Vikings take two more linemen before draft ends

By Master Tesfatsion

May 2, 2015 at 10:00PM

The Vikings took three offensive tackles in Day 3 of the NFL Draft. First it was Pittsburgh's T.J. Clemmings, and the Vikings followed that up with selecting Oklahoma's Tyrus Thompson with the 185th pick in the sixth round and Alabama's Austin Shepherd with the 228th pick in the seventh round.

Thompson is listed at 6-5 and 324 pounds. He appeared in 44 games, starting 29, and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection last year. Thompson is viewed as an athletic offensive tackle that dropped likely due to character concerns and laziness. ESPN graded Thompson as "below average" in terms of toughness.

Still, the size and talent is definitely noticeable with Thompson. It's interesting to note while the Vikings have picked two offensive tackles, they have picked a guard yet. They still have three picks remaining in the draft.

Shepherd played 47 games at Alabama, making 27 starts at right tackle. He made the switch to guard during the Senior Bowl and likely projects to play that position in the NFL. Shepherd allowed just one sack in 14 starts last season and had just seven missed assignments in 940 snaps, per the school site.

After making three straight picks addressing offensive needs in Day 3, the Vikings made a defensive selection with their second sixth rounder. They selected Louisville defensive tackle B.J. DuBose with the 193rd pick. He's listed at 6-4 and 284 pounds.

DuBose started all 13 games last year and record a career-high 41 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. He finished with four sacks last year and has the ability to play both defensive end and tackle.

With their final pick in the draft, the Vikings selected Newberry College linebacker Edmond Robinson with the 232nd overall pick. He's listed at 6-3 and 245 pounds. He has room to fill out, but Robinson will be a work in progress. Zimmer likes linebackers that can move well, and Robinson has been evaluated as a prospect that can do just that.

about the writer

about the writer

Master Tesfatsion