There are five words every Vikings fan needs to recite this week, five words that explain past failures, five words that every NFL scout knows and too many general managers forget every spring:
Need is a terrible evaluator.
For many NFL fans, that phrase has become a cliche, but it is the kind of phrase that becomes a cliche because it is so true.
For those who haven't heard it, it means that drafting a player because he can fill your most obvious needs often leads to mistakes.
Vikings history is proof.
Take 1998.
The '98 Vikings did not need a receiver. The '97 Vikings featured three excellent skill-position players who produced 1,000 or more yards — running back Robert Smith and receivers Cris Carter and Jake Reed.
The '97 Vikings were a good offensive team and a poor defensive team. If they had drafted for need, they might have taken the highest-rated cornerback available with the 21st pick, and that might have been cornerback R.W. McQuarters, who had a solid NFL career.