Grading the Vikings Draft
https://www.dailynorseman.com/2021/5/4/22420218/draft-analysis
I wanted to look at the draft from a different angle, that of draft performance. Did the Vikings maximize the draft? It isn t as simple as judging Trader Rick s performance because it includes player value and that involves scouting. It is a team effort and a team result.
There are lots of places that are grading the drafts of all the teams and some of the results are surprising. I want to do the truest and most accurate of draft grades, almost scientific, depending on logic.
Obviously, players that we and the teams believe will be great will often fail and vice versa. Often the #4 player at a position will be the top pro and so on. Without a crystal ball (and the appropriate amount of magic inside it) we cannot yet know how things will turn out. But we can still grade performance based on some logical measures.
Draft analysis
Good evening Daily Norseman hopefully everyone survived draft weekend without to much anxiety and we didn t drive our significant others with the madness and trying to explain just how important the draft is. It was quiet the haul for our favorite team of the north with a total of 10 new players added to the team over the 3 day extravaganza. The shocking part to everyone I think outside of the initial trade RS made to move from 14 down to 23 and picked up two extra 3rd round selections in the process was the lack of movement by RS who seems to move all over the board.
Courtney Cronin Sounds Like a Liar By ShockN Awe on May 3, 2021, 7:25pm CDT +
Maybe. Or maybe someone else lied to her and she is just passing it on.
What am I talking about? Cronin says that the Vikings wanted to draft Justin Fields and were stunned when the Bears traded up and took him. She also stated that the Vikings told Kirk Cousins before the draft that they intended to draft a QB. She also says that at pick #14 the Vikings debated between taking Kwity Paye, Jaelen Phillips, Alijah Vera-Tucker, and Christian Darrisaw before trading down.
(A side note on that list of 4 players. I doubt it very much. Paye is small, short-armed, and non-productive. He is less athletic and less productive than Rashan Gary was at the same college and the Vikings can see how poorly Gary has worked out for Green Bay so far. He does not have the build that Patterson likes either. Phillips has concussion issues and the Vikings, in just the last year or so, lost Josh Kline
Can this Draft be a 2015/2020 Draft for the Vikings? By ShockN Awe on Apr 30, 2021, 6:14pm CDT +
We have a chance and I am loving it!
2015 is arguably the greatest draft the Vikings ever had. 2020 has incredible potential. Last year we we able, somehow, to get the #1 rookie WR (and rookie of the year in 9 out of 10 years), the #2 De, the #2 CB (also the #2 overall DB), and the, I forget #2 (?) Guard? Any way you slice it, that is incredible.
Last night we may have gotten a true franchise LT. The only reason we were able to get him at #23 was his inability to work out pre-draft. Thar was due to a core muscle injury that needed surgery. He was in a tough situation because, without surgery, he wouldn t work out well anyway and would be less ready for the 2021 season. It meant he had to be judged purely on game tape. Luckily, his game tape is great and he faced good competition.
Who Do You Like?
One more week and our questions are answered and our dreams fulfilled or crushed. Or, you know, somewhere in between.
We had an incredible draft last year and, if we can build on that with a superior draft this year, our team will be lined up for great success the next several years.
Last year, by PFF ratings, we obtained, in comparison to other rookies in the class, the #1 WR, the #3 OG, the #2 CB, and the #2 DE. One of those ranking may be a spot off, I m not sure. If you get three starters in a draft you ve supposedly done great. I don t really buy into starter being an accomplishment because every team needs the same number of starters and it doesn t mean you helped the team. That said, we got 3 starters (not counting Gladney because, you know) who started in year 1 and played fantastic.