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The Minnesota Vikings entered the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft with two first-round picks, with the second (No. 25 overall) coming from the Seattle Seahawks in the Percy Harvin trade.
The early part of the first round took shape perfectly for the Vikings, with six offensive lineman going off the board in the first 11 picks. That meant some top players at the positions Minnesota needed the most-defensive tackle, linebacker and wide receiver-were poised to fall and give them a plethora of options when their first turn came at No. 23 overall.
The Vikings may have gotten the best value of the entire first round when they selected Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd with the 23rd overall pick. A lot of mock drafts had Floyd going third overall, but once the Oakland Raiders traded out of that pick his fall started. Greg Cosell of NFL Films had Floyd as his top-ranked overall prospect this year, and he is considered an ideal fit as a three-technique defensive tackle in a 4-3 defensive scheme. Kevin Williams currently occupies that spot for Minnesota, but he has only one year left on his contract after a recent restructure and general manager Rick Spielman has now found the six-time Pro Bowler’s heir apparent.
At No. 25, I did not like the selection of Florida State cornerback Xavier Rhodes. Rhodes is a big (6’1″, 210 lbs.) corner and a good fit for the Vikings Cover-2 scheme in an overall sense, but his production in college (eight interceptions in three seasons, less than 50 total tackles in two of those seasons) does not impress me. Frankly, I would rather have seen the Vikings take a linebacker like Alec Ogletree, Arthur Brown or Manti Te’o with this pick.
The Vikings made a bold move to move back into the first round, trading four picks (No. 52 overall, No. 83 overall, No. 104 overall and No. 229 overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for the 29th overall pick. With that pick Minnesota addressed their need for a wide receiver by selecting Cordarrelle Patterson out of Tennessee. Patterson played just one season of major college football, and his numbers (46 receptions for 778 yards and five touchdowns) were not overwhelming, but his upside is immense and he should make an immediate impact as a return man. He was clearly someone Spielman coveted, but Patterson has to develop into a difference-maker to justify the number of draft picks the Vikings gave up to get him.
Overall, I give the Vikings a B+ grade here. Floyd looks like an absolute steal relative to where he was expected to be drafted and he is a perfect fit. Patterson may have the most upside of any wide receiver in this year’s class, and there’s something to be said for having someone high on your draft board and doing what it takes to get him. But I think the Vikings could have done better than Rhodes at No. 25, upgraded their talent at linebacker with that selection and drafted a cornerback later.
Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.
