How the Vikings roster is built: Past trends could provide hints heading into the NFL draft

Players say an NFL locker room is one of the most diverse workplaces you'll find in America. The numbers show that.

The Vikings roster, before Thursday's start of the 2018 NFL draft, is comprised of players from 14 of 25 NCAA Division-I football conferences across the country, two Division II programs and one local Division III team. The locker room represents over half of the United States, from Oregon to Florida.

So can this tell us something about General Manager Rick Spielman's draft preferences?

Perhaps.

Spielman seems to have an affinity for the Atlantic Coast Conference — the Vikings drafted RB Dalvin Cook, G Danny Isidora, WR Stacy Coley, TE Bucky Hodges and S Jack Tocho from the ACC last year.

Conversely, Spielman rarely picks from the Big 12 Conference with only two selections — T Tyrus Thompson (Oklahoma) and LB Elijah Lee (Kansas State) — in his six drafts at the controls.

Chances are also the Vikings' 2018 draft picks will come with a pedigree.

Below you'll find four breakdowns of the Vikings' roster, which could tell you a little something about how they acquire players.

About 75 percent of Spielman's draft picks since he became GM have been from four of the five power conferences. The Vikings have drafted more players from the American Athletic Conference than the Big 12, a conference dominated by spread offenses that rarely put offensive linemen in a three-point stance.

They've also had a penchant for drafting teammates, including Coley and Isidora from Miami last year, Clemson DBs Mackensie Alexander and Jayron Kearse in 2016, UCLA LBs Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks in 2014-2015 and Penn State LBs Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges in 2013.

One college doesn't dominate the Vikings' interest, but UCLA is most represented with four players.

There's a chance somebody else's pick someday will end up on the Vikings' roster. Pedigree is important to coach Mike Zimmer, who is confident in his coaching staff to mold talent. Misses occur, including former first-round picks such as T Andre Smith and DT Datone Jones. But there are eight former first-round picks on the roster and three — DT Sheldon Richardson, T Riley Reiff and WR Kendall Wright — weren't drafted by the Vikings.

There's a marginal chance if you played Florida high school football, the Vikings will draft you. More players (10) on the roster have come from Florida than any other state. That includes draft picks Cook, Alexander and CB Xavier Rhodes.

The Vikings recently have found gems in their own backyard. More players come from Minnesota than California, Michigan, New York and many other states. However, they haven't drafted any of them: Thielen, DB Marcus Sherels, FB C.J. Ham, WR Brandon Zylstra and T Tom Compton.