Very seldom do members of the media know in advance what player the Vikings plan to take in the draft, but I've been fortunate enough to be tipped off on several occasions.

Denny Green told me the day before the draft in 1998 of the team's great interest in Randy Moss, who had some baggage coming out of Marshall University. Moss lasted until the 21st pick of the first round, but the Vikings had him in their sights all along and were hoping he would drop to them.

Denny also told me the next year that Daunte Culpepper, the quarterback at Central Florida, would be the pick. Most teams weren't certain he had all the abilities of an NFL quarterback, but the Vikings took him with the 11th pick, even though they seemed to be set at quarterback and many people were surprised at the selection.

Former Vikings coach Brad Childress got running back Adrian Peterson with the seventh overall pick in 2007. Other teams were scared off because of a shoulder injury Peterson had at Oklahoma, but the Vikings planned to take him if he was available, and got him.

Percy Harvin in 2009 was another player the Vikings singled out and were hoping would drop to them at No. 22. One of the assistant coaches told me they were exploring every possible reason why not to take him and, after Childress went down to Gainesville to meet with Harvin, the decision was made to definitely draft him if he was available.

Then you have the case this year of the Vikings definitely being set on taking Matt Kalil. Unless they would get a deal similar to the one the Rams got from Washington for the No. 2 pick, people around the team told me there was no way the Vikings were going to give up on Kalil, and only made the trade with the Browns because they knew the USC tackle would be available at No. 4.

Safety Harrison Smith of Notre Dame, who the Vikings scouts rated the equal of any safety available, was another guy the team really wanted, and they moved back into the first round, at No. 29, to get him last night.