Letroy Guion Video Highlights

The took Florida State defensive tackle Letroy Guion with their second fifth round pick, number 152 overall. The 6"4" 303 lbs. Guion is quick off the ball and strong but he’s inconsistent and raw. In other words, he’s the perfect candidate to apprentice to the Williamses.

Tyrell Johnson Profile

Tyrell Johnson is six feet tall and weighs 198 pounds. at the combine with 27 and in the broad jump with a jump of 10′ 7". Johnson ran a 4.42 40 and had a vertical jump of 32" but he jumped a 39" vertical at his Pro Day.

Tyrell Johnson Video Highlights

The Vikings traded their fourth-round pick to the Eagles for their fifth round pick and swapped second round positions with Philly in order to move up and take Arkansas State free safety :

Here’s another highlight reel. What, by the way, is it with the Mozart-esque opera music for these football clips?!?

2008 Minnesota Vikings Draft Needs

After , the are left with no first-round pick and no third-round pick, leaving them with this year. This dearth of picks has left me with little enthusiasm for doing my typical pre-draft research on possible Vikings’ picks.

That said, these are the area I believe the Vikings will address.

With facing a possible four-game suspension and with a lack of depth at the position regardless, it looks fairly obvious that the Vikes will take an offensive lineman with their second-round pick at number 16 (47th overall), preferably a left tackle.

Fortunately, this draft has a strong , particularly at the tackle position. With the second-round pick, the Vikings should be able to get a player who will at the very least be able to challenge .

With the fourth-round pick, I could see the team taking a wide receiver ro a safety. The Vikings will need to find ‘s eventual replacement, and that could come soon, so wouldn’t surprise me at all here but only if value falls to them. The talent drops off sharply at this position after the top three players.

For that reason, it may be more likely the team picks here. While the addition of helps a lot, the team still doesn’t have that breathtaking athlete that you want at the position.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team in the latter rounds as well. Childress really didn’t want to lose Tyler Thigpen last year, so look for the Vikes to draft a QB to challenge for the third string position and provide another developmental project should Jackson ultimately not work out.

In the sixth and seventh rounds, the Vikes will likely look for depth on the or s and perhaps a or .

Let’s hope that last year’s strong draft was no fluke because this year the Vikes will especially need solid talent evaluation acumen.

Thank God It’s Football Season Again

I got the best of both worlds for the Super Bowl, with former Minnesota guys and each getting a touchdown in the big game while the still lost in the most exciting Super Bowl since the came up a yard short against the in .

After a long off season, it’s football season again with the NFL Scouting Combine, which .

Childress and the scouts are hard at work evaluating players these days. For all the criticism I’ve leveled at the current Vikings regime, I’ll give them this: They do their homework on player evaluation. That is evident in the past two drafts.

Defensive End

The Vikings biggest offseason need got bigger with the sad news that veteran defensive end . The team cannot rely on remaining healthy and will test free agency, so that leaves , , and as the top defensive ends.

The pickings are mighty slim for defensive ends in free agency this year, with the only notable name being the . Fortunately, though, this year’s draft class appears to be . The team should in position to take one of the top three or four defensive ends in the draft. Many mock drafts have the Vikings taking Florida speed rusher . I wouldn’t be surprised if the team took one or two more defensive ends this year, though.

Wide Receiver

The team is reportedly going to pursue a free agent wide receiver. Like last year, is fairly unimpressive. Topping the list are ‘s and ‘s . Neither player excites me, but between the two, I’d take Porter over Berrian. While Berrian may be faster, at 6’1", 185 lbs, he seems rather slight for a number one receiver. Porter has more bulk and size (6’2", 220 lbs) and more experience.

On the other hand, Berrian fits the profile of the young, on-the-rise player coming off their first contract the Vikings like to target in free agency. In addition to stretching the field, Berrian caught 71 passes and scored 5 touchdowns on a Bears team with horrible quarterbacks, so he might be a good fit for a still-developing .

Arizona ‘ receiver also fits the young, on-the-rise profile the Vikings like. At 6’3", 213 lbs, he provides a big target who is consistent, reeling in at least 40 balls during the past four seasons. Having played in the shadow of and his entire pro career, he’s never really had a chance to carry the load and show what he can do.

‘s agent is shopping his client around with the blessings of the Vikings, who also say are happy to keep Williamson if they aren’t offered a deal they like. I can’t imagine the Vikes getting anything better than a 4th round pick, which they should consider a blessing and move on.

It also wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Vikings take a receiver in the draft even if they sign a veteran free agent and especially if they get an extra pick from moving Troy Williamson. At least one mock draft has the Vikings taking , a speedy wide receiver with superb return skills. Jackson would certainly help fill a special teams hole the Vikings have long tried to plug.

Safety

With the release of and the pending departure of via free agency, the Vikings are suddenly thin at the safety position. They probably would’ve had to find a safety anyway because that position was getting grey, but the departure of Smith and Doss forces the team’s hand.

will likely be given the chance to start alongside , but the only backup now is . The team is reportedly interested in pursuing Bengals safety or the Giants’ .