I give an A- on the talent. I thought the first 4 picks were home runs based on our needs vs. where they were picked.
Troy Dye in Round 4 was a great find, he can play either ILB in a 3-4 or MLB and WLB in a 4-3. and excels in coverage.
Lynch from Baylor was a gift where he was taken. I noticed all 3 of the picks in Round 4 have scheme flexibility to play either 4-3 or a 3-4. By the end of Round 4, every major hole and need was filled: WR, CBx2, OT, DT, DE, LB. I would have liked to have seen an OG but overall impressive job of filling holes with quality players without reaching.
I can nitpick Rounds 5-7 but we're getting into prospects I don't know much about. What I do like about the shotgun scatter approach with having 8+ picks in the last 3 rounds is it not only improves your chances on finding a diamond in the rough, but the competition for those final spots on the 53-man roster is going to be insane. We really improved our depth and ST's.
Throw in the fact Rick also netted a 4th and 5th next year and will be sitting on 11-12 picks for 2021 means he didn't mortgage the future by any means while getting a ton of guys.
IMO that pushes my grade to a solid "A".
I really hate to give it a grade right as of this moment, but push comes to shove I really liked it overall. Lot of holes to fill, and at the very least you got a bunch of good young talent to come in and compete at positions we needed most. I was a bit disappointed in not going after a guy like DPJ when we took Osborn, or trading down when we could've landed a guy like Bartch, but those are minor complaints. An added bonus is 3 extra picks for next year already.
By not making mistakes, Vikings lead NFC North in draft successWhile none of us can predict the future, we can always assess real-time logic. The Vikings made use of it during the 2020 NFL draft. Their closest competitors did not.During the Vikings’ glory years, the team’s top personnel experts favored a motto that was based on coach Bud Grant’s stoic demeanor and patient approach:
“We’ll just hang in there until everyone else in the division falls apart.’’
During the 2020 NFL draft, the Vikings appeared to take a number of quality players who fill needs. More important for their immediate future: They honored Grant and the glory days by refusing to do anything stupid. That alone set them apart from the rest of the NFC North.
Feel free to mutter the usual disclaimers: No one knows how these picks or draft classes will turn out. Tom Brady was a sixth-round pick. Good college players flame out in the NFL all the time. Fine.
While none of us can predict the future, we can always assess real-time logic. The Vikings made use of it. Their closest competitors did not.
The Vikings needed help at cornerback, offensive line and receiver, and took productive college players at each position. That might be enough to win the division in 2020.
The Green Bay Packers, the defending NFC North champions, traded up in the first round to take Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.
Does that remind you of the time the Packers took Aaron Rodgers? It shouldn’t.
In 2005, Rodgers was the most polished pro-style quarterback in the draft. The 49ers took a pretty good quarterback, Alex Smith, with the first pick in the draft. They should have taken Rogers, as should have every other team in the draft, including the Vikings, who chose Troy Williamson with the seventh pick.
Instead, Rodgers fell to the Packers at No. 24.
Love is not comparable to Rodgers. The Packers traded the 30th pick in the draft and a fourth-rounder to move up four spots to take Love at No. 26. Given that Rodgers wants to play until he’s at least 40 and he remains one of the best players in the game, this move could cause problems between the organization and Rodgers, and Love is much more of a project than Rodgers was.
With their second-round pick, the Packers chose Boston College running back A.J. Dillon. At best, Dillon will pair nicely with starting running back Aaron Jones, but using a second-round pick to get an alternate running back for a passing offense that lacks receivers is almost as wacky as taking Love with the 26th pick.
The Packers were in the NFC title game last year and did nothing to put themselves closer to a championship. My early prediction: This draft will move the Vikings ahead of Green Bay in the NFC North standings. Which would guarantee a division title, given the moves made by their other competitors.
The Chicago Bears, two years removed from their division title, didn’t have a first-round pick because of their trade for Khalil Mack. They used their second-round pick to add a 10th tight end to the roster. Cole Kmet had better look like Rob Gronkowski, otherwise that will look like a silly decision for a long time.
Then there are the Detroit Lions. They have had one coach with a winning percentage better than .500 over multiple seasons since Joe Schmidt in the early ’70s. That coach was Jim Caldwell (.563 winning percentage). They fired him to hire Matt Patricia (.297 winning percentage.) They don’t know what they’re doing.
Proof: Patricia ran off a star cornerback in Darius Slay, then had to use his first draft pick to try to replace Slay. Jeff Okudah might be a good pick, but at best he replaces Slay.
The Vikings needed productive plug-and-play athletes, and landed a handful, while their competitors outsmarted themselves. When Bud Grant takes a break from shooting animals to hang on Mike Zimmer’s wall, he may allow himself a smile.
https://www.startribune.com/by-not-makin...569954962/
I will try to grade with consideration of the circumstances (able to trade, player being available, what positions we took before etc.)
I will also use my novice opinion of players pre-draft.
Pre-draft, I thought our needs were WR, CB, G, 3T IDL, T, Edge. I wanted us to see if we could trade down at 22 or 25 and get in the early second plus picks (which happened so very happy with that)
Here are some guys I wanted and some I did not want us to avoid. Liked a lot depending on the circumstances - Kinlaw (DL), Mims (WR), Higgins (WR), J. Johnson (CB), later CB's Dantzler, T Pride (CB) & Harrison Hand, J Elliott & Matubuike (3T, and later rounds liked Sternberg (G) and wanted a flyer on Muti (G). Also two guys that stood out to me at senior bowl - Trautman (TE) and Bradlee Anae (DE - Utah).
Guys I am happy we avoided within our first two rounds- Reagor, Shenualt, WR, Epenesa and Fulton (CB) judged mostly on disastrous Championship game.
Picks:
Pick 1 (22) - Jefferson fell into our laps and Eagles took Reagor (did not want) the pick before us so we were very fortunate to get Jefferson - A+ pick but with luck on our side
Pick 2 (25 - 31) - trade 25 down to 31 and still get the CB we wanted - Gladney. So we got who we wanted and traded down and picked up #117 & #176 picks from the Saints - A+ again. But I think we could have used both #117 and #176 much better but those are graded later. I love the way pick 25 was used.
Pick 3 (58) - This is a very complicated situation that worked in our favor (with a lot of luck - IMO). I do believe the rumor that we tried to move for Cleveland or one of the remaining 3T's (who was left - Blacklock, Davidson, and R. Davis). But apparently no one was willing to play nice with us so we crossed our fingers and hoped to die and Cleveland appeared from the clouds - not the city. Now I did not want us to look at Tackle this high because I assumed the handful of top guys would all be gone. Cleveland got a lot of hype and many had him going late first or early second so I was good with the pick even though I was not for a Tackle this high predraft - thus circumstances dictated this pick somewhat. I give this pick a B but there is more to this behind the scenes that could make it an A. I am still giving it a B but want to address behind the scenes scenario:
Trent Williams
I was for trading for Williams depending on what we had to give up of course. I was thinking we could get him for a 4th this year along with Reiff. Redskins got a 5th this year (#156 - 11th pick in 5th) and a 3rd next year. Plus, now the 49'ers have to work a contract with the 32 year old LT who according to Spotrac market value should get around 15.4 million a year for 3 years!
Honestly, I would have done the trade for a 4th and Reiff as stated above even knowing the money part. But overall I would not have done the trade for our 5th rounder and also a 3rd next year.
Cleveland
Can you imagine how much Cap space we might have saved (along with those picks) if Cleveland becomes our starting LT within 2 years??? Let's just say a lot!!! So if he does hindsight will make this an A+.
Pick 3 (89) Round 3 - This is the area I wanted to look very closely at 3T and G. We chose - CB Dantzler - who I did want pre draft and as things turned out because the top Guards were gone and their was a second tier we might be able to get in the 4th round like a guy I liked Sternberg from Kentucky and even Muti (oft injured beast). But I would have loved a move up for 3T Elliott who went the pick before us..ahhhh, luck not our side. I give this pick a C+. I like Dantzler and we did need to go multiple CB. But....I really would have liked a move up for Elliott and we had the capital to make it happen even if difficult and had to give a little more maybe a team like the Raiders who had back to back picks (80 & 81) and right before the Cowboys who were also looking DL. That would have made my draft right there and make it a home run A+++. Didn't happen so C+
Pick 4 (105 traded so next was 117) end of Round 3 - Trade to Saints for 3 picks (130, 169, 203) Obviously we didn't like any of the remaining G, 3T's at 105 and thought we could drop down to our first pick 117 of the 4th round. I think round 4 was a cluster!!! We used 117 on a guy our DL coach wanted Woonum?? Nice to throw your veteran DL coach a bone but at 117 for a guy we never heard of - this is a WTF grade. He seems like a guy we could have had in Rd 7. I would have really liked Sternberg (who went 121 to the Lions and honestly I would have considered Muti here and he didn't go until 181. Grade is still a WTF - F
Pick 5 (130 from Saints) - I do like this pick a lot. He was primarily a DE but he is 3T at the next level with potential. He is 6'4, 295 with pass rushing and disruption skills. Let's assume he can put on 10+ pounds and maintain his skill set and he might work out down the road. grade B
Pick 6 (132 our original round 4 pick) - I still want a Guard and would have taken that shot at Muti here. Most of the grading guys like the Tony Dye pick but I have no clue because I did not look that deep into LB/S hybrids. I give this a D mostly because I would have drafted these available players here - any of the 5 remaining Guards that went between this pick and 155 (which we traded out of) - I also would have taken WR's Gandy-Golden and Tyler Johnson, and even B. Hall -CB Virginia with injury history before Tony Dye.
Now we are into the crapshoot rounds of 5-7 so who knows and not grading:
We did take a pre draft guy I liked in CB Hand (temple) but I would have taken either Muti (sorry I am beating the crap over him) or Anea the DE I liked from senior bowl) They were still available.
Final grades and comments
The first 3 round grades were: A+, A+, B, C+ - so all told I give this around a B+
Round 4 and beyond I give a solid D
You can Thank boredom and Covid-19 for these 3 minutes you will never get back.
Evaluations of this draft should also include the fact that we added a few more picks to next year's draft. We should have one 1st, one 2nd, two 3rds, three 4ths, two 5ths, two 6ths and one 7th.
@ minny65 I'm not sure why you are down on the Wonnum pick and seem like you're taking a backhanded dig at Patterson in the process.
If there is anyone I would trust judging DL talent, it's Coach Dre. The guy is the best in the NFL at his job. Danielle Hunter was a complete WTF pick for a lot of fans, but I bet you Zimmer and Dre had a big hand in identifying him as a draft target. Then go back and read Hunter's draft profile... 1.5 sacks his last year in college, looks like he is thinking too much, lacks natural instincts, will need the right coaching to unlock his potential, etc.
Now read Wonnum's draft profile... it's basically the same thing. The only difference is that Hunter is more of a physical specimen, but Wonnum is a long athlete that fits the mold the Vikings look for in a DE.
I've seen him rated pretty consistently in the 4th-5th round on most reliable sites. I think the Vikings took him where they should have.
Minny65 pretty much encapsulated my thoughts. Dantzler is a good pick, failing to move up to address 3T dings the value of adding a depth CB piece, though.
Wonnum is a D for me. Terrible, terrible, terrible value. He easily would have been available anywhere from late 5th to early 7th. This is NOT a 'Hunter clone', please do some homework my fellow fans before trotting that out there. He's tall, has long arms, and is straight-line fast. The comparisons end there. DJ is not twitchy. He's not explosive. He's very stiff and does not bend well at all. Hips are tight. In fact, he's athletically the antithesis of Hunter.
Why I don't give it an F is his value as a standup Outsider Rush LB in a 3-4. Lynch can give you some of those looks on the other side. Kenny W also has some experience in that role. So it smacks me as being a Capers/Patterson situational Specialist player to develop for their 3-4 sub package. You don't blow pick 117 on a Specialist. Terrible pick.
Osborn is my F. With DPJ and Proche on the Board, in a historically deep WR Class, with the need to add more competition for Bisi, Bebe, and Hollis you add a freaking Kick Returner? Let me repeat that. Historically deep WR Class. You need another guy in case Bebe can't stay healthy or Hollis doesn't develop. Two strong options on the Board due to the incredible depth, you already let a plethora of good ones go by to take the likes of Wonnum and Hand. And you take a Kick Returner. Who's not even a plus athlete that could maybe develop at Receiver. Horrible, horrible, horrible pick.
Lynch is a B- for me. BRob without the athleticism. High floor, will produce right away. Low ceiling. I watched a lot of tape last night. He's got a good first step and all the moves in the world. Very polished. Not a Plus Athlete and most of his sacks were 'QB was on 2nd Read'. That's not a bad thing, but he's rarely beating his man instantly off the snap ala Hunter or Griff. He's a beast at hitting the RB in the backfield and seems to have a knack for sniffing out draws and read options.
Bredel is anything but athletic. Cole is more of a Sendejo replacement. Metellus is probably a replacement for Kearse. I'm meh on Hands, Stanley & Hinton.
The only thing that saves Day 3 from an overall F is Lynch and Dye. I watched a ton of tape on Dye last night. Holy shit. How can a kid that's 220 shed blocks that well? He can drop deep. Roam sideline to sideline without getting caught up in the wash. Can blitz. Can cover TEs down the seam. Double Slot WRs.
I see Big Nickel in a way Zimmer hasn't had in Minnesota so far. He's way better at coverage than Kearse. But he's not just a coverage guy. He can play the run. Get after the QB. I see him contributing next year. And though I don't think he has the frame to add much weight I do think he can replace Kendricks if he gets dinged. Great value and a chance to play multiple roles.
Day 1 A
Day 2 B+
Day 3 D
Failing to add legit LG competition and take advantage of the depth at WR with that many picks and how the Board laid took this out of the realm of 'great' to 'pretty good' for me.
B+. I think we made good, quality picks, but I think we focused on shiny positions, rather than on the OLines which would have been more impactful towards our success.
I think we needed a LG and a 3T as our two biggest needs and it seems like we missed on both of those. I think we pretty much just treaded water from last year, and will likely be in the same position at the end of this season.
Quote: @Wetlander said:
@minny65 I'm not sure why you are down on the Wonnum pick and seem like you're taking a backhanded dig at Patterson in the process.
If there is anyone I would trust judging DL talent, it's Coach Dre. The guy is the best in the NFL at his job. Danielle Hunter was a complete WTF pick for a lot of fans, but I bet you Zimmer and Dre had a big hand in identifying him as a draft target. Then go back and read Hunter's draft profile... 1.5 sacks his last year in college, looks like he is thinking too much, lacks natural instincts, will need the right coaching to unlock his potential, etc.
Now read Wonnum's draft profile... it's basically the same thing. The only difference is that Hunter is more of a physical specimen, but Wonnum is a long athlete that fits the mold the Vikings look for in a DE.
I've seen him rated pretty consistently in the 4th-5th round on most reliable sites. I think the Vikings took him where they should have.
Well my opinion is posted above as to why I hated the pick. Mainly because I would have went for a different position of need and also I really think we could have got him much later and throw Patterson a bone then.
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