2012 NFL Draft: 5 Prospects That Would Fit Best for Minnesota Vikings

Remember when the Vikings draft Percy Harvin? There was a ton of people who felt the pick was not a good fit for the team for several reasons, but thankfully, the Vikings organization felt otherwise, which got me to thinking who would be a good for Minnesota in the 2012 NFL draft.

Yes, it may be a little early to begin such talks, but then again, perhaps it's not.

The Vikings are 2-6, and face an offseason with a ton of questions, particularly at WR and CB, so is there anyone in this year's draft who could be that "perfect" fit?

Let's take a look!

Xavier Rhodes, CB, FSU:

Seeing a trend out of FSU? Well that’s because of the amount of potential leaving the school this year, and Rhodes is yet another player to fit that bill.

The Vikings absolutely have to address their corner situation more than anything else, and they need to do so with a player who could potentially come right in and make an impact.

Rhodes appears to be that player.

Rhodes is a player who could wind up being a first-round grab for Minnesota, if they opt to go for a corner first instead of a receiver—assuming they finish around 8-8 that is.

Rhodes is a player who has also had experience on offense, is quick to adjust to the offense as a corner and has above-average skills for a relatively cheap price at his current rank of 40 overall.

Michael Floyd, WR, ND:

I’d like to mention two receivers in this slide if you would allow me for different reasons, and the first is Michael Floyd.

The former high school All-American and two-time Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year obviously has ties to the Vikings, but his natural size and athleticism are more of an intriguing aspect if the Vikings choose to target a WR first in the draft.

The issue here is Floyd’s sordid past and injury-related collegiate career, which could be too much of a red flag for the Vikings.

However, if the Vikings can look past some of these issues, like they did with Percy Harvin, they would attain an incredibly physical receiver who is very difficult to press at the line, and is potentially that deep-ball threat the Vikings have been without for several years now.

Dwight Jones, WR, NC:

At 6’4”, 225 pounds, the Vikings should automatically realize they do not have to target a WR in the first round, if they remember that Dwight Jones will probably be lingering in the second round.

This presents an interesting situation in that if the Vikings pass on Floyd, they could conceivably target another positional player they covet, and still wind up with a stellar receiver before round three.

The other idea to entertain is the notion that the Vikings could grab Floyd, target another positional player in the second round and hope for Jones to be around in the third round; a situation that is possible, but not that likely.

Obviously, we are just cracking the ice here when thinking about who the Vikings will go after in the draft, but make sure to follow me this year and after the 2011 season, when I will be covering the Vikings exclusively through this year’s draft.

Brandon Lindsey, LB, PITT:

Pittsburgh has produced some good defensive players over the past two years, and Lindsey is another example of such a player.

The Vikings need help at LB no question, and after this season, the need will significantly grow.

One of the added aspects to Lindsey is his experience at both LB and DE, but it’s his speed and ability to get to the quarterback that could prove to be another value draft pick towards the middle rounds—one that could afford the Vikings an exquisite utility player on defense.

Andrew Datko, OT, FSU:

At some point, the Vikings are going to have to consider grabbing an OT, and at 6’6”, 320 pounds, Datko could be that candidate.

Datko is considered a finesse pass protector with above-average run blocking skills, and is also considered the best offensive lineman—currently—to play for FSU.

Interestingly enough, Datko is currently not project beyond an overall rank of 65 or higher, which means the Vikings could wind up addressing other issues before landing the little giant out of Florida.

These are all various players who can be found at various points in the draft, but they're just my picks.

Got an idea of who you think the Vikings could target? Let me know below!