NFL Draft 2012: Trading No. 3 Pick Makes No Sense for Minnesota Vikings

Trading the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft makes no sense for the Minnesota Vikings because there's no reason for them to pass on taking an impact offensive player high in the draft.

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman spoke about the team's third overall pick on Friday, saying via NFL.com:

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I think those picks will go relatively quickly. But I’m sure there will be some conversations before that pick if we’re going to (make a trade).

If we want to get out of that pick, we’ll [determine] what it will take to get out of that pick. Plus you have to be careful of how far you would want to go [down in the draft]. You have to know what you’re looking at, depending on how far you go back. Are you getting yourself out of the [range of] the supposedly blue-chip type of players?

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The Vikings were 28th in passing yards per game last season and would be wise to select either a stud offensive tackle or a talented wide receiver with their first-round draft choice.

A franchise building block at left tackle would be a great move for the Vikings, and with USC left tackle Matt Kalil guaranteed to be there at pick No. 3, Minnesota could shore up the left side of their offensive line for a decade by selecting the Trojans star.

The Vikings could also take a number of very good wide receivers at that spot, which would really help the development of young quarterback Christian Ponder.

Only Percy Harvin had more than 27 receptions last season on the Vikings, so it's clear that their offense needs another No. 1- or No. 2-caliber wideout.

Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon and Notre Dame's Michael Floyd are two NFL-ready receivers who have great hands and good speed. Both receivers are playmakers and can make difficult catches. Either one would be a solid fit in the Vikings offense.

The Vikings don't need to rebuild, so there's no reason to trade the No. 3 pick and get a bunch of other picks for it.

If they strike gold on their third overall pick and select a quality player, the Vikings could be a playoff contender next season.

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