Harvin's skills could be used in many ways

George Stewart did not hide his excitement following Percy Harvin's news conference Sunday. The Vikings receivers coach is among team officials who did extensive checks on the team's first-round pick, and now he has unlimited expectations for the playmaker.

"He does some things that we haven't had here," Stewart said. "From an explosive standpoint, you talk about the 'Wildcat' situation. So many things you can do with Percy Harvin athletically that we don't have here. You talk about what Randy Moss brought to this football team years ago. True speed, an ability to make plays. This kid is going to make plays for us."

So can Stewart foresee the Wildcat being worked into the Vikings offense? "I would sure hope so," he said. "With his flexibility. ... There are some options we can do with this young man that gives us a chance to be successful."

Harvin, No. 1 in college, will wear No. 12 with the Vikings.

After scrambling to replace E.J. Henderson last year after the middle linebacker suffered a season-ending toe injury, the Vikings dealt with Washington to move up in the fifth round for South Carolina's Jasper Brinkley.

The Vikings swapped fifth-round picks with the Redskins and returned a seventh-rounder (No. 221) originally sent to the Vikings in the Erasmus James trade.

Brinkley could be Henderson's backup and play on special teams. Brinkley earned all-SEC second-team honors after missing much of 2007 after surgery for a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. He said he spent two months in a wheelchair after having a straight cast put on the leg.

Mississippi safety Jamarca Sanford, the seventh-round pick, has been arrested twice -- in September 2003 after allegedly stealing a stereo out of a car and in January 2008 on charges of disorderly conduct and failure to comply when he reportedly refused to leave the parking lot of a bar in Oxford, Miss.

Sanford said he talked to Vikings coach Brad Childress about the subject. "He asked if [they] drafted me, 'Would I have to worry about that again?' Sanford said. "I told him, 'No sir, you ain't got to worry about that.' That's a mistake on my behalf and you don't have to worry about that again."

Rick Spielman, Vikings VP of player personnel, said the team felt comfortable after investigating Sanford's background.

"There are some minor things there, but it's nothing that after we did our due diligence that we felt was any concern at all," Spielman said.

The Vikings stayed busy after the draft Sunday, agreeing to terms with several undrafted players.

According to various news reports, that list included free safety Colt Anderson of Montana; center Jon Cooper of Oklahoma; linebacker Robert Francois of Boston College; safety Devon Hall of Utah State; running back Ian Johnson of Boise State; guard Andy Kemp of Wisconsin; wide receiver Vinny Perretta of Boise State; linebacker Andy Schantz of Portland State, running back Kahlil Bell of UCLA and tight end Nick Walker of Alabama.

Spielman said earlier Sunday evening that the Vikings were negotiating with 14 undrafted players but declined to name them. In addition to the agreements with undrafted players, the Vikings also plan to bring in former Gophers punter Justin Kucek for this weekend's rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.