My guy is Bradbury. Always has been. That said, Rick hates me and never picks my guy. I also know that the Vikings value position flexibility and Bradbury is a scheme-dependent center-only. Bradbury's the best lineman in the draft IMO, but they will at least consider those limitations.
I think Williams and Dillard will be gone. That leaves Jawaan Taylor whom the Vikings would sprint to the podium to select, but the only reason he might be there is because some teams now have medical red flags on him. And we have no way of knowing if the Vikings are one of those teams.
So that leaves Ford, Lindstrom and Risner with first round(ish) grades--all three can play multiple positions. Ford can play right tackle or guard. But is he a zone fit? That's a close call. Lindstrom can play guard or center and is a great zone fit. Risner can play all three positions but doesn't have ideal lateral quickness you want in a zone lineman.
Vikings can stay where they are and IF they like the fit, they'll take Ford. They can trade down big and take someone like McCoy, Howard or McGary, in which case we're off the hook because we'll be asking the same question tomorrow. Or trade down small (or not at all) and take Lindstrom or Risner.
Looked up about a dozen final mock drafts this morning. In fact, I looked up the 10 most accurate mock drafters from last year to see who they had us taking. 3 didn't have a mock up. 1 had us taking Jeffery Simmons and 6 had us taking Bradbury.
Bradbury is the clear favorite. So the answer is simple: Chris Lindstrom. :-)
Not a draftnik, but I dont see the top 3 OT's lasting till 18 and I'm not convinced they'll go IOL with 18 if there is a premium DL or TE there.
No name or position prediction from me, but I think there is a 50/50 chance they won't go OL with the #1.
Lindstrom.
He'll be there, play it safe, get a Day 1 starter and don't overthink it.
Quote: @"purplefaithful" said:
Not a draftnik, but I dont see the top 3 OT's lasting till 18 and I'm not convinced they'll go IOL with 18 if there is a premium DL or TE there.
No name or position prediction from me, but I think there is a 50/50 chance they won't go OL with the #1.
There's a chance, but I don't think it's that high. The biggest reason for that is that OL this year has solid value at 18. I think people still feel stung from last year's draft where 2 or 3 offensive linemen went well before they were supposed to and we were left in a sort of "dead zone" in terms of OL value at 30.
Last year there were 6 OLs that went in the 1st round. This year, there looks to be about 7, maybe even 8 or 9. And we're picking 12 spots higher. So I'd say it's not only possible, but fairly likely that there will be a handful of OLs among the best players available when we pick.
I predict for the 1st round:
1) RS won't pick a QB, RB, WR or CB.
2) RS goes OL or DL and fully expects to get a Blue Chipper day one starter.
3) Very good chance of a trade down from #18
How's that for going out on a limb? B)
Quote: @"MaroonBells" said:
@"purplefaithful" said:
Not a draftnik, but I dont see the top 3 OT's lasting till 18 and I'm not convinced they'll go IOL with 18 if there is a premium DL or TE there.
No name or position prediction from me, but I think there is a 50/50 chance they won't go OL with the #1.
There's a chance, but I don't think it's that high. The biggest reason for that is that OL this year has solid value at 18. I think people still feel stung from last year's draft where 2 or 3 offensive linemen went well before they were supposed to and we were left in a sort of "dead zone" in terms of OL value at 30.
Last year there were 6 OLs that went in the 1st round. This year, there looks to be about 7, maybe even 8 or 9. And we're picking 12 spots higher. So I'd say it's not only possible, but fairly likely that there will be a handful of OLs among the best players available when we pick.
Solid logic MB...Will be interesting to see it unfold for sure.
No prediction from me. With only 12-14 guys with true 1st Round grades according to pretty much everyone there's just too much volatility.
Will contenders at the back end want to move up to make sure they get a Blue Chip guy? Will teams start binging on O-Line guys because the 2020 Class allegedly looks weak? Will more players be traded for picks instead of just picks for picks? Is there a team or 2 that thinks a guy universally considered a 2nd talent believe otherwise and take that player shockingly high?
I actually think all of the above will happen. My prediction is tonight and tomorrow look more like an NBA Draft than a typical NFL Draft.
What will actually happen will be the opposite since I'm rarely right. Maybe Kiper gets the first 10 picks right or something else really weird. Maybe Gruden trades his whole draft for Murray and shows up wearing a baseball uniform. Who knows. The sheer unpredictability is what makes it so fun.
What if we follow Tommy Kramer's advice and use our 1st three picks on offensive linemen?
Not very likely, but is it really that far fetched? Sure would FEEL good. Kubiak and Dennison are new coaches who may want to build their line from the ground up. Maybe we should just let them. Team doesn't have a lot of holes. DT is the only other position where there is a pressing need, but we have players there. Also, there might be other options. Maybe if we trade a Waynes or a Reiff we'll have the cap space to bring in a Gerald McCoy after the draft.
Keep thinking of that song: One scotch, one bourbon and one beer. One center, one tackle and one guard. Say Dillard, McCoy and Samia. Oh my, I may have to sit down.
Quote: @"MaroonBells" said:
Keep thinking of that song: One scotch, one bourbon and one beer. One center, one tackle and one guard. Say Dillard, McCoy and Samia. Oh my, I may have to sit down.
That would be amazing.
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