Minnesota Vikings: Drafted Rookies Receive Their New Numbers

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On a day where the push for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium is pushed to the House floor and former Viking Joe Senser's wife is found guilty of vehicular homicide, I'm choosing to write about the Vikings rookies getting their new numbers.

Maybe it's because I'm so desensitized and numb to the other two storylines, but honestly this is the most interesting piece of Vikings-related information that I received today.

Tomorrow, the Vikings rookies will take to Winter Park to begin their first mini-camp. I thought it might be nice for those of you that will probably end up watching the highlights of that mini-camp to know the numbers of the players that you will be watching.

I hope these next 10 slides aren't a complete waste of your time.

LT Matt Kalil

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Number: 75

This one isn't really a surprise. Kalil wore No. 75 at USC and it's only fitting that a No. 4 overall pick gets to keep his same number.

OT DeMarcus Love wore this number last year, but has apparently switched to No. 73. I guess we know who the alpha dog is.

Not much else to say about this one.

FS Harrison Smith

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Number: 22

Harrison Smith also got to keep his college number.

Smith will look good in No. 22 for the Vikings.

This is mainly because Benny Sapp won't be wearing it anymore. The Vikings signed Sapp because of severe lack of depth at CB in 2011 and chose not to resign him this offseason when his contract expired.

For such an awesome number, I was sort of ashamed that such a bad player got to wear it—but no longer.

On a side note, the last safety that I know of to wear No. 22 for the Vikings was Hall of Famer Paul Krause who still holds the NFL record for all-time interceptions with 81.

Not trying to say that Harrison Smith will be anywhere as good as Krause, but at least he's in good company for his jersey number.

CB Josh Robinson

Number: 31

I was surprised to see that Robinson would not be wearing No. 20, his college number.

Being that former Vikings FS Madieu Williams is no longer with the team and the jersey number became vacant, it seemed only fitting that Robinson would get this number.

Wait, No. 31? Isn't that Chris Cook's number?

Well, it was. Cook switched numbers this offseason—to No. 20.

Cook wore No. 2 at Virginia, so I could kind of see it that way, but my guess is that his number change signifies a new start for the corner that dealt with legal troubles and now believes he must prove himself to his teammates.

Personally, I like No. 31, so I think Robinson will look good rocking this jersey number.

WR Jarius Wright

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Number: 1

Wright will not keep this jersey number.

NFL rules say that receivers must wear numbers between 10-19 or 80-89.

But because the only numbers the Vikings have available are No. 80, which is retired in honor of Cris Carter and No. 87, which nobody wants because Bernard Berrian just got done wearing it, Wright will have to wait for some guys to get cut so that some numbers open up.

I think it would be pretty cool if he could keep No. 1, but rules are rules I suppose.

TE/FB Rhett Ellison

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Number: 40

Woah, I'm not sure if I'm cool with this one.

I get that Ellison wore this number at USC, but he was essentially drafted to replace the retired Jimmy Kleinsasser, who wore No. 40 as well.

Kleinsasser obviously doesn't have Hall of Fame statistics, but he played for the team since they drafted him in 1999. He personified the hard-nosed Vikings.

I'm not saying they should retire his number, but I don't think I'm cool with his number getting passed on this fast.

WR Greg Childs

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Number: 85

This is another guy that got his same college number, and I guess it means they won't be re-signing WR Greg Camarillo.

There aren't any Vikings in my mind that really stood out who wore this number either, so if he pans out like all of you who commented on my last article seem to think, he's got a chance to make that number famous.

I'm not a fan of the No. 85, but I think it's just because I associate it with Chad Ochocinco.

Hopefully I'll like this "ocho-cinco" a little bit more.

CB/SS Robert Blanton

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Number: 36

Blanton is getting the number that CB Brandon Burton wore in his rookie year.

Burton is switching to No. 27 now that Lorenzo Booker has not been re-signed by the team. I think Burton is definitely getting the better end of the deal on this one.

Either way, they're kind of both boring numbers.

K Blair Walsh

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Number: 3

He's a kicker, what am I going to say.

No. 3 is a pretty cool number I guess. No one was already wearing it. No problems.

LB Audie Cole

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Number: 57

Here's your pretty standard LB number. Of what is available, I think I'd definitely pick this one.

He could have gone with No. 56 which E.J. Henderson previously wore, along with Hall of Famer Chris Doleman, but he probably made the right choice on this one.