South Carolina junior a surprise in second

Evidently, Troy Williamson's lack of success in the NFL hasn't soured the Vikings on wide receivers from South Carolina.

Two years after the team's previous administration took Williamson with the seventh-overall pick in the NFL draft, the Vikings used a second-round choice on South Carolina's Sidney Rice. The Vikings took Rice with a choice obtained in an exchange of second-round picks with Atlanta. The trade moved the Vikings from No. 41 to 44, but gave them an additional selection (No. 121 overall) in today's fourth round.

In taking Rice, the Vikings elected to pass on Dwayne Jarrett, who at one time was considered first-round material. The Southern California receiver went with the next pick to the Carolina Panthers.

Rick Spielman, the Vikings vice president of player personnel, said the team "started receiving a lot of calls and had a lot of different offers," as the 41st pick approached. "The way we had our board stacked, we had five players that we would be happy with no matter what," he said. "We stacked them in order. As it came down, we said, we can move back. You know when Indy went up and made the trade [at No. 42], they weren't going to take a receiver. Detroit wasn't going to take a receiver [at No. 43]. ... We thought Sidney Rice was the best receiver on the board. He came out that way after our coaches evaluated him."

Rice won't turn 21 until Sept. 1 and played only two seasons at South Carolina. He had 142 receptions for 2,233 yards with 23 touchdowns in 24 games. Nonetheless, Pro Football Weekly's draft issue called Rice "very immature and not strong-minded."

Rice didn't sound that way in addressing the Twin Cities media. "I'm going to be ready to go," he said. "[When] I get there, I'm going to fight for a starting position. I'm not going to count myself out."

Rice was not among the approximately 25 draft-eligible players who visited Winter Park earlier this month to be interviewed. But the Vikings did talk extensively with him at the NFL scouting combine in February. Coach Brad Childress also said he spoke with South Carolina receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. on Saturday, as well as defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix.

"They had several very good corners there over the last couple of years that have been drafted," Childress said. "He's kind of ramped it up against pretty good competition and a decent place to throw the football."

Rice had 72 receptions for 1,090 yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games last season. He left school in large part because his mother has medical expenses that need to be covered. She broke her back in 1991 while moving furniture.

Rice said he spoke with Williamson last week and that the two have been good friends since meeting during Rice's visit to South Carolina in 2004.

Childress, meanwhile, is confident Rice's age and inexperience won't be a drawback.

"He's raw from the standpoint of age," Childress said. "But the number of catches, playing in that system down there, I don't see him as a raw guy. He played in a throw system, so is he going to develop? Sure he is going to develop. He is probably going to gain some more physical maturity and also age-wise."

Judd Zulgad • jzulgad@startribune.com