Vikings offensive line coach Jeff Davidson laughs when asked what it was about Matt Kalil that truly had him sold.
"You don't have to watch a lot of film to see that he's good," Davidson said Friday. "He's a special talent."
But what really sold the Vikings on nabbing Kalil with their top pick Thursday night was the idea that he could immediately upgrade three positions: left tackle plus left guard (with Charlie Johnson moving inside) plus quarterback (with Christian Ponder able to feel more comfortable in his protection.)
Beyond that, the Vikings coaches also quickly came to admire Kalil's obvious zeal.
"It's hard to put your finger on it and describe exactly what you see," Davidson said. "But you can tell when a guy has a true passion for what he does. In my opinion, if we can get ourselves a room full of guys with a passion for the game, we've done our job. The vision here is to get smart, tough guys who have a passion for the game. Matt fits that bill."
Kalil chimed in with his own love for the Vikings coaching staff, which he believes will help his development.
"There's a philosophy here where it's 'We're going to coach you. But we're not going to degrade you as a person or cuss you out or anything like that.' Espeically in the NFL, I think that kind of stuff can wear on you. Here the atmosphere seems more constructive, there's more back and forth."
