Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, head coach Mike Zimmer and offensive coordinator Norv Turner are on their way to Louisiana to check out another of the draft's quarterback prospects.
The Vikings will be in Baton Rouge on Wednesday to check out quarterback Zach Mettenberger at LSU's pro day and, according to my colleague Master Tesfatsion, they will also meet with Mettenberger privately, something they have done with other quarterback prospects such as Blake Bortles, Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater.
Mettenberger tore the ACL in his left knee in LSU's win over Arkansas on Nov. 29. He had knee surgery on Jan. 2 and missed the Senior Bowl and the NFL scouting combine because of the injury. He has rehabilitated the injury enough to participate in LSU's pro day, where he will be throwing in front of NFL talent evaluators for the first time since his injury. His offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, will lead the workout.
Mettenberger has the size and tools of a prototypical pocket quarterback. He was listed at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds last season and he has one of the strongest arms of this draft class. His skill set appears to be a fit for the vertical offense that Turner has run throughout his career.
Mettenberger blossomed as a senior, completing 64.9 percent of his passes for 3,082 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He averaged a whopping 10.4 yards per attempt for the 10-3 Tigers.
The 22-year-old is considered by most draft analysts to be a second-round or third-round prospect, but a strong performance on his surgically-repaired knee could boost his draft stock.
The Vikings have the eighth and 40th overall selections in May's NFL draft.
