is a very promising prospect who has the potential to be a very good starter at the next level. He has good size at 6-4 305, and carries his pads very well. He is an excellent athlete who does a good job moving laterally, has quick feet, and overall, is a well rounded athlete. He needs to be coached up, and with some adjustments to his technique he could round into a starter at either Guard or Center at the next level.

Grade- B+

6th Round, Pick #200: Ross Homan (OLB Ohio State)

I like this pick a lot late in the draft as Ross Homan will likely develop into a good backup who can step in from time-to-time, and do well on special teams. He is a very smart guy, who has good instincts, and excellent technique when tackling. Homan is definitely limited from an athletic standpoint, but he is good enough to hang around as a backup, and make plays on special teams.

Grade- C+

7th Round, Pick #215: D'Aundre Reed (DE Arizona)

D'Aundre Reed ha s a lot of talent, but we really haven't been able to see what he's got, because he has been stuck behind All Pac-10 performers Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed. He has the ideal size at 6-4 260, and from all accounts is an explosive athlete. I'm not sure what to think of Reed just because I have seen so little of him, but the Vikings I'm sure did their homework, and this is a low risk, high reward pick here in the 7th.

Grade- B

7th Round, Pick #236: Stephen Burton (WR West Texas A&M)

Stephen Burton was dominant in Division 2 at West Texas, where he was a man among boys with his 6-2 200 pound frame, and 4.5 speed. That was good enough in college, but obviously that means nothing in the NFL. He has a good set of skills, but obviously the transition to the next level is a big one. This is another good value pick here, as he has a high upside, but comes with no risk.

Grade- B