How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft?
Apr 29, 2018 17:42:51 GMT -6
Reignman and Danchat like this
Post by Funkytown on Apr 29, 2018 17:42:51 GMT -6
Let's see some of the opinions out there, and then you guys can chime in with your thoughts...
NFL.com
Link: www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000930225/article/2018-nfl-draft-final-quicksnap-grades-for-all-32-teams
PFF
Link: www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-all-32-nfl-teams-2018-nfl-draft-grades
Draft experts impressed with the Minnesota Vikings 2018 draft class
Link: thevikingage.com/2018/04/29/grade-minnesota-vikings-2018-draft-class/
NFL.com
Minnesota Vikings
Draft picks: UCF CB Mike Hughes (No. 30 overall), Pittsburgh OT Brian O'Neill (No. 62 overall), Ohio State DE Jalyn Holmes (No. 102 overall), Central Michigan TE Tyler Conklin (No. 157 overall), Auburn K Daniel Carlson (No. 167 overall), Appalachian State OG Colby Gossett (No. 213 overall), Tulane DE Ade Aruna (No. 218 overall), Cal LB Devante Downs (No. 225 overall).
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: B+
Day 3 grade: A
Overall grade: A-
The skinny: Terence Newman is no longer with the team, and Mackensie Alexander needed competition in the slot, so the Vikings ignored the offensive line need to pick Hughes. He's a great athlete with some off-field concerns and only average size. He should excel inside for the Vikings. O'Neill needs to get stronger in the lower body to prevent losing leverage, but could end up a good investment in time. GM Rick Spielman moved out of the third round, but only down eight spots, and gained a sixth-round pick in the process. Holmes will bring strength, quickness, and versatility to the Vikings' defense. Conklin's an underrated prospect who is fluid and sure-handed. Minnesota also needed competition at guard, and grabbing Gossett in the sixth round was absolutely a steal. Aruna is raw, but long and athletic, and has huge upside as a pass rusher.
Draft picks: UCF CB Mike Hughes (No. 30 overall), Pittsburgh OT Brian O'Neill (No. 62 overall), Ohio State DE Jalyn Holmes (No. 102 overall), Central Michigan TE Tyler Conklin (No. 157 overall), Auburn K Daniel Carlson (No. 167 overall), Appalachian State OG Colby Gossett (No. 213 overall), Tulane DE Ade Aruna (No. 218 overall), Cal LB Devante Downs (No. 225 overall).
Day 1 grade: A
Day 2 grade: B+
Day 3 grade: A
Overall grade: A-
The skinny: Terence Newman is no longer with the team, and Mackensie Alexander needed competition in the slot, so the Vikings ignored the offensive line need to pick Hughes. He's a great athlete with some off-field concerns and only average size. He should excel inside for the Vikings. O'Neill needs to get stronger in the lower body to prevent losing leverage, but could end up a good investment in time. GM Rick Spielman moved out of the third round, but only down eight spots, and gained a sixth-round pick in the process. Holmes will bring strength, quickness, and versatility to the Vikings' defense. Conklin's an underrated prospect who is fluid and sure-handed. Minnesota also needed competition at guard, and grabbing Gossett in the sixth round was absolutely a steal. Aruna is raw, but long and athletic, and has huge upside as a pass rusher.
Link: www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000930225/article/2018-nfl-draft-final-quicksnap-grades-for-all-32-teams
PFF
1 (30) Mike Hughes, CB, UCF, 88.6
2 (62) Brian O’Neill, OT, Pittsburgh, 83.5
5 (157) Tyler Conklin, TE, Central Michigan, 77.0
5 (167) Daniel Carlson, K, Auburn, n/a
6 (213) Colby Gossett, G, App. State, 81.5
6 (218) Ade Aruna, DI, Tulane, 49.4
7 (225) Devante Downs, LB, California, 81.6
Day 1: The Minnesota Vikings added to their secondary with UCF cornerback Mike Hughes. There were few more talented corners in this draft than Hughes, who allowed a passer rating of just 40.7 over his college career when targeted. He surrendered just one touchdown an wasn’t beaten for a pass longer than 21 yards in his entire 2017 season. Hughes also adds value as a return man, though that becomes less and less relevant as the league edges ever closer to eliminating the kick off entirely. Hughes does have some off-field character concerns, but his play on the field is well worth a first-round pick and attacks a clear area of need for the Vikings who are trying to find players to complement Harrison Smith at safety and Xavier Rhodes at corner.
Day 2: The Vikings traded out of the third round late in the day, so their only Day 2 pick was spent on Brian O’Neill, an offensive tackle out of Pittsburgh. The team will be hoping that they fare better with this Pitt tackle than they did with T.J. Clemmings, and O’Neill allowed just nine total pressures in 2017 for the eighth-best pass blocking efficiency score in the draft class. The Vikings offensive line is still a work in progress and could definitely use an upgrade at tackle, allowing them to move Mike Remmers inside to guard on a permanent basis. O’Neill will likely have every opportunity to prove he can continue his pass blocking at the next level.
Day 3: The Vikings went back to the offensive line in Round 6 with G Colby Gossett, a player who had four-straight years of impressive PFF grading. He played 3,162 career snaps in college and allowed just 36 total pressures over four years. They traded up in the fifth round to grab a kicker in Auburn’s Daniel Carlson, who was the second-highest graded kicker in the nation last season at PFF.
Overall grade: Below average
2 (62) Brian O’Neill, OT, Pittsburgh, 83.5
5 (157) Tyler Conklin, TE, Central Michigan, 77.0
5 (167) Daniel Carlson, K, Auburn, n/a
6 (213) Colby Gossett, G, App. State, 81.5
6 (218) Ade Aruna, DI, Tulane, 49.4
7 (225) Devante Downs, LB, California, 81.6
Day 1: The Minnesota Vikings added to their secondary with UCF cornerback Mike Hughes. There were few more talented corners in this draft than Hughes, who allowed a passer rating of just 40.7 over his college career when targeted. He surrendered just one touchdown an wasn’t beaten for a pass longer than 21 yards in his entire 2017 season. Hughes also adds value as a return man, though that becomes less and less relevant as the league edges ever closer to eliminating the kick off entirely. Hughes does have some off-field character concerns, but his play on the field is well worth a first-round pick and attacks a clear area of need for the Vikings who are trying to find players to complement Harrison Smith at safety and Xavier Rhodes at corner.
Day 2: The Vikings traded out of the third round late in the day, so their only Day 2 pick was spent on Brian O’Neill, an offensive tackle out of Pittsburgh. The team will be hoping that they fare better with this Pitt tackle than they did with T.J. Clemmings, and O’Neill allowed just nine total pressures in 2017 for the eighth-best pass blocking efficiency score in the draft class. The Vikings offensive line is still a work in progress and could definitely use an upgrade at tackle, allowing them to move Mike Remmers inside to guard on a permanent basis. O’Neill will likely have every opportunity to prove he can continue his pass blocking at the next level.
Day 3: The Vikings went back to the offensive line in Round 6 with G Colby Gossett, a player who had four-straight years of impressive PFF grading. He played 3,162 career snaps in college and allowed just 36 total pressures over four years. They traded up in the fifth round to grab a kicker in Auburn’s Daniel Carlson, who was the second-highest graded kicker in the nation last season at PFF.
Overall grade: Below average
Link: www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-all-32-nfl-teams-2018-nfl-draft-grades
Draft experts impressed with the Minnesota Vikings 2018 draft class
Check out a breakdown of grades for the Minnesota Vikings 2018 NFL Draft class from some of the top websites organized by how positive or negative the grades are.
Gave the Vikings an A
NFL.com – Chad Reuter: “Terence Newman is no longer with the team, and Mackensie Alexander needed competition in the slot, so the Vikings ignored the offensive line need to pick Hughes.” Grade: A-
Gave the Vikings a B
Mocking the Draft – Dan Kadar: “Hughes is capable of coming up and playing man and dropping back in zone coverage.” Grade: B+
ESPN – Mel Kiper: “GM Rick Spielman went with needs for the Vikings’ first three picks, and all three could fill a role as rookies.” Grade: B
New York Post – Mark Cannizzaro: “The top pick, UCF Mike Hughes, is a physical and speedy corner who has a chance to be a star in the Minnesota defensive backfield.” Grade: B
Sporting News – Vinnie Iyer: “The Vikings pretty much went down the line addressing their positional needs, none of which were immediate.” Grade: B
Sports Illustrated – Andy Benoit: “O’Neill doesn’t have to play right away, and neither does first-round corner Mike Hughes—Mike Zimmer, a former secondary coach, has a history of developing talented corners from the bench.” Grade: B
Walter Football – Walter: “The Vikings made a couple of quality picks. The Mike Hughes selection at 30th overall was an especially great one.” Grade: B
Rotoworld – Evan Silva: “The Vikings need help at slot corner and will have to make a difficult decision on LCB Trae Waynes after this season.” Grade: B-
Gave the Vikings a C
Washington Post – Mark Maske: “After spending all that money on QB Kirk Cousins in free agency, perhaps Minnesota should have given Cousins another playmaker or two on offense.” Grade: C
USA Today – Nate Davis: “Hard to see many rookies here who will play immediately — unless second-round T Brian O’Neill proves he’s ahead of schedule from a strength standpoint.” Grade: C-
Yahoo Sports – Grade: C-
Gave the Vikings an A
NFL.com – Chad Reuter: “Terence Newman is no longer with the team, and Mackensie Alexander needed competition in the slot, so the Vikings ignored the offensive line need to pick Hughes.” Grade: A-
Gave the Vikings a B
Mocking the Draft – Dan Kadar: “Hughes is capable of coming up and playing man and dropping back in zone coverage.” Grade: B+
ESPN – Mel Kiper: “GM Rick Spielman went with needs for the Vikings’ first three picks, and all three could fill a role as rookies.” Grade: B
New York Post – Mark Cannizzaro: “The top pick, UCF Mike Hughes, is a physical and speedy corner who has a chance to be a star in the Minnesota defensive backfield.” Grade: B
Sporting News – Vinnie Iyer: “The Vikings pretty much went down the line addressing their positional needs, none of which were immediate.” Grade: B
Sports Illustrated – Andy Benoit: “O’Neill doesn’t have to play right away, and neither does first-round corner Mike Hughes—Mike Zimmer, a former secondary coach, has a history of developing talented corners from the bench.” Grade: B
Walter Football – Walter: “The Vikings made a couple of quality picks. The Mike Hughes selection at 30th overall was an especially great one.” Grade: B
Rotoworld – Evan Silva: “The Vikings need help at slot corner and will have to make a difficult decision on LCB Trae Waynes after this season.” Grade: B-
Gave the Vikings a C
Washington Post – Mark Maske: “After spending all that money on QB Kirk Cousins in free agency, perhaps Minnesota should have given Cousins another playmaker or two on offense.” Grade: C
USA Today – Nate Davis: “Hard to see many rookies here who will play immediately — unless second-round T Brian O’Neill proves he’s ahead of schedule from a strength standpoint.” Grade: C-
Yahoo Sports – Grade: C-
Link: thevikingage.com/2018/04/29/grade-minnesota-vikings-2018-draft-class/
... and neither is this Chris guy.