Shama:
Vikes Can’t Obsess on First Round CB
What will the Vikings do Thursday night in the first round of the NFL Draft?
Former Vikings GM
Jeff Diamond offered advice in a Monday interview with
Sports Headliners. “If they are wise, you don’t want to get locked into a certain position of need which we all know is a corner for them.”
Diamond, the NFL Executive of the Year in 1998 when the Vikings went 15-1, learned long ago that “especially in the first round” it’s not prudent to become overly focused on need at a particular position. Unless a team is after a quarterback, take the best player available, he said. Don’t pass on a great player and settle for a good one to fulfill a need.
Diamond, who learned that philosophy from
Bud Grant, Jerry Reichow and
Frank Gilliam from the Vikings, was president of the Titans after he left Minnesota. With both organizations he believed there are limited opportunities to select a player who was all but certain to become a Pro Bowl level talent. “We always felt there were eight to 10 blue chip players in every draft,” he said.
The Vikings have several needs going into this week’s three-day, seven-round draft. They could, for example, benefit from taking an edge rusher at No. 12.
Sports Illustrated’s mock draft has Minnesota selecting Eden Prairie High School and Florida State alum
Jermaine Johnson.
Diamond sees Johnson as a top four prospect among edge rushers in this year’s draft. “I think that he’s a guy that has got a lot of talent. I think he runs well and has good effort and all that.”
With the new Vikings’ 3-4 defensive scheme, and injury uncertain for veteran pass rushers
Danielle Hunter and
Za’Darius Smith, the franchise could benefit from selecting an edge rusher in the first round and then choosing cornerbacks in the second and later rounds. Diamond suggests the club might follow that path and use the third round pick for a quarterback to compete with backup
Kellen Mond (2021 draft).
Skol Vikes!!