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Minnesota Vikings 2008 Draft Preview


By Tony Moss, NFL Editor
(Sports Network) - The most-publicized problem for the Vikings of late has been an inability to both throw and catch the football, and conventional wisdom suggests that a quarterback, receiver, and perhaps a tight end will be high on the team's priority list. At the same time, no Minnesota player tallied more than five sacks last season, and with Kenechi Udeze expected to miss time with a reported case of leukemia, and Erasmus James still a question mark due to a perpetually injured knee, the Vikes might draft a first-round defensive end for the third time in the last five years. If available, Florida's Derrick Harvey is a real possibility. After addressing the QB and wideout situations, Minnesota might want to target some offensive line depth given the age (32), injury history, and contract dissatisfaction of center Matt Birk, the recurring legal problems experienced by left tackle Bryant McKinnie, and the shaky play of recent first-day draft choices Ryan Cook and Marcus Johnson.
2007 Record: 8-8
First Pick: No. 17
Number of Selections: 9 (1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7)
RECENT FIRST ROUND HISTORY: 2007 - Adrian Peterson (RB, Oklahoma); 2006 - Chad Greenway (LB, Iowa); 2005 - Troy Williamson (WR, South Carolina), Erasmus James (DE, Wisconsin); 2004 - Kenechi Udeze (DE, USC); 2003 - Kevin Williams (DT, Oklahoma State); 2002 - Bryant McKinnie (OT, Miami-Florida); 2001 - Michael Bennett (RB, Wisconsin); 2000 - Chris Hovan (DT, Boston College); 1999 - Daunte Culpepper (QB, Central Florida), Dimitrius Underwood (DT, Michigan State); 1998 - Randy Moss (WR, Marshall); 1997 - Dwayne Rudd (LB, Alabama); 1996 - Duane Clemons (DE, California); 1995 - Derrick Alexander (DE, Florida State), Korey Stringer (OT, Ohio State); 1994 - DeWayne Washington (CB, North Carolina State), Todd Steussie (OT, California); 1993 - Robert Smith (RB, Ohio State); 1992 - none; 1991 - none; 1990 - none.