This upcoming NFL draft has a ton of talent at the skill positions, both at RB and WR..... Minnesota's needs, however, are not at the skill position so much as at the offensive line and cornerback.. I am not sure Minnesota will draft high enough to get an impact player for those positions..
Kirk Cousins is as polarizing as it gets on the field for Vikings fans... Some love him and some hate him... He has had a relatively efficient year... MY OPINION OF HIS BIGGEST NEGATIVE IS THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE THE SCRAMBLING ABILITY TO EXTEND PLAYS.... When he gets pressured, he backpedals and its probably going to be an incompletion with a throw out of bounds... Minnesota could not handle Green Bay's pass rush in the last meeting and I dont think this will get better in the playoffs.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Minnesota can run the ball ok but we have to pass block better at some point.. If there was a left tackle in free agency that Minnesota could pick up that is an upgrade over Riley Reiff, I would think that is the way to go... I think Bradbury at center will be all-pro, someday, if he keeps developing so we are fine there... I love the O'Neill kid on the right side tackle as I believe he is a keeper... But at left tackle and both guards, Minnesota needs some help in the pass blocking side of things. The left tackle from Georgia, Andrew Thomas, is the best one coming out in the draft but he will be gone by the time Minnesota gets to draft... There is the thought of the kid from University of Washington, Trey Adams, who has all the prerequisites to be a very good left tackle except he has a history of injury.. It is hard to trade for offensive linemen worth looking at because other NFL teams know how important and precious of a commodity that they have in a good offensive lineman.. But I believe the Vikings need 2 guards and a left tackle to be better on offense. Gotta draft at least a couple to try to fill those needs
CORNERBACK
I have to believe that Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman have to be shaking their heads and wringing their hands on this one.... They have 3--------3---------3 #1 draft picks at cornerback(Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mike Hughes)... It is not like the Vikings haven't tried to address it.. You can actually argue that none of them are even among the best 2 CBs on the roster if Holton Hill would quit smoking pot and Mackenzie Alexander may have been as effective, even when guarding the slot guys.. Rhodes' skills have diminished to where he is questionable to make any NFL roster... Waynes has been ok and the best of the 3 #1 picks and Hughes can't stay on the field because he is often injured... Minnesota may need ANOTHER FIRST ROUND PICK to address cornerback, which is frustrating at best. The safeties have played well, despite little help from the corners...I honestly think Minnesota could try Jayron Kearse at corner... He is a really tall safety that would be really slow for a corner but I think his height and length can make up for some of that on the deep balls and he would be physical at the line with all receivers.
You could argue that Minnesota needs help at DEFENSIVE TACKLE and even QB, in the draft..... I think Cousins is a great guy but he is not going to be the guy that leads Minnesota to a deep playoff run, IMO... Minnesota should have spent the money that they did on making sure the offensive line was solid before bringing in a high dollar QB.. Hind sight is 20/20 and I know that Minnesota needed to get a QB at the time of coming off that playoff win against the Saints and loss to the Eagles.. But offensive line is now a position that is almost as important as QB and the Vikings have to get better at those positions.. When you figure important positions, the lines and CB are towards the top behind QB and Minnesota is going to have to address those needs in a big way in the offseason, either through free agency, draft, or trade.
Kirk Cousins is as polarizing as it gets on the field for Vikings fans... Some love him and some hate him... He has had a relatively efficient year... MY OPINION OF HIS BIGGEST NEGATIVE IS THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE THE SCRAMBLING ABILITY TO EXTEND PLAYS.... When he gets pressured, he backpedals and its probably going to be an incompletion with a throw out of bounds... Minnesota could not handle Green Bay's pass rush in the last meeting and I dont think this will get better in the playoffs.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Minnesota can run the ball ok but we have to pass block better at some point.. If there was a left tackle in free agency that Minnesota could pick up that is an upgrade over Riley Reiff, I would think that is the way to go... I think Bradbury at center will be all-pro, someday, if he keeps developing so we are fine there... I love the O'Neill kid on the right side tackle as I believe he is a keeper... But at left tackle and both guards, Minnesota needs some help in the pass blocking side of things. The left tackle from Georgia, Andrew Thomas, is the best one coming out in the draft but he will be gone by the time Minnesota gets to draft... There is the thought of the kid from University of Washington, Trey Adams, who has all the prerequisites to be a very good left tackle except he has a history of injury.. It is hard to trade for offensive linemen worth looking at because other NFL teams know how important and precious of a commodity that they have in a good offensive lineman.. But I believe the Vikings need 2 guards and a left tackle to be better on offense. Gotta draft at least a couple to try to fill those needs
CORNERBACK
I have to believe that Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman have to be shaking their heads and wringing their hands on this one.... They have 3--------3---------3 #1 draft picks at cornerback(Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mike Hughes)... It is not like the Vikings haven't tried to address it.. You can actually argue that none of them are even among the best 2 CBs on the roster if Holton Hill would quit smoking pot and Mackenzie Alexander may have been as effective, even when guarding the slot guys.. Rhodes' skills have diminished to where he is questionable to make any NFL roster... Waynes has been ok and the best of the 3 #1 picks and Hughes can't stay on the field because he is often injured... Minnesota may need ANOTHER FIRST ROUND PICK to address cornerback, which is frustrating at best. The safeties have played well, despite little help from the corners...I honestly think Minnesota could try Jayron Kearse at corner... He is a really tall safety that would be really slow for a corner but I think his height and length can make up for some of that on the deep balls and he would be physical at the line with all receivers.
You could argue that Minnesota needs help at DEFENSIVE TACKLE and even QB, in the draft..... I think Cousins is a great guy but he is not going to be the guy that leads Minnesota to a deep playoff run, IMO... Minnesota should have spent the money that they did on making sure the offensive line was solid before bringing in a high dollar QB.. Hind sight is 20/20 and I know that Minnesota needed to get a QB at the time of coming off that playoff win against the Saints and loss to the Eagles.. But offensive line is now a position that is almost as important as QB and the Vikings have to get better at those positions.. When you figure important positions, the lines and CB are towards the top behind QB and Minnesota is going to have to address those needs in a big way in the offseason, either through free agency, draft, or trade.
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