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03-18-2019, 06:44 PM

Quote: @prairieghost said:
All I want to see at 18 is O line...and one other thing...no more trade backs of 3rd and 4th rounders for multiple 6th or 7th rounders. I have really come to hate that.

This is me too. Drafting BPA is the best move usually, but we don't have that luxury this year. OL has been a problem for 4-5 years now. The options are get a mobile QB (won't happen) or get a better OL. So that's what needs to happen.

I say this despite thinking that the TE Hockenson is going to be a great pro.

Like Jimmy, I'd be fine with 3 of our first 4 picks being O-Lineman. I actually said our first 2 picks last year should be O-lineman. Hopefully this is the year it happens.

03-19-2019, 07:45 AM

Quote: @pattersaur said:

@prairieghost said:
All I want to see at 18 is O line...and one other thing...no more trade backs of 3rd and 4th rounders for multiple 6th or 7th rounders. I have really come to hate that.
This is me too. Drafting BPA is the best move usually, but we don't have that luxury this year. OL has been a problem for 4-5 years now. The options are get a mobile QB (won't happen) or get a better OL. So that's what needs to happen.

I say this despite thinking that the TE Hockenson is going to be a great pro.

Like Jimmy, I'd be fine with 3 of our first 4 picks being O-Lineman. I actually said our first 2 picks last year should be O-lineman. Hopefully this is the year it happens.

It will be interesting to see if our inability to address needs through FA this year will force Spielman to settle down and not try to stockpile 10 picks, but I could see him justifying as a way to fill out the roster. Though we should be in a great position to attract rookie free agents this year.

Right now our urgent needs are LG, RG, UT, and WR3. Of those needs, we at least have options at UT/3-technique. I am not sure what the Vikings confidence level in Jaleel Johnson and Jalyn Holmes is, but they spent two 4th rounders trying to address this need and you would hope that they would be ready to step up into bigger roles. That being said, with Griffen and Joseph getting older, I definitely understand the urge to want to restock the DL. The needs along the OL are urgent and we need to spend two picks in the first 4 rounds on OL. I'm sure there will be a depth signing at some point and Reiff could move inside if they draft an OT, but things are really ugly right now. I feel like adding a 3rd WR is barely talked about. Teams were able to double both Thielen and Diggs as the season wore and no one was able to take advantage of those mismatches. I don't think it's wise to expect Treadwell to step up into a bigger role. Beebe might be OK and after that we're left with Zylstra, who I'm still not sure why he was on the roster last season. Maybe they can find a cheap veteran, but I just don't know where the cap space will come from.

As for the question about Hockenson. I think that TE is on the fringe of being acceptable. They could take a TE if they pass on DL help. You can also make the argument that that finding a cost controlled replacement for Rudolph would save quite a bit of cap room in 2020 and that they need to find more weapons to take advantage of the mismatches created by teams doubling up Diggs & Thielen. However, as nice as Hockenson's blocking is, it will only help so much if teams are constantly blowing up the interior protection.

03-19-2019, 08:51 PM

IF Rudy was traded or released and IF we had landed a solid OL (or 2) in free agency, I would be ecstatic about a pick like Hockenson at 18.
But neither happened, so no, it would be a very short-sighted pick when clearly the OL is thread worn going into 2019.