2012 NFL Draft: 5 Players the Minnesota Vikings Could Realistically Trade Up for

With little activity in the free agent market, the Vikings will need to make a splash in the 2012 NFL draft in order to jump start the rebuilding process and prevent their third-straight last-place finish in the NFC North. 

While it's a foregone conclusion that the Vikings will get a starter when they select USC left tackle Matt Kalil with the third overall pick in the draft, they need to find at least one or two more starters that will provide instant improvement over the 2011 roster that tied the worst record in franchise history, finishing 3-13. 

With needs at wide receiver, linebacker, cornerback and safety, there are plenty of opportunities for General Manager Rick Spielman to upgrade the roster.

However, in order to improve their chances of finding a couple more starters, Spielman will need to find a way to improve the Vikings' draft position after their first-round pick.

It's unfortunate that Spielman and the Vikings were unable to pull off a deal like the Rams did in trading the second pick in the draft for Washington's sixth pick in the first round, plus the Redskin's second round pick this year and their next two first-round picks.

Still, with 10 picks in the draft, the Vikings should be able to package some of them together to get an extra pick near the bottom of the first round.

The likelihood of that happening may not be very great since the Vikings are in the rebuilding mode and may covet the quantity of picks they possess over a potential higher-quality selection.

Based on the needs the Vikings have at several positions, here are five players they could attempt to draft by making a deal to move up in the draft.

All of this is based on the Vikings retaining their third pick in the draft.

Notre Dame Wide Receiver Michael Floyd

After the Vikings draft Matt Kalil with the third overall pick, they will need to address either the wide receiver or cornerback position next.

The top wide receiver in the draft is Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State.

The only way Minnesota gets a shot at Blackmon might be to make a deal with the Rams for their sixth overall pick in the draft.

The Vikings could offer their second-round pick, the 35th overall, along with a couple of picks from the third to fifth rounds to St. Louis. But, the chances of that happening are slim.

According to walterfootball.com, the top three wide receivers in the draft after Blackmon are Michael Floyd from Notre Dame, Kendall Wright from Baylor and Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech.

A better option might be making a deal to select Floyd, who played football at Cretin Derham Hall in St. Paul. Projected to be a top-20 pick, the Vikings might be able to make a similar offer as the Blackmon proposal above with their second-round pick, plus a couple of later rounds to move up into the latter half of the first round.

Georgia Tech Wide Receiver Stephen Hill

If Michael Floyd is drafted within the first half of the draft, the Vikings' contingency might be to target Baylor's Kendall Wright, Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill or Rueben Randle from LSU.

The problem is by the time the Vikings second-round draft pick is up, all three could be gone.

According to cbssports.com, Randle and Hill are borderline picks between the first and second rounds. Both are big receivers at 6-3 and 6-4 respectively.  

The fact that Hill only caught 28 passes last season, and in his three years at Georgia Tech only had nine touchdowns total, makes him most likely the last available of the bunch. 

If the Vikings want to make sure to have a chance at either Randle or Hill, they might package their second-and-third-round picks to move back into the bottom of the first round.

If Not a Wide Receiver Perhaps a Cornerback

If the Vikings decide to bolster the defensive after selecting Matt Kalil with the third pick, they might look to add a cornerback.

The top cornerback in the draft is Morris Claiborne from LSU. The consensus is that Claiborne will be a top-10 selection, and as high as fourth by Cleveland.

After Claiborne, the top three cornerbacks are Janoris Jenkins from North Alabama, Dre Kirkpatrick from Alabama and Stephon Gilmore from South Carolina.

By the time the Vikings are on the clock with the 35th overall pick, odds are that two of the three will be off the board.

The Vikings might be able to get a top-rated cornerback by just sitting back and waiting, but if they want to be sure, they will look to move up into the bottom of the first round.

Just like the deals to move up for a wide receiver, the same would hold here.

The Vikings would have to give up their second-round pick along with at least a third or fourth to move up enough to make sure they can draft Gilmore.

In three seasons at South Carolina, Gilmore had seven interceptions along with seven sacks and one defensive touchdown. Last season he also had two kickoff returns for touchdowns.

Gilmore might be the right player to draft as a nickel corner behind Chris Cook and Antoine Winfield, as well as having him return kicks, allowing Percy Harvin to play on every first down for the Vikings.

Moving Up to Select Safety Mark Barron

According to nfldraftscout.com, Mark Barron from Alabama is the top-rated safety in the draft.

In four years at Alabama he had 12 interceptions, with seven in his sophomore year.

After missing the NFL combine due to double-hernia surgery, his stock may have fallen, and he could be available when the Vikings' second-round pick comes up.

According to the 2012 mock draft by walterfootball.com, Barron could be drafted by New England with the 31st pick, while B/R featured columnist James Christensen has him going to the 49ers with the 30th pick. 

The Vikings could desperately use an upgrade at safety, and Barron would be able to provide it.

Add Another Offensive Lineman

With the release of both of their starting offensive guards from last season, it's possible the Vikings might look to draft a second lineman with their second pick in the 2012 draft.

By the time the draft rolls around to the Vikings with the third pick in the second round, there is a very good chance that Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler will be available.

According to several websites, including nfldraftscout.com, Zeitler is the third-best guard in the draft and is projected as a late first-round, or early second-round pick. 

If the Vikings were not impressed with Zeitler during the week of practices for the Senior Bowl, they might look to move up and select one of the top guards in the draft—David DeCastro from Stanford or Cordy Glenn of Georgia.

Another option might be for the Vikings to draft another offensive tackle. After Matt Kalil, the top tackles are Riley Reiff from Iowa, Jonathan Martin from Stanford and Mike Adams from Ohio State.

Like Zeitler, Adams was a member of the 2012 Senior Bowl North roster.

The problem is that the move to draft two linemen with consecutive picks would not be very popular with Vikings' fans.