Welcome, draftniks. It's 2011 and all of us are but a few internet key strokes from calling ourselves draft experts and charging 25 bucks for our draft guide ...
In a very quick search of mock drafts this morning, I found the Vikings taking 10 different players at five different positions with the 12th overall pick. Early this afternoon, I participated in a mock draft involving correspondents for the Sporting News. Here is how the 11 picks ahead of the Vikings fell together:
1. Carolina: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn 2. Denver: Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama 3. Buffalo: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M 4. Cincinnati: A.J. Green, WR, Georgia 5. Arizona: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU 6. Cleveland: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama
7. San Francisco: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri 8. Tennessee: Jake Locker, QB, Washington
9. Dallas: Tyron Smith, OT, USC 10. Washington: Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina 11. Houston: Aldon Smith, OLB, Missouri A couple of surprises: I didn't expect Locker to go as high as No. 8. I also didn't think Aldon Smith would go No. 11. Call me skeptical: I know everybody in Draftnik Land has the Cowboys taking Tyron Smith ninth overall. Personally, I will have to actually see Jerry Jones draft an offensive lineman ninth overall to believe it. Sorry. Potential busts: I wouldn't want to be on the hook for taking Cam Newton No. 1 overall. Two receivers in the top six, ya know one of them is probably going to go Charles Rogers. And without further delay, with the 12th pick in this particular mock draft, I gave the Vikings: Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn. Why? He's an explosive defensive tackle who at one point was considered a possible No. 1 overall pick. Only the Vikiings know if they're comfortable with the knock on Fairley's intensity level and one-year wonder status. Personally, when I watched the national title game, I saw a man among boys. If that's how Fairley can play, sign me up for him at No. 12 overall. I think that would be tremendous value. I also think it would be another case in which the Vikings benefit from a guy sliding to them because of injury (Adrian Peterson) or character (Percy Harvin) concerns. Still on the board: It was hard to pass up two players in particular: DE Da'Quan Bowers and CB Prince Amukamara. I passed on Bowers because of the possibility of him needing microfracture knee surgery. Unfortunately, I don't have my own staff of doctors, so I actually have no idea whether he actually needs microfracture knee surgery. As for the corner, a case could be made that the Vikings are much more desperate at corner than defensive tackle. However, when in doubt, I'm going with the possible game-changing big man.
