NFL Draft 2011: Mel Kiper Thinks Minnesota Vikings Reached for Christian Ponder

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

NFL Draft 2011 and Mel Kiper thinks Minnesota Vikings reached for Christian Ponder

The Minnesota Vikings needed a quarterback and were expected to take one, but in the second round.

Instead of waiting, the Vikings took Florida St. quarterback Christian Ponder with the No. 12 overall pick when they could’ve gotten him later in the first round.

With all of the issues for Minnesota, reaching for a quarterback this early just doesn’t make sense to me and now Ponder will have a ton of pressure on him.

Must Read: 2011 NFL Draft Grades: Report Cards for All 32 NFL Teams Entire Drafts

Mel Kiper’s Analysis:

The Vikings clearly need an answer at the quarterback position, but they reached for Ponder at No. 12. They clearly believe he's their guy long-term, but the draft is about value too. When you saw Dalton land all the way down at No. 35, you had to wonder if Ponder could have been had later. The Rudolph pick was a pretty solid value and Ballard could be a good defensive lineman. The Vikings also landed some needed help at cornerback and along the offensive line. Minnesota reached for a quarterback, in my opinion, and like Tennessee, still doesn't know who will start the season at quarterback. However, the Vikings rebounded nicely on Days 2 and 3.

Grade: C+

The Vikings may have loved Christian Ponder, but they could have traded back in the first round to get him instead of panicking and reaching at No. 12.

Check out more NFL Draft Coverage from your home of everything Football, Bleacher Report.

Most recent updates:

Flag

Props (0)