Quote: @JimmyinSD said:
with the lack of OL talent in the draft this will further push up the price of the limited OL available in FA, I would like to see us grab Easton and one other interior OL in FA to take the pressure off of draft day, but if the market is nuts we will be lucky to come out of FA with one starter let alone 2. Ideally it would be great to go into the draft with all the starting positions penciled in and then just strictly be able to let the board work for us instead of Rick having to work the board and himself getting worked in the process.
Jonah Williams will go in or near the Top 10. Greg Little will be gone by #18. Jawaan Taylor, Dalton Risner & Yondy Cajuste could all easily go in the first. Cody Ford is becoming the default pick for Minnesota in the First in a lot of mocks lately. His running mate Powers will go in the 2nd and start from day 1. Bama's Piersbacher (or something like that) will also be a stater. Wisconsin has 3 guys who will likely all be gone by the 3rd Round.
So far it's a bunch of Tackles, many of whom project better as Guards. Once the process cranks up some of the pure guard prospects will start to move up like Ragnow & Price did last year.
Does this Draft have a Future HOF LT? Nope. Can't miss Guard like Quenton Nelson? Nope. But those type of players aren't ever available where the Vikings are picking anyway.
What it does have is quality depth. Unless you're TBro or Jimmy, who somehow watched even more College Football than me and formed the complete opposite opinion on most of these guys. Which is also a contradictory opinion to that of most Mocks that have anywhere from 4 to 7 O-Linemen going in the 1st Round of an allegedly weak Draft.
As for the original topic, I'd take Dexter Lawrence at #18. It's simple. Good starting talent available for the O-Line will still be there in the 2nd. Dexter is a monster. A legit Blue Chip prospect who might slide because teams reach for QBs and because of just how many really good DTs are in this Draft.
My personal blueprint is sign Mark Glowinski from the Colts for RG. Snag Lawrence in the 1st and Ross Pierschbacher in the 2nd. I'd also bring back Easton.
Now you've got 3 guys who can play Center (Elf, Easton, Pierschbacher) and a Guard who's played on both sides (Glowinski). Spend a 5th on a kid to push Isadora off the Roster and now you've got interior depth and insurance in case Elf doesn't rebound or if Easton isn't fully recovered.
Of course, that means the team is still All In on Reiff at LT. I'm not. So alternatively, if Lawrence is off the Board (likely) and Greg Little or Jawaan Taylor are available (likely at least one will be) and the FO doesn't have a similarly high grade on another DT like say Simmons from MSU, whom I love but not as much as Lawrence, then I take the OT.
Unlike Remmers, Reiff doesn't struggle with power. Speed is his weakness. He stands a much better chance of sliding inside than Mike did. If the draftee isn't ready for Tackle kick him inside instead for some seasoning or to eventually take over at RT if O'Neil moves to LT after next year.
Either direction involves bringing back Easton and grabbing a Starter like Glowinski and using either a 1st or 2nd plus a later round depth pick.
It's actually FA that's thin, not the Draft. Saffold and Foster will be hot commodities that I don't see the FO overpaying for since they're both older players. Need to find the smart signing and work the Draft. Very doable.
