Back on January 9, I posted the following blog entry. I think for the most part, it is still current. No comments were left at that time...maybe now?

It's way to early for me to think about April, that time of year when my son and I celebrate our respective birthday's. That time of year that I pull my annual April Fool's Day joke and piss off the poor saps that fall for it. But its never too early to look back and take a sneak look ahead.

Last year the Vikes had the number seven overall pick. There was a lot of talk of whether the Vikes had the grapefruits to move up into the number 1-3 spots or whether they would fold like a card table and move down later in the first round or even out of the first round altogether. Instead, they held at number seven and picked up this stiff.

Yeah, that really didn't work out so well for the Vikes. And this year they fall to the 17th overall selection.

So where does the team go from here? I start by reviewing the NFL's past selections at #17. NFL Draft Scout has a nice summary and the Vikes have picked twice from this spot, both with good results. In 2006 the Vikes selected LB Chad Greenway and in 1974 they selected LB Fred McNeill. Other notable selections at #17 have yielded Emmitt Smith (1990) to Steve Hutchinson (2001).

Let's assume the team is going to proceed with T-Jack at QB, go after one to two WR's via free agency and retain the services of Mr. Chester Taylor. The Vikes have a very good linebacker core. They have studs manning the interior of the defensive line. Where are the weak areas and which areas are aging and will need replacements in the coming years?

One area of concern to me is offensive line. The right side needs to be more productive and Matt Birk is not getting any younger at center. While I will agree that using your first draft pick on a offensive lineman is not glamorous, it has consistently shown to be a smart pick and often produces immediate results.

With that in mind, I like OT Chris Williams out of Vanderbilt. He is imposing at 6'6" and 315 lbs. The only downfall is Williams has played the left side of the line during his college career and he would have to be trained to play the right. And he is heading into his senior season so I'm not sure he will declare.

Another possibility would be Sam Baker out of Southern Cal. Baker lists at 6'5" and 312 lbs. Baker also plays the left side of the line but may be more polished that Williams at this point.

I don't believe the Vikes need to use a first round pick for center, if that's a position they want to solidify. Two names come to mind and would be there for the Vikes to consider in the second round. Those are Steve Justice out of Wake Forest and Mike Pollak out of Arizona State. Baker could have opted for the '07 draft but chose to return for his senior year and actually played better than in '06 and will better his draft position. Pollack and his Sun Devils teammates showcased one of the most experienced and honored offensive lines in the Pac-10. Either would do for me.

What about defensive end? If the Vikes do not address this during free agency (Jared Allen, please!) then DE could be the Vikes first round selection. One possible consideration would be Miami Hurricanes defensive end Calais Campbell who made it official Thursday by saying he will skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft.

Campbell would be the Ed "Too Tall" Jones of this generation as he is listed at 6-foot-8 and 240-pounds and is considered a mid first-round pick by many analysts. Despite a disappointing season, scouts are still impressed by his size and potential.

Since Chris Long will be long gone by pick #17 the only other DE that the Vikes could consider is Derrick Harvey out of Florida. Harvey has decided to skip his senior year and enter the NFL Draft. You may recall seeing Harvey as the last time he appeared in a bowl game, he collected a career-high three sacks and recovered a fumble against Ohio State in the BCS national championship game. He tied for the team lead in 2007 with 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

And what about the defensive secondary? Darren Sharper is aging and there has been some speculation he may not return. Dwight Smith is almost certain to not return. Antoine Winfield ended the season hurt. So, who may be available for a first round selection at #17? Answer: Kenny Phillips out of Miami. Phillips, a 6-2, 211-pound safety out of Miami Carol City High, will forgo his senior season to enter the NFL Draft. Phillips was named to the All-ACC first team and for the season, Phillips ranked second on the team with a career-high 95 tackles (69 solo). A third-year junior, he added made two interceptions, three forced fumbles and 6.5 tackles for loss.

These are just some very early names. Every one and their uncle will have names and projections. Have some of your own? Leave a comment and we'll start our researching department looking into them.

Authors note: Again, the above was originally posted on this blog January 9, 2008. Here is a sampling of the best DE's for the upcoming draft with my comments added.

NAME	COLLEGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	40 - TIME	COMMENT
Chris Long	Virginia	6-3	272	4.75	Will be gone
Vernon Gholston	Ohio St.	6-3	266	4.67	Will be gone
Phillip Merling	Clemson	6-4	276	4.75	May be gone
Derrick Harvey	Florida	6-4	271	4.83	Probably available
Quentin Groves	Auburn	6-3	259	4.57	Will be available
Lawrence Jackson	USC	6-4	271	4.76	Will be available
Calais Campbell	Miami (FL)	6-7	290	5.04	Will be available

Sunday Cartoon

Another Zygi & Chilly effort!

Posted by briankeithmaas@msn.com at March 9, 2008 01:42 AM