NFLDG Mock 1.0

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@PurplePastor said:

@"Geoff Nichols" said:

@MaroonBells said:
I'd be pretty happy about that. Simmons is a tough one. Not because he's a DT but because he's hurt. Top 5 talent, but we would come out of that draft with only a starting LG helping us in 2019, but that might be the case no matter which way we go. 

I sorta wonder if the Vikings could swing a trade down with New England who just might be looking at one of the TEs if he's there. 18 to 32 would net the Vikings the Pats' 2nd and 4th rounders and the Vikings would find better value there among players like Risner, Lindstrom, McGary...

I agree that Simmons is a tough one, I wanted to play around with the idea more than anything else. The injury doesn't scare me a ton since ACL recovery has become so streamlined over the past few years. It also happened early enough in the process that he would at worst get some live reps near the end of the season to prepare for 2020. in the most ideal situations if the top 3 OL are off the board Hockenson, Oliver, Gary, or Sweat make it down to #18. 

NE makes a lot of sense as a trade partner since they have more picks than they can practically use and have a huge need at TE. I'd also put the Chargers in the conversation if one of the QB's make it down the board. The question I still don't have a great feel for is if they'd pass on a stud defensive player or TE for Bradbury or Lindstrom. Draft tendencies would suggest they wait on OL but practicality says that the former isn't making it to #50 and the latter likely isn't either. 

Why wouldn't the Vikes try to trade up for one of the top 3 OLs? That is clearly our weak position and has been for a few years. If they are sold on those 3 and not as much on the rest, why not go for it rather than use a subjective value measure such as - Lindstrom is good for the 2nd round but not the 1st - and then miss out on him as another team grabs him ahead of us? Let's go after a top notch O lineman rather than take a chance that a lesser one falls into our lap later?

I think it is a real possibility depending on how the board falls. If all three lineman go in the top 10, they aren't moving up. If one of the three are still on the board at #13 you would have to at least consider the idea. Miami is playing for the future and they could opt to leverage their comp pick for Richardson to move up in this years draft. If two of the three make it to #13 you wait for the other to go before deciding on a move up the board. 

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@AGRforever said:

We've got to make some salary cap changes prior to the season.  Where does everyone see those dollars coming from?  Some starter/bigger name is getting cut or traded. 

The question nobody but the Vikings front office has the answer to is how close they'd be willing to bump up against the cap during the season. Typically they like to have $3M or so for in-season moves. If they are willing to run tight against the cap they would be better off extending Thielen to lower his 2019 cap hit and potentially extending Rudolph or restructuring Harrison Smith to add additional years onto his deal. That gets rookies under the cap but also gives you a little functional space. 

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Not that you need confirmation from me, but I agree with your assessment on the top 2 rounds.  I dont love the trade, a 3rd (basically) for a good young starting caliber corner is tough.  We'd get that if we kept him and got a 3rd next year as a comp.  I'd rather the Vikings trade future picks this year to get a lineman, maybe to move up in the 2nd?  Figure next years 3rd to move up from 50 into the early part of the second.  I agree with your top linemen as well, with Lindstrom being the 4th guy on the list but not the pick at 18 and Bradbury being !n option late in the first if we get a got to take it offer to move back.

Simmons would be in the conversation with William's as who should be the top pick.  Simmons tape I think shows he is better than Williams, not by a lot but the guy is a beast.  As long as he can recover he could be the best DT this team has had since Kevin William's, who I'd compare Simmons favorably to.  Watch his tape and you will see a 3 technique that wins with strength and has a closing burst you just dont see that often from 300 pounders.  To me he is well worth sitting on in the first.  He isnt like Richardson at all in that he isnt trying to win with quickness, he is like having another nose tackle in the middle, that is absolutely going to destroy you with his pass rush if you single him up.

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Interesting mock, Geoff. 

I'm just not sure about using our 1st round pick on Simmons...  I get the value aspect of it, but I doubt he plays at all this season.  Even if he recovers quickly enough to get on the field in December, would a team be willing to put him out there fresh off of rehab? 

I just don't know if the Vikings can afford to essentially take a guy in the 1st round that can't even compete for a starting spot Day 1...  and we won't know what we truly have until he gets on the field in 2020.  

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Saw Simmons quite a bit. Big fan of his play. On board with first two selections but return for Waynes is light. Would consider change in draft position plus a 2020 2nd possibly.

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I actually disagree with where Simmons falls. Off-field stuff is well in the past but will still be a factor. Injury a bigger one.

This is exactly the kind of guy the Patriots snag late 1st and look like genuises for it down the road.

With all the legit DT talent and his comcerns I just don't see Simmons going earlier than mid-20s tops. Wouldn't surprise me at all if he fell out of the 1st Round. Not seeing the value versus taking Wilkins for example.

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@"Geoff Nichols" said:

@PurplePastor said:

@"Geoff Nichols" said:

@MaroonBells said:
I'd be pretty happy about that. Simmons is a tough one. Not because he's a DT but because he's hurt. Top 5 talent, but we would come out of that draft with only a starting LG helping us in 2019, but that might be the case no matter which way we go. 

I sorta wonder if the Vikings could swing a trade down with New England who just might be looking at one of the TEs if he's there. 18 to 32 would net the Vikings the Pats' 2nd and 4th rounders and the Vikings would find better value there among players like Risner, Lindstrom, McGary...

I agree that Simmons is a tough one, I wanted to play around with the idea more than anything else. The injury doesn't scare me a ton since ACL recovery has become so streamlined over the past few years. It also happened early enough in the process that he would at worst get some live reps near the end of the season to prepare for 2020. in the most ideal situations if the top 3 OL are off the board Hockenson, Oliver, Gary, or Sweat make it down to #18. 

NE makes a lot of sense as a trade partner since they have more picks than they can practically use and have a huge need at TE. I'd also put the Chargers in the conversation if one of the QB's make it down the board. The question I still don't have a great feel for is if they'd pass on a stud defensive player or TE for Bradbury or Lindstrom. Draft tendencies would suggest they wait on OL but practicality says that the former isn't making it to #50 and the latter likely isn't either. 

Why wouldn't the Vikes try to trade up for one of the top 3 OLs? That is clearly our weak position and has been for a few years. If they are sold on those 3 and not as much on the rest, why not go for it rather than use a subjective value measure such as - Lindstrom is good for the 2nd round but not the 1st - and then miss out on him as another team grabs him ahead of us? Let's go after a top notch O lineman rather than take a chance that a lesser one falls into our lap later?

I think it is a real possibility depending on how the board falls. If all three lineman go in the top 10, they aren't moving up. If one of the three are still on the board at #13 you would have to at least consider the idea. Miami is playing for the future and they could opt to leverage their comp pick for Richardson to move up in this years draft. If two of the three make it to #13 you wait for the other to go before deciding on a move up the board. 

I don't think we'll trade up. Actually, I think everyone's panicking a little too much about those linemen being taken off the board before we pick (probably due to what happened last year). But it likely won't happen again this year. 

I think at least one among the elite OLs (IMO, Williams, Taylor, Ford, Bradbury and Dillard) will be there. And I think we'll take one. I think we'd be fools for passing on any of them. 

If all are gone, and we can't find a trade down partner, only then do I see us turning to another position. I mean you can say that Wilkins or Simmons or Hockenson or Fant is BPA, but are they really? Enough better than those 5 really good linemen above to risk going into day 2 without an OL? Never know who's going to come up and snipe your guy in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, too. And then what do you do? 

I tend to think the Vikings will go into the draft with a healthy amount of fear...

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@"Geoff Nichols" said:

@MaroonBells said:
I'd be pretty happy about that. Simmons is a tough one. Not because he's a DT but because he's hurt. Top 5 talent, but we would come out of that draft with only a starting LG helping us in 2019, but that might be the case no matter which way we go. 

I sorta wonder if the Vikings could swing a trade down with New England who just might be looking at one of the TEs if he's there. 18 to 32 would net the Vikings the Pats' 2nd and 4th rounders and the Vikings would find better value there among players like Risner, Lindstrom, McGary...

The question I still don't have a great feel for is if they'd pass on a stud defensive player or TE for Bradbury or Lindstrom. Draft tendencies would suggest they wait on OL but practicality says that the former isn't making it to #50 and the latter likely isn't either. 

We keep talking about the stud TEs or DLs. But man, Bradbury is a stud, too. 

[Guest]

@"Geoff Nichols" said:

@"BarrNone55" said:
Simmons would be a great pick for the future. Following it up with Lines from definitely takes the sting off of not grabbing an OL in the first. I'd want to grab a RB before the end of Day 3.

I really wanted to go RB earlier but just couldn't get it to work unless I pushed CB down, which I could see being more likely. Something to play around with in another mock for sure. 

Considering the two AAF signings, and the frequency Zim prefers to run the ball, plus the inability of Cook to stay on the field to date I think we go earlier than most expect...I'd move up for Jacobs if he fell to Day 2...

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RODNEY ANDERSONRB, OKLAHOMA SOONERS

NFL Film's Greg Cosell says he "really likes" Oklahoma RB Rodney Anderson "if he's healthy."Cosell likes Anderson's (6'0/224) ability to run inside using his physicality but also talks up his pass-catching abilities. The worry, of course, is Anderson's healthy since he's coming off a torn ACL. Some draft analysts would have had Anderson as the top running back in this class if he played last season, but he is now teetering on the Day 2/3 borderline, pending physicals. In 2017, 20% of his carries went for at least eight yards, which would have been the second-best percentage of this 2019 RB class if he repeated that last year.
SOURCE: Ross Tucker Podcast

Like Simmons, a pick that could pay off huge...