Mocking Minnesota: Rolling With The BPA
The trade down and trade up mocks are behind us. It’s now time to stay in the original slots for the opening two rounds. The plan was merely to choose the best player available, the strategy that most GMs like to suggest they pursue. To accomplish this goal, I went with best-ranked players according to the PFF rankings. The BPA draft involved a couple less common selections for the Vikings.
Things worked out reasonably well in this scenario since the Vikings picked up powerful players to improve both of their lines:
#12: George Karlaftis, EDGE
#46: Tyler Smith, iOL
Now, I should clarify that I bent the rules a little bit. Technically, Jameson Williams was the highest-ranked player once the 12th pick arrived. I took the liberty of speculating that Minnesota drops the Alabama phenom down their boards due to the ACL injury. Karlaftis was the next name.
He’s a powerful player, someone who’d help reinvigorate the defense:
The next name is the one who will come as more of a surprise. PFF puts Tyler Smith at 25th in their rankings. To their mind, he will need to make the switch from college OT to NFL OG: “Smith’s run-blocking tape is a sight to behold. Neither Neal nor Ekwonu led the FBS in big-time blocks last season; it was Smith. He likely ends up at guard and is a work in progress as a pass protector, but you can’t teach his power.” At 6’5, 324 pounds, the 21-year-old is certainly built like an NFL offensive lineman. In 909 snaps last year, Smith put forth an elite 92.3 score, 5th-best in college.
The BPA draft involved the Vikings getting a couple powerful young players for their lines. One could argue that overlooking corner in the first two rounds is a bad strategy, and that’s a perspective that has plenty of merit. Nevertheless, EDGE and the OL are probably the next two main needs. Getting well-regarded players at both 12 and 46 for these spots is still a win.
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