2011 NFL Draft: Minnesota Vikings To See Jake Locker in a Private Workout

. .Mar 15, 2011

National Football Post's Aaron Wilson cites an NFL source in reporting that the Minnesota Vikings plan to call in Washington quarterback Jake Locker for a private workout Tuesday.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier has been vocal about finding a quarterback in this draft, but at the No. 12 spot, they could be out of the running for Auburn’s Cam Newton or Missouri's Blaine Gabbert.

The hype machine’s in full swing, and I project Newton to go no less than No. 1 to the Carolina Panthers, with Gabbert going at No. 4 to the Cincinnati Bengals. Newton's the type of passer that’s going to require time to develop, coming out of the spread, and Frazier would love the challenge.

Locker, however, remains an intriguing possibility for the Vikings—much better than Brett Favre right now, back on his farm tilling soil. The 6'3", 231-pound Locker is a mobile passer, running the 40 in 4.50 seconds at last month's NFL scouting combine, to go along with his 35" vertical and a 9'7" broad jump.

Locker will also work out for the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks later this month, according to NFP.

It time for a new start in Minnesota, and it must excite Vikings fans that Frazier is turning out to be a good organizer and honest leader who has a buy-in.

Clouds loom in the distance in Minnesota, however, with their problematic stadium situation—and Los Angeles positioning itself for a team. The Los Angeles Vikings? I don't think so. This is one of the NFL's storied teams.

You have to wonder if they're gunning for Newton—it could be in the works. Some don’t even have Newton in their top 10, but falling right into the Vikings' lap.

I just don’t think Ron Rivera passes up this opportunity to bring in a franchise-altering passer with the No. 1 pick in the draft. Newton has his flaws, but there’s no way Carolina takes on the NFC South with what we’ve seen out of (granted, young) Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen.

While it’s awfully tough to bypass some of the defensive line talent in this draft, I believe Newton will continue to rise up the board. It’s only mid-March, and this quarterback’s gifts will only become more coveted as we approach late April.

The Panthers are serious about Cam Newton and I expect him to end up as the top pick in this draft—unless the Vikings offer all the gold inside the Metrodome and the head of Favre.