NFL Draft 2012: Chris Cook Situation Changes Strategy for the Minnesota Vikings

The allegations against Minnesota's Chris Cook have caused the Vikings to suspend the CB indefinitely without pay. This decision, though expected, left the Vikings' already weak defensive secondary even more depleted as they enter the second half of their season.

Though the Vikings invested their highest pick in the 2010 pick in Cook, he has likely played his last snap in a Vikings uniform. While he hasn't been convicted, the overwhelming evidence against him makes it tough to see his side of the story.

The Vikings are currently in a legislative battle to try to get support for a new partially publicly-funded stadium, and it will be difficult to increase and maintain support that keeps a domestic abuser around.

Unless by some miracle Cook is acquitted of all charges, his NFL career is likely over. From a football standpoint, it is disappointing, because Cook had shown some solid potential this season by shutting down some of the best receivers in the league.

Nonetheless, this shot to the Vikings' roster likely means they will address their secondary in the draft.

Looking to the 2012 NFL Draft

Given that the Vikings are currently 1-6 with an even more difficult schedule ahead, it's safe to believe that they will have a pretty high draft pick. With the potential they've seen from Christian Ponder, however, the Vikings are likely out of the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes.

That being said, Minnesota has a lot of holes and lack of depth that they really need to address. They lack a true No. 1 receiving option, an adequate left tackle and have plenty of holes on defense. With Calvin Johnson and Greg Jennings in the division, though, Cook's departure really makes CB a very glaring need for the Vikings.

Last year, it seemed that coveted Nebraska corner Prince Amukamara would be drafted by Minnesota, only for the Vikings to pass and instead choose their new franchise QB. Because Ponder is showing some good potential, and Amukamara ended up injured before the season even began, so things worked out for the Vikings this time. If they pass on taking a potentially elite corner again, though, they will regret it.

Antoine Winfield is certainly a top 15 corner in the NFL, but because he's 34 years old and battling a neck injury for the third consecutive week, it might be a safe assumption that he doesn't have many years left.

Other than Winfield, the Vikings have no upper echelon defensive backs on their roster, and with the kind of passing talent around their division, that needs to change.

With the 2012 draft being very deep in corners, the Vikings may want to invest their high pick in either LSU's Morris Claiborne or Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick, providing high-profile WR Justin Blackmon or LT Matt Kalil have already been selected.

Claiborne is considered the class' top corner, and though he's not as highly regarded as his former teammate Patrick Peterson, he is still very good. The fact that he can also contribute on special teams only makes him that much more valuable. He has good size to play corner and is still small and speedy enough to keep up with fast receivers at 6'0", 185 lbs. If the Vikings don't want to gamble with their pick, Claiborne could be one of the safest picks of the draft.

Kirkpatrick, on the other hand, comes with some more risk. He is much bigger than Claiborne at 6'3" and 195 lbs, which could come in handy against big receivers like Megatron, but his speed has been questioned. Kirkpatrick has roughly the same skill set that Chris Cook had, and he would likely show similar, if not better, production.

It really depends what kind of corner the Vikings are looking for, but with how undersized their current DBs already are, it might be a good idea to bring in a big guy that can bump-and-run. Kirkpatrick is also praised for being a sound tackler—something not many other Vikings DBs can claim.

Really, either player would be a great fit for the Vikings, but something needs to be done with this secondary. The Vikings have many holes, including on their offensive line. If the Vikings were able to get a top LT with their high pick and then trade back into the first round to get one of the top 5 corners, they may be able to turn it around for next season.

With guys like Vincent Jackson, Dwayne Bowe and Stevie Johnson hitting the open market after the 2011 season, the Vikings may be able to get a deep threat through free agency. This means that they can wait another year to draft a top wideout.

With a terrible secondary staring them in the face, the Vikings really need to bring in a lock-down corner. Whether they address that need through the draft or free agency, you can't deny the impact that Cook's actions have had on this team.

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