How would I know? Seriously, if I did know, would you care about my opinion? Since I can't possibly predict the draft, I can do something. I can tell you what I've seen. The needs are simple: linebacker & young quarterback. Quality at both positions is available. But who will it be?
Here's the NFL draft from other's point of view:
Jay Cutler | QB | Vanderbilt | John Clayton, ESPN.com senior NFL writer: This might be the best pick in the first round. Adding Cutler's arm to Brad Childress' offense could make this a great pick. Childress won't have to rush Cutler into service because Brad Johnson can get him through this season. |
Jay Cutler | QB | Vanderbilt |
Ourlads.com |
Trade up possible. Jimmy Williams if there |
Jay Cutler | QB | Vanderbilt |
Real Football, Connor Byrne |
Consider Cutler the Aaron Rodgers of this year's draft. In last year's draft, Rodgers could have gone No. 1 to San Francisco, but he fell all the way to Green Bay at 24. The athletic, cannon-armed Cutler could go as high as No. 3, but I don't see it. Instead, new head coach Brad Childress will find his quarterback of the future in Minnesota. |
Chad Greenway | LB | Iowa |
http://football.about.com |
Linebacker is the most glaring weakness on this team, followed by quarterback. The team needs to look at a QB of the future, but if they don’t trade up, they’re not likely to get one in round one. Greenway would offer some immediate competition at outside. |
Chad Greenway | OLB | Iowa |
The Sporting News Correspondent's Mock Draft |
It's just a matter of which outside linebacker they like most, and Greenway has the edge. But trading up to get Ohio State's Hawk also is a possibility. |
Chad Greenway | OLB | Iowa |
Sports Illustrated, Don Banks |
|
Chad Greenway | OLB | Iowa |
Yahoo! Sports, Charles Robinson |
Greenway has taken a slight jump up the boards of some teams after impressing in individual workouts. The Vikings' corps of linebackers is a mess. It needs talent and depth, and Greenway would provide both. His stock dropped after a poor combine, but it's hard to argue with the massive production he put up in college. |
DeMeco Ryans | OLB | Alabama |
The Sporting News, printed edition |
|
Demeco Ryans | LB | Alabama |
Rick Gosslein, Dallas Morning News (Second Mock) |
Vikings need linebackers, period |
Ernie Sims | OLB | Florida State |
NFLDraftCountdown.com, Scott Wright |
|
Ernie Sims | OLB | Florida State |
Viking Update |
|
And finally, the only true 'mock' draft I read about:
Anna Nicole Smith | respectable stripper |
|
Gregg Easterbrook Tuesday Morning Quarterback |
The Love Boat might have been a PR fiasco for the Vikings, but there's no getting around that Minnesota was 1-3 before the team spent an evening with some lap dancers and 8-4 after. At Smith's Web site, she describes herself as an "international model." After providing a 97-word bio, Smith declares, "I don't feel like writing any more." |
