Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft: How the Vikings Can Turn the Ship Around

It is time.

With less than 48 hours before the 2012 NFL draft begins, the Minnesota Vikings have their draft board in place. They have an idea of what they're doing and are ready to go (we think), right?

They've had time to decipher all of the eligible players relative to their needs and their draft positioning. And so have I.

This is my final mock draft for Minnesota prior to the draft.

First Round No. 3: Matt Kalil, Offensive Tackle USC

There was a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter that the Minnesota Vikings aren't sold on Matt Kalil as their man and that Morris Claiborne, Justin Blackmon and Michael Floyd are all options at No. 3.

On ESPN Tuesday, Todd McShay had Minnesota selecting Claiborne.

This better not be the case.

The pick here NEEDS to be Kalil. He's been touted as the strongest offensive tackle prospect since Jake Long came out in 2008 (Long has since made himself a Pro Bowl left tackle). Kalil can start from day one and play at a high level at arguably an offense's second most important position.

Minnesota needs that type of player at No. 3. And given that Minnesota invested the No. 12 pick in the 2011 NFL draft in quarterback Christian Ponder, the Vikings need to make sure that investment is properly insured.

Second Round No. 35: Janoris Jenkins, Cornerback North Alabama

In an ideal world, Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith would be available here. The Vikings acquired two cornerbacks this offseason and have Antoine Winfield and Chris Cook back for the 2012 season.

That's not to say that cornerback isn't a position of need, but the team is in dire need of help at safety.

Nonetheless, Winfield is a 34-year-old cornerback who is regressing. Minnesota will need to replace him soon, and the offseason acquisitions of Zach Bowman and Chris Carr don't scream "long-term solution."

Janoris Jenkins, on the other hand, can serve as a long term solution across from Cook (barring legal issues for both).

Jenkins is an admitted first-round talent by anyone asked to asses his abilities. His off-the-field issues are what allow him to slip to Minnesota.

And given that the Vikings employ Cook and just signed Jerome Simpson, I don't think they can proclaim off-the-field issues as a reason to not make this talent part of the Viking organization.

Third Round No. 66: Chris Givens, Wide Receiver Wake Forest

Some will argue that this is a poor selection for the Vikings because Chris Givens resembles Percy Harvin too much.

Givens is 5'11" and 198 pounds and Harvin is 5'11" and 184 pounds. Neither player will win many jump balls in the endzone. But size is really where the similarities end.

Harvin's strength is making plays in the middle of the field and in the flats. Givens fears the middle of the field and wants to be a deep-threat, which is exactly what Minnesota needs.

Think of Givens as a Desean Jackson type. Givens ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and averaged 16.0 yards per catch in 2011 (1,330 receiving yards and nine touchdown receptions on the year). He's a deep threat that could serve as the yin to Harvin's yang.

Fourth Round No. 98: Markelle Martin, Free Safety Oklahoma State

This is a position I want Minnesota to address earlier in the draft, but the players of value earlier likely won't be available...which leads us to Markelle Martin.

Martin is arguably the top free safety in the draft, so for Minnesota to get him in the front end of the fourth round is a good value.

The last time Minnesota selected a safety within the Top 100 was Tyrell Johnson selected in 2008 with the 43rd pick. It's time to change that.

The secondary needs as much aid as it can get, and Martin will help. He's not known for his playmaking abilities, he had one interception in four seasons at Oklahoma State, but is known as a player who does all of the little things well.

Many believe Mistral Raymond can develop into a long-term-solution at free safety, but I am not a believer. This pick not only gives Minnesota options at the free safety position, but gives Raymond reason not to feel secure with his position on the team in 2012.

Fourth Round No. 128: Tommy Streeter, Wide Receiver Miami Hurricanes

Tommy Streeter is the type of tall (6'5") and fast (4.40 40-yard dash) receiver the Minnesota Vikings have lacked since they traded Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders in 2005. No, Streeter is not the next Randy Moss. I wouldn't dare to go that far. But the two have similar traits.

Streeter, who recorded a 33-inch vertical at the 2012 NFL combine, gives Minnesota a second jump-ball receiver (Michael Jenkins is the other).

The former Hurricane only had one season with more than 130 receiving yards, and that was his 2011 campaign as a junior: 46 receptions, 811 receiving yards and 8 touchdown receptions. It was also the lone season he started at Miami.

His freshman and sophomore year he combined to post five receptions for 109 yards and one touchdown.

After the 2011 season, he was honored with the 2011 Nick Chickillo Most Improved Player of the Year Award which is given to Miami's most improved player.

He is a raw talent but has shown the ability to improve and should do so again at the next level.

With Streeter and Chris Givens, Minnesota's third-round pick, the Vikings will have greatly improved their receiving core from a depth and talent perspective.

Fourth Round No. 134: Brandon Taylor Strong Safety LSU

The Vikings selected Markelle Martin earlier in the fourth round to provide competition at the free safety position and now they have selected Brandon Taylor to provide competition for Jamarca Sanford at strong safety.

It's interesting to see where the experts project Taylor to be selected. ESPN's Todd McShay has him as a second-round pick while DRAFTTEK has him going in the fifth round.

We'll have him available somewhere in between.

Taylor is a very physical safety who seeks out the big hits. He's strong in stopping the run but does struggle in man-to-man coverage. But Minnesota employs the Tampa 2 scheme which makes that more of a moot point.

Finding help for the secondary must be a top priority for Minnesota, and with Taylor as the third talented defensive back selected, I think the Vikings have succeeded.

Fifth Round No. 138: Demario Davis, Outside Linebacker Arkansas State

Minnesota has 2012 Pro Bowl outside linebacker Chad Greenway under contract and re-signed Erin Henderson to a one-year, $2 million contract this offseason.

WalterFootball.com rated Henderson as the No. 3 free agent outside linebacker and said, "he has a bright future ahead of him." I am not as high on Henderson as others nor do I think he is, yet, a long-term solution at the position.

That being said, both linebacker positions need more depth and talent.

Selecting Demario Davis does not shore up the position for the future, but it adds depth to a position where the Vikings lack it.

Davis ran a 4.53 40-yard dash at the 2012 NFL combine, and at 6'2", 235 pounds, he has good size for a linebacker (Greenway is 6'2" and 242 pounds, for reference).

He would fit right in with Minnesota's defense as he struggles against the pass. He also can overrun plays, putting him out of position to make a play on the ball.

Sixth Round No. 175: Ryan Miller, Guard Colorado

Minnesota's offensive line woes won't be solved by drafting Matt Kalil. It's a step in the right direction, but more needs remain.

Ryan Miller is a versatile offensive lineman who has amazing size: 6'7" and 321 pounds. He played guard throughout his career at Colorado but has the build of an offensive tackle. Many believe a position move is imminent and that Miller can make the transition.

With Kalil, Minnesota has its left tackle.

But the right tackle position has been a struggle for Phil Loadholt since a strong 2009 rookie campaign. If Loadholt continues to struggle, Minnesota could insert Miller with a lengthy learning curve expected.

If Charlie Johnson doesn't succeed at guard, and Geoff Schwartz or Joe Berger, whoever is Minnesota's right guard, doesn't work out...HERE'S MILLER.

Either way you spin it, the Vikings would be lucky to get a versatile and talented offensive lineman at this point in the draft.

Seventh Round No. 210: Vontaze Burfict, Middle Linebacker Arizona State

This has been a fascinating story to watch. And with the piece from ESPN The Magazine, I'm an even bigger fan of Vontaze Burfict, especially if he's available here.

Burfict was dubbed a first-round talent before the NFL draft process began. Scouts raved about his size and playmaking abilities.

Then the interview process began and poor workout performances have Burfict going undrafted, according to ProFootballTalk.com.

If he's available in the seventh round, Minnesota should take a flyer on the talented middle linebacker from Arizona State. WalterFootball.com touts him as a possible Ray Lewis.

With E.J. Henderson not expected back and Jasper Brinkley with limited NFL experience, Minnesota needs to add depth to the position. And is there a better way to do that than add a first-round talent in the seventh round?

If he acts up, no big deal. It was just a seventh-round pick wasted. If he develops into the player many thought he was prior to this process, he's the steal of the draft.

Seventh Round No. 223: Travian Robertson, Defensive Tackle South Carolina

This is a position that often goes unnoticed when discussing needs for the Vikings, but that's because the needs at wide receiver, offensive line and defensive back are so great.

Kevin Williams is 31 years old and only has a few more years of productive football left. Remi Ayodele wasn't the player Minnesota thought he was, so the Vikings released him, which leaves Fred Evans or Letroy Guion as the other starting defensive tackle.

The position needs more depth. Enter Travian Robertson. Robertson, 6'4" and 302 pounds, never lived up to his hype at South Carolina and suffered a torn ACL in 2009.

Robertson has the ability to get to the quarterback from the defensive tackle position (something Minnesota doesn't have much of outside of Kevin Williams) and is a strong tackler.

His biggest problems, according to ProFootballWeekly.com, include an inability to separate from blockers and pursue the ball far from the line of scrimmage.

Summary

This is a big draft for the Vikings.

The success or failure of this draft will likely determine whether the team picks in the Top Five in 2013, or if they can find a way into the double digit range.

The key needs in this draft are wide receiver, defensive back and offensive line. Those positions will be addressed at some point in the draft, regardless of if the people the Vikings like are available.

In my mock, I do not have Minnesota selecting a running back, but that is also a position of concern with Adrian Peterson out for an unknown amount of time and Toby Gerhart recovering from an MCL injury.

At the top of the draft, Minnesota should take Matt Kalil. Doing anything else, outside of trading the pick, is unintelligent.

The second pick should be a defensive back or a wide receiver, depending on what happens in the latter part of the first round.

Beyond that, the draft is a crap-shoot.

The key to this draft is accumulating as many players who are NFL-worthy as possible. Minnesota hasn't had a strong track record for selecting players who stick on the roster for long periods of time.

That must change, starting in 2012.