How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft?

VikingsBoss
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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? Apr 30, 2018 17:16:21 GMT -6 via mobile

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Post by VikingsBoss on Apr 30, 2018 17:16:21 GMT -6

Don't get me wrong, I like the Hughes pick and I think he's going to be a player. But, when your Head Coach is anal retentive when it comes to playing rookies in general, and corners in particular, it's hard to get excited about a guy who will play 5 snaps a game. They need to let Hughes play. Yes, he may make rookie mistakes and get roasted a few times, but the offense should have a larger margin of error than years past. Let Cousins earn his checks by putting up 30 every now and again. However, I fear that is unlikely to happen.

The other way I like this pick is if they cut Newman in camp-that they just brought him back as insurance. He isn't that good anymore, everyone just raves about how he plays corner at 39 years old. Yeah, well I still run with a torn PCL in my left knee, but I don't run fast. Just because you are doing something most folks don't doesn't mean you do it better than others, or even well.

We are on the precipice of a possible Super Bowl run, and we bypassed the possibility of adding a guy who will help us get there for a guy who looks like he'll be contributing on Special Teams at best. I think Colby Gossett will be a vital depth piece this year and think O'Neill may even prove useful as a Super Fullback, extra blocking TE in short yardage and goal line situations. But, overall, I don't think this draft was for this year, and I just wish they would have had a more "all-in" mentality.
This isn't 2010, with an aging core and an uninterested Br-tt F-vr- who never should have left Mississippi. This is a team with a bunch of guys entering their primes.

We could have gotten a game changer, like Maurice Hurst in the fourth round- instead we got Jaylyn Holmes. I don't care if Hurst only plays two years before his heart explodes...if course,he may play ten years and then everyone who passed us going to be looking pretty stupid.

We could have gotten a big, strong WR to go with our rather small group in Equanimeous St. Brown in the fifth round, instead we get a god-damned kicker. And James better be right about this guy, because the Packers ended up with our WR!

I just think Spielman is trying to be too clever by half and it will leave us outside looking in again come February.

The Cardinals have knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs! NO!-Paul Allen, December 28th, 2003

VikingsBoss
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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? Apr 30, 2018 17:29:58 GMT -6 via mobile Funkytown likes this

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Post by VikingsBoss on Apr 30, 2018 17:29:58 GMT -6

Apr 30, 2018 17:03:44 GMT -6 Danchat said:

Apr 30, 2018 15:57:48 GMT -6 southwest said:

I gave it a 'C.'

I just don't really see the benefit in spending the first on a CB, I'd rather have had them trade out (I know, Spielman said no one really offered) and pick up an extra pick or two. Hughes isn't going to play much for a year or two. Might as well take a guy later if that's the case.

Truly, I think they should have moved up to get an OL, they're in a weird position with very few holes now, and looking to develop guys to fill future holes. They did okay for that, but none of the picks seemed like a great value. Drafting a kicker kind of baffled me, I can only assume it's a cap-space move over Forbath.

Forbath is making $790K, so it's not a cap move. Clearly they think Carlson is a big upgrade on Forbath. While I'm not sure how much better he'll be kicking field goals, Carlson will certainly be able to hit more touchbacks on kickoffs.

Which is worth what? They damn sure better make the kid EARN the job in Eagan. I don't care if he can kick it out if the stadium if he doesn't put it between the uprights.

Kai Forbath made a 53 yard field goal in the last two minutes of an NFC Playoff game. After making a 49 yarder earlier. I care about field goals, and Forbath has made those at a higher clip than any Vikings kicker ever. That's right, Kai Forbath is the Vikings all-time leader in FG percentage. And you want to replace him to gain what? 1.3 yards per kickoff, because that was the difference between Kai Forbath's average kickoff and league leader Sam Martin's.

And we TRADED UP to get him. I am sorry, I have to change my grade, I gave it a D, but we traded up for a KICKER! Is F---- an option?

Last Edit: Apr 30, 2018 19:26:07 GMT -6 by VikingsBoss

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Reignman
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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? Apr 30, 2018 19:28:09 GMT -6

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Post by Reignman on Apr 30, 2018 19:28:09 GMT -6

Apr 30, 2018 9:36:31 GMT -6 Funkytown said:

I'll say C as far as the draft and B as far as the offseason as a whole.

Obviously landing Cousins was huge, and adding Richardson was pretty good too. Adding guys like Wright, King, Compton, Siemian, etc. wasn't bad either. Oh, and the Kendricks extension was awesome!

I don't claim to know a ton about the draft, but I was banking on OL ... so the disappointment there is my own fault. I wanted Price or Hernandez, so I was going to be let down regardless after they were both gone. lol. I don't love that we seemed to have drafted for the future/projects, but I also trust the coaching staff. I just wish we had drafted a Day 1 starter at OL. ... I'll live.

I think the part that bothers me the most is that, on paper, much of our competition in the NFC got stronger through the draft ... while we pretty much remained stagnant. *thumb_down*

Yeah that's pretty much what I was going to say. I don't follow the offseason all that closely so I don't know who to be disappointed about, but I did understand which positions we had needs at so I'm disappointed that we didn't address those. I'm also disappointed for all of you who put so much time into researching players only to see the Vikings sh*t on your dreams xD. I think maybe Spielman outplayed himself this time around and it bit him. At least he didn't panic too much and salvaged what he could.

As others have mentioned, the later round players never seem to pan out so I really hate watching Rick move back to stockpile so many late round picks. I'd rather see him package those late round picks and try to move up and draft a player that has a realistic chance of playing in this league. Quality over quantity.

Another thing that others have pointed out, we're in win now mode, so I don't understand all the project players. I was hoping we'd at least land 2 immediate impact players in this draft. I know, not easy from #30, but Rick could have traded up. Players that could help us win now. It's like we're trying to get a head start on that rebuild we have coming in 3 years.

Aug 8, 2024 18:42:12 GMT -6 whoskmoon said:

if sitting and watching something versus actually doing it made a person great at it, Reignman would be the next Ron Jeremy.

Funkytown Owner Purple Pain Big Dog Posts: 67,627 Likes: 31,558 Fan Since: 1998	How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? Apr 30, 2018 20:28:40 GMT -6 Danchat likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Funkytown on Apr 30, 2018 20:28:40 GMT -6

Deleted Ghosted Member Posts: 0 Likes:	How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? Apr 30, 2018 22:06:42 GMT -6 Funkytown likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2018 22:06:42 GMT -6 Apr 30, 2018 17:29:58 GMT -6 VikingsBoss said: Is F---- an option? I was hoping "Rick screws the pooch Cleveland style" would be an option

Deleted Ghosted Member Posts: 0 Likes:	How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? Apr 30, 2018 22:08:58 GMT -6 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2018 22:08:58 GMT -6 Apr 30, 2018 10:19:57 GMT -6 vikecycle said: Didn't really like Vikings draft this year. Trying not to be a hater and bring about a layer of pessimism. The pessimism already exists.

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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? Apr 30, 2018 22:37:09 GMT -6 Reignman and Funkytown like this

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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2018 22:37:09 GMT -6

Apr 30, 2018 15:29:44 GMT -6 @keeniac said:

I understand there were more OL selected early than predicted.

That's not really the case. As a reminder,here's what I wrote in my piece when analysing what the Vikings could do at #30

I expect both Nelson and Wynn, along with the three tackles, to be gone before pick 30. This leaves Hernandez, Price, and Daniels as the three possible choices if the Vikings were to select an offensive lineman at pick 30. Of those three, Billy Price would be my pick. He possesses an elite skill set and position flexibility to make him a day-one starter for the Vikings.

Read more: purplepainforums.com/thread/1088/oc-30th-pick#ixzz5EDiyIbm7

I predicted 3 OTs and 2 OGs to be taken before #30. Once Price received full medical clearance it was likely he would be gone as well.

So if an amateur draftnik can predict that,then an NFL GM should be able to see it. The problem here is that Spielman never trades up in the first round as he prefers to let the draft come to him. This has been a good strategy in the past when the team was rebuilding,but this team is in "win now" mode,so it would have been nice to be aggressive and move up to grab a difference maker on OL.
Of course it is possible that Spielman attempted to trade up and couldn't find a trade partner or a deal he liked. Even so,both Hernandez and Daniels were available and both guys would have been able to compete right away.

mansquatch
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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? May 1, 2018 7:33:21 GMT -6 Reignman likes this

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Post by mansquatch on May 1, 2018 7:33:21 GMT -6

I can't not give them an "A". Sorry.

They landed the best player on the market at the most important position in the game. They landed the best OC candidate. They landed one of the two top DT Free Agents as well. They could have traded all their picks away and still gotten a B+ just by those three moves.

I really wasn't excited about the Hughes pick given the perceived hole at RG, but as I said on VMB, we do not know how they had those other guys rated. Some mocks had Hughes going as high as #15. (Let us also recall that one Xavier Rhodes was drafted in the 20s in 2013, if that draft was redone he'd be top 5 easy.) Also, OL have been far from a guarantee since the NCAA changed it's practice rules and the spread offense became more dominant in the Division I game. I found an article a few years ago that point out that something like 2 or the 15 OL drafted in the 1st round started for their respective NFL club in week 1. That is pretty bad for top draft picks... To me this gets down to player eval. Were they morons? Or were they sneaky good and will look great in three seasons? I don't know.

I might drop them to an A- if i factor in depth and that really is where I'm most concerned. The interior DL depth is a major concern IMO. If Linval or Richardson go down, they are in trouble. The pass rush last year lost a step by week 12. They need guys to rotate in and right now it doesn't feel like they have the bodies to do that. OL depth is less of an issue. They added Compton and they still have Hill and Remmers, plus the new guy Oneil at Tackle. Interior OL is more of a question, although I wonder if they think one of their projects is ready to start? We won't know until the Pre-Season.

I'm not sure why there is so much pessimism about the club? This reminds me of last offseason on VMB where half the posters were divorced from reality about this roster. Now we have a 13-3 season under our belts. We have the scariest defense in football returning every single starter except the weak link at DT where we upgraded. On Offense we improved at the single most important position and are returning arguable the best WR duo in the NFL. Also, I think a lot of people forget that before he went down, Cook was leading the NFL in rushing. He's coming back too! Our schedule is much tougher this year, but we are returning a roster that has proven it can win games.

vikecycle
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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? May 1, 2018 8:00:55 GMT -6 via mobile Reignman likes this

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Post by vikecycle on May 1, 2018 8:00:55 GMT -6

I could deal with what i perceive as a meh draft, but its irritating because imo, GB and CHI both had very good to good drafts/offseasons.

I so just wish Minny took Hernandez or Josh/Lamar Jackson, real sh*t.

I wonder why we liked Mike Hughes more then Josh Jackson, id be interested to know how close it was between them.

Last Edit: May 1, 2018 8:02:47 GMT -6 by vikecycle

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vikecycle
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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? May 1, 2018 8:04:35 GMT -6 via mobile

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Post by vikecycle on May 1, 2018 8:04:35 GMT -6

Apr 30, 2018 22:08:58 GMT -6 @aussie61 said:

Apr 30, 2018 10:19:57 GMT -6 vikecycle said:

Didn't really like Vikings draft this year. Trying not to be a hater and bring about a layer of pessimism.

The pessimism already exists.

Yea, well. Not trying to fan the flames this soon after the draft.

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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? May 1, 2018 8:13:06 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2018 8:13:06 GMT -6

May 1, 2018 7:33:21 GMT -6 mansquatch said:

I can't not give them an "A". Sorry.

They landed the best player on the market at the most important position in the game. They landed the best OC candidate. They landed one of the two top DT Free Agents as well. They could have traded all their picks away and still gotten a B+ just by those three moves.

I really wasn't excited about the Hughes pick given the perceived hole at RG, but as I said on VMB, we do not know how they had those other guys rated. Some mocks had Hughes going as high as #15. (Let us also recall that one Xavier Rhodes was drafted in the 20s in 2013, if that draft was redone he'd be top 5 easy.) Also, OL have been far from a guarantee since the NCAA changed it's practice rules and the spread offense became more dominant in the Division I game. I found an article a few years ago that point out that something like 2 or the 15 OL drafted in the 1st round started for their respective NFL club in week 1. That is pretty bad for top draft picks... To me this gets down to player eval. Were they morons? Or were they sneaky good and will look great in three seasons? I don't know.

I might drop them to an A- if i factor in depth and that really is where I'm most concerned. The interior DL depth is a major concern IMO. If Linval or Richardson go down, they are in trouble. The pass rush last year lost a step by week 12. They need guys to rotate in and right now it doesn't feel like they have the bodies to do that. OL depth is less of an issue. They added Compton and they still have Hill and Remmers, plus the new guy Oneil at Tackle. Interior OL is more of a question, although I wonder if they think one of their projects is ready to start? We won't know until the Pre-Season.

I'm not sure why there is so much pessimism about the club? This reminds me of last offseason on VMB where half the posters were divorced from reality about this roster. Now we have a 13-3 season under our belts. We have the scariest defense in football returning every single starter except the weak link at DT where we upgraded. On Offense we improved at the single most important position and are returning arguable the best WR duo in the NFL. Also, I think a lot of people forget that before he went down, Cook was leading the NFL in rushing. He's coming back too! Our schedule is much tougher this year, but we are returning a roster that has proven it can win games.

Were you wearing purple glasses and drinking purple wine when you wrote this?

OL depth is less of an issue?? Really?? The new guy O'Neill struggled big time in the Senior Bowl when he faced stronger competition,and the NFL is a giant step above the Senior Bowl. Compton is a life time back up. Our starting RG from 2017 retired and our starting Center from 2017 is recovering from a broken ankle and there is no obvious replacement for those guys.
This OL is too much like the 2016 OL and that didn't go so well.

At RB,yes Dalvin is back,but he is coming off a serious knee injury. We only have Dalvin and Murray with a bunch of UDFA's behind them,so not really what you would call quality depth.

And you worry about DL depth? A ton of draft capital and free agent resources have been spent on the DL. Linval is one of the best in the business and no back up can cover for that,just have to hope Jaleel Johnson can step up and do a serviceable job.

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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? May 1, 2018 8:16:33 GMT -6 Reignman and vikecycle like this

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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2018 8:16:33 GMT -6

May 1, 2018 8:04:35 GMT -6 vikecycle said:

Apr 30, 2018 22:08:58 GMT -6 @aussie61 said:

The pessimism already exists.

Yea, well. Not trying to fan the flames this soon after the draft.

Oh all right then, leave it all up to me *lol*

mansquatch
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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? May 1, 2018 8:32:47 GMT -6 Reignman likes this

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Post by mansquatch on May 1, 2018 8:32:47 GMT -6

Last offseason, you could level the Kool Aid Charge with some accuracy. However, this year not so much: Optimism isn't drinking the Koolaid, it is warranted based on past results and facts on the ground. I feel the need to remind you that we went 13-3 last year and played in the NFC Championship game.

A fair question to ask would be WHY do you think this team is suddenly not a playoff contender given the current status of the roster? They are by virtually every measure better at QB. The OL is not returning a single starter from a unit that was vastly improved over the 2016 campaign. We lost McKinnon, but will be returning Cook. Murray showed himself capable of being a significant contributor at RB last season as well one he hit his stride. Starting WR are the same. Starting TE, the same.

On Defense they are returning the #1 defense in the NFL with every starter, barring the sole exception of Tom Johnson who they replaced with the some guy named Sheldon Richardson.

We lost Pat Shurmer at OC, but replaced him with probably the best available option. I guess we can call that an unknown even though the guy we hired won the SB with Nick Foles last year...

Are there questions? Sure. What NFL team doesn't have questions right now? Still, if I'm really honest, I ask this with a high degree of incredulity: How can you not be excited for this team? In all seriousness, what else do they have to do?

Last Edit: May 1, 2018 8:33:43 GMT -6 by mansquatch

vikecycle
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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? May 1, 2018 8:46:24 GMT -6 via mobile

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Post by vikecycle on May 1, 2018 8:46:24 GMT -6

May 1, 2018 8:32:47 GMT -6 mansquatch said:

Last offseason, you could level the Kool Aid Charge with some accuracy. However, this year not so much: Optimism isn't drinking the Koolaid, it is warranted based on past results and facts on the ground. I feel the need to remind you that we went 13-3 last year and played in the NFC Championship game.

A fair question to ask would be WHY do you think this team is suddenly not a playoff contender given the current status of the roster? They are by virtually every measure better at QB. The OL is not returning a single starter from a unit that was vastly improved over the 2016 campaign. We lost McKinnon, but will be returning Cook. Murray showed himself capable of being a significant contributor at RB last season as well one he hit his stride. Starting WR are the same. Starting TE, the same.

On Defense they are returning the #1 defense in the NFL with every starter, barring the sole exception of Tom Johnson who they replaced with the some guy named Sheldon Richardson.

We lost Pat Shurmer at OC, but replaced him with probably the best available option. I guess we can call that an unknown even though the guy we hired won the SB with Nick Foles last year...

Are there questions? Sure. What NFL team doesn't have questions right now? Still, if I'm really honest, I ask this with a high degree of incredulity: How can you not be excited for this team? In all seriousness, what else do they have to do?

I agree we likely are a playoff contender.

But im more concerned about being a SB contender, and being able to beat the biggest roadblock in our way, Aaron Rodgers. Zimmer is 2-4 against Rodgers and barely beat Hundley last year. That needs to improve for the Vikes to get to a SB.

Our O line is still a huge concern.

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Dynalee10
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How would YOU grade the Vikings' 2018 draft? May 1, 2018 10:09:02 GMT -6

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Post by Dynalee10 on May 1, 2018 10:09:02 GMT -6

Dont see this draft as anymore than a c- We were not prepared for a run on lineman and we panicked in my opinion but like everyone else I am just a passionate fan who has opinions and you know what they say about opinions .