Who to Take....Who to Take

After spending most of April previewing second rounders and ignoring the first round, I've come to the conclusion that their second round pick will have a bigger impact on the franchise than their first rounder (there is a slight possibility that I'm completely wrong, which I will own up to when LaRon Landry is being inducted into the Hall of Fame in Purple). I'm not going to rank all twelve of the players I previewed, but I will give you the top five players I'd like to see in Purple:

1. Sidney Rice, WR, South Carolina
   
2. Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio St.
3. Dwayne Jarrett: WR, USC
4. Justin Blalock: OG, Texas
5. Tim Crowder, DE, Texas

I think the Vikings should take a wide receiver in the second round, which is why I have three receivers at the top of my wish list. I like Rice better than Gonzalez because Rice is a deep threat, is taller and has more upside. Both have great hands, good speed and great work ethics with Gonzalez being better at running routes than Rice. Gonzalez actually turned in a faster forty than Rice, but was not the deep threat Rice was in college. In the end, it comes down to a willingness to take on more risk for possible greatness. Gonzalez is the much safer choice and would still be a great addition to the Purple.

Dwayne Jarrett is in the third spot because I can't make up my mind on whether his forty times are as big a problem as everyone is making them. I can't figure out how he blew by so many people in college if he's actually that slow. It's a question I'll leave up to the Vikings' scouting department--if they think he's faster than his forty from his game tapes, I'm willing to trust them, because Jarrett has pretty much everything else you'd look for in a receiver.

Of the other receivers, Steve Smith, Jason Hill and Craig "Buster" Davis all had even more question marks than Jarrett, Gonzalez and Rice and should be passed over if there's another receiver available. And thinking Robert Meachem will be available is a waste of time, as he'll be off the board in the first round.

The final two players on my top five are guys who would help address the other holes in the depth chart. Blalock would be a perfect addition to the right side of the Purple's line, either at tackle or guard, while Crowder would be a great addition to the Vikings' pass rush. I'd prefer the Vikings take either of them before one of the receivers not on the list, especially considering someone like Jason Hill might still be available in the third round. The Vikings have multiple areas to address and shouldn't be reaching for players just because they play a certain position.

[You probably didn't believe I'd get this update in, did you? Not that I'd blame you. Depending on when the Vikings get to draft, I'll be checking in with my take shortly after each of their first two picks. If that pesky thing called "reality" intercedes again, I'll start my draft review on Monday]