NFL Draft 2011: Are the Vikings Planning to Trade Down for Locker or Mallett?

The Vikings have the 12th overall pick in the first round and the needs on the team are numerous; however, they have shown a willingness to go right ahead and draft players they don’t need (Adrian Peterson, 2007).

So are the Vikings the most unpredictable team in the entire draft? You better believe they are.

Minnesota can take anyone they like and be perfectly justified. Of course, reaching on particular players would be a shame. By particular players, I only mean Jake Locker and Ryan Mallett, of course.

If Minnesota stays put they can have anyone from Prince Amukamara to Julio Jones to Tyron Smith and now even Da’Quan Bowers, depending on how the top 10 unfolds.

With that said, it should be noted that all that has come out of Leslie Frazier’s mouth is quarterback. All that has come out of Rick Spielman’s mouth has been third-round pick. And one of the few things that people agree on is that Locker and Mallett don’t deserve to be chosen so high.

Are you catching onto anything yet?

Let us imagine a scenario, nothing wrong with that, the NFL draft is all about imagination.

New England decides they want to trade, never happens right? The Vikings can move back to the 17th, 28th or even the 33rd pick. Or perhaps the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers may feel desperate enough for offensive line help, enough to lunge forward and trade with Minnesota.

Ultimately, they will have their shot with at least one of these two possible star players and future of the franchise quarterbacks.

Wherever they end up, and they most certainly will be somewhere other than 12, expect the pick to be quarterback. Frazier and Spielman share one thing in common that rings true with their hiring of quarterback guru Bill Musgrave to coach the offense. They are going to take a quarterback, and they are going to take him early.

Outside of Andy Dalton, there hasn’t been any extreme show of interest in the other QBs.

Mallett and Locker are both considered the make or break kind of men. If you miss, it is misery. But if you hit—Dan Marino and Steve Young, Brett Favre and Joe Montana, players who have made every team that passed on them over attitude concerns, accuracy problems and injury history would love to have a do over.

Alas! Will Minnesota rue the day by picking safe and letting them both slide? Will they make a trade down? Perhaps reach at 12? Will it be Locker or Mallett? Painfully exciting isn’t it?

Which quarterback and scenario do you prefer?