Vikings eye draft prospects to complement young QB

For the first time since they had to fill in a Favre-sized divot at TCF Bank Stadium late in the 2010 season, the Vikings will enter the NFL draft without having to worry about finding the right quarterback.

Now, the concern becomes surrounding Teddy Bridgewater with enough talent for him to build on a promising rookie season and hopefully continue his ascension to become one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL.

The Vikings have downplayed the need to provide the 22-year-old with a premium pass-catcher or first-round offensive lineman Thursday night. But there is a belief among NFL insiders that they should try to give him as much support as they can to ensure that his development stays on track.

"It's critical right now that Minnesota adds one or two guys on the roster that can grow up with Teddy Bridgewater," said Mark Dominik, a former Buccaneers general manager and now an ESPN analyst. "You can see that Green Bay certainly follows that with certain receivers on their team when you look at Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb."

Three standout wide receivers could be selected in the first 10 picks Thursday night. Alabama's Amari Cooper or West Virginia's Kevin White could go as high as the third overall pick. And Louisville's DeVante Parker, who snagged passes from Bridgewater for three seasons in college, could also cruise into the top 10 after a strong combine.

The cost of trading up from their 11th overall pick in an attempt to get, say, Cooper, who played high school ball with Bridgewater in Miami, might be prohibitive. But if one of those three receivers is still on the board when the Vikings are on the clock, he might be too tempting for the team to pass up.

"Because of the depth of the wide receiver class, you could probably grab another guy in the second to fifth rounds and feel OK about it," said Phil Savage, a former Browns GM and now an analyst for SiriusXM NFL Radio. "But if any of those three is there, it would be part of the conversation right now."

The Vikings agree it would be beneficial to have Bridgewater grow up with young receivers, especially if they can find a Marvin Harrison to his proverbial Peyton Manning.

"It makes those relationships stronger with one another, especially if they're drafted at the same time," Vikings scouting director Jamaal Stephenson said. "And we like young talent, so we're always going to look for the best players."

That's why at some point this weekend, it should be a position the Vikings address.

They dealt for deep threat Mike Wallace, but if he underwhelms or agitates, they can terminate his pricey contract after the season at no cost. Their other wide receivers return with uncertainty. Likely slot man Jarius Wright will be a free agent next year. Charles Johnson is still an unknown. Cordarrelle Patterson is a big-time wild card.

Despite throwing to an underwhelming group of receivers and lacking a true No. 1 target, Bridgewater finished his rookie season strong with five consecutive games with a passer rating of 84.9 or higher, including three games in triple digits. He completed 64.4 percent of his passes, third all-time among rookies, and went 6-6 as a starter.

"Teddy's been great, and he's been everything we thought he would be," Stephenson said.

His play was also pretty impressive considering that the injury-ravaged offensive line was arguably the team's weakest position group last season. The Vikings surrendered 51 sacks, and they also produced inconsistent results in the running game.

They released starting left guard Charlie Johnson, and that position remains wide open after free agency. They could also have interest in selecting an offensive tackle early, given Matt Kalil's regression and Phil Loadholt's oversized contract.

Scouts are split on whether Iowa's Brandon Scherff and Louisiana State's La'el Collins would be better off at tackle or guard, but that versatility could appeal to the Vikings. Stanford's Andrus Peat, Pittsburgh's T.J. Clemmings and Miami's Ereck Flowers are among the top tackle prospects. Most of these linemen will be there at No. 11.

Upgrading the running game would likely aid Bridgewater's development, too, and the best way to do that is to hang on to a certain disgruntled Pro Bowl running back.

But the Vikings feel that a stingy defense would also really complement Bridgewater. So while GM Rick Spielman admitted there is "a sense of urgency" to surround Bridgewater with more talent, he feels that adding a formidable pass rusher or a top-flight defensive back would help Bridgewater in less obvious ways.

"If we get a defensive player, does that help get our offense back on the field quicker? If we get an offensive player, does that help keep our offense on the field?" Spielman said. "We're going to take the best player because I think if you take the best player, it's going to help your offense and it's going to help your defense."

Spielman and the Vikings must prioritize how they plan to boost Bridgewater through this weekend's draft, whether it is giving him a wide receiver or an offensive lineman early or waiting to address those needs in the later rounds.

But at least they can feel some relief knowing that for the first time in five years, they won't have to worry about finding the right guy to be under center.

"If they can put it all together," Savage said, "I think there are signs that Minnesota can be a real contender in the next season or two."