6 Prospects the Minnesota Vikings Might Trade Up for in the 2012 NFL Draft

It's just over a week until the 2012 NFL draft, and for the Minnesota Vikings this could be one of the most significant drafts in franchise history.

With the third pick in the draft, the Vikings have their highest selection since 1985 when they selected Chris Doleman fourth out of the University of Pittsburgh. 

The major consensus is that the Vikings will use the third pick to select USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil. Two of the three times they have used their first-round pick on an offensive lineman have been very successful.

In 1968, they used the first pick in the draft to select another USC tackle, Ron Yary, who played 14 years with the Vikings and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

It would be 20 years before they selected another offensive lineman in the first round. This time it was guard Randall McDaniel out of Arizona State. McDaniel played 12 seasons with the Vikings and joined Yary in the Hall of Fame in 2009.

There's some speculation that the Vikings are open to trading down with the third pick in order to gain some additional draft picks. But to pass on Kalil, who has the potential to be the Vikings' starting left tackle for the better part of the next decade, would be a big mistake.

With one major concern addressed, the Vikings still need to upgrade at wide receiver, linebacker, cornerback and safety.

With a total of 10 picks in the draft, including two compensatory picks in the fourth round, the Vikings might look to bundle some of these picks to acquire another first-round selection somewhere after the 15th or 16th selection. This would assure the Vikings of adding another starter to the roster.

It would probably take the Vikings' second, third and one of its three fourth-round picks to make the deal work.

Depending on how the first round goes, and the need general manager Rick Spielman most wants to fill first, there could be several players the Vikings could draft.

Here's a brief look at who they might be able to move up for and select in the latter half of the first round.

Alabama Safety Mark Barron

The Vikings desperately need to upgrade at safety. The defense set the dubious record of going nine games without making an interception. 

The safety tandem from last season of Jamarca Sanford and Husain Abdullah combined for only three interceptions last season as the pass defense was last in the league in passing touchdowns allowed.

Alabama safety Mark Barron would be an instant upgrade in the Vikings' secondary.

The top-ranked safety is projected to go somewhere in the middle of the first round. Barron finished second for the Crimson Tide with 68 total tackles. 

A solid tackler, he has also demonstrated a knack for getting the football. During his sophomore year when Alabama won the national championship, he led the team with seven interceptions.

Georgia Guard Cordy Glenn

After selecting USC tackle Matt Kalil with the third pick in the draft, they might look to find another player to possibly start next to him.

Having released both starting guards, Anthony Herrera and Steve Hutchinson, the Vikings will need to find their replacements.

The plan right now appears to be moving Charlie Johnson from left tackle to left guard, and free agent Geoff Schwartz, who did not play last season due to a hip injury, will likely start at right guard.

The Vikings would have a very good chance at drafting Cordy Glenn from Georgia somewhere in the lower half of the first round.

According to WalterFootball.com, Glenn is ranked the second-best guard behind David DeCastro of Stanford. The problem is the move to the interior of the line would mean a change in positions for Glenn.

South Carolina Cornerback Stephon Gilmore

The Vikings appear to be set at cornerback with a healthy Antoine Winfield, the return of Chris Cook and the signing of free agent Chris Carr from Baltimore.

That doesn't mean that they won't look to add some talent if the opportunity is there. 

If they wanted, they could always draft Morris Claiborne with the third pick, but that would be a slight reach.

According to cbssports.com, South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore is the third-best corner in the draft behind Claiborne and Dre Kirkpatrick.

During his three years with the Gamecocks, he had seven interceptions and 181 tackles. At 6'0" and 190 pounds, he provides a little more size than Winfield or Carr. 

Alabama Linebacker Dont'a Hightower

With the Vikings allowing middle linebacker E.J. Henderson to sign elsewhere as a free agent, they are putting the position in the hands of Jasper Brinkley.

Brinkley made four starts as a rookie in 2009 when the Vikings selected him in the fifth round. He has not started a game since then, and missed the entire 2011 season after suffering a hip injury that required surgery.

The Vikings might be wise to at least add some depth at linebacker.

Alabama linebacker, Dont'a Hightower is the second-highest ranked inside linebacker in the draft behind Luke Kuechly.

Projected to go somewhere in the 20s, the Vikings might look to move up from the second round in order to secure some insurance in case Brinkley is not ready to tackle the starting middle linebacker job.

For the Crimson Tide this past season, Hightower had 85 tackles with 11 tackles for a loss, four sacks and one interception.

Baylor Wide Receiver Kendall Wright

One of the biggest needs for the Vikings is at wide receiver. While Percy Harvin is the team's most explosive weapon, his best position is in the slot.

With the third pick the Vikings would have their choice of Justin Blackmon or Michael Floyd, the top two receivers in the draft.

The problem is, without an upgrade to the offensive line, quarterback Christian Ponder may not have time to get either of them the ball. 

By moving up in the lower part of the first round, the Vikings would still have the chance to select Kendall Wright, who is ranked the third-best wide receiver in the draft by both WalterFootball and cbssports.com.

Projected to go somewhere near the bottom of the first round, it might not take as much to move up from their third pick in the second round.

In his four seasons with the Bears, Wright caught at least 50 passes every year, culminating with his best year as a senior when he led the team with 108 catches for 1,663 and 14 touchdowns. 

Georgia Tech Wide Receiver Stephen Hill

Another possibility for the Vikings instead of Kendall Wright would be Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech.

Hill, ranked as the fourth-best wide receiver in the the draft, is projected to go one position after Wright according to the  WalterFootball.com mock draft. 

At 6'4", Hill is six inches taller than Wright, but in his three years with the Yellow Jackets he only caught 49 passes.

He did make the most of those catches, however, leading the nation with a 29.3 yards-per-catch average last season.

What Will the Vikings Most Likely Do?

I believe general manager Rick Spielman will be open to trade offers for the third pick in the draft, but I also suspect his asking price will be rather steep.

The Vikings best move would be to draft USC tackle Matt Kalil.

After that the Vikings will probably stay put and, if anything, look to make any trades that will provide them more picks in 2012, not less (if Spielman's activity during the free-agent signing period is any indication).

With the third pick in the second round they should be able to find another starter, most likely at wide receiver.

From there they will select the proverbial "best player available" with their remaining eight picks. I wouldn't be surprised if they were to draft another defensive end, or a couple more wide receivers later in the draft.