Newly drafted players won’t play key roles with Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings just kept things even more intriguing by trading down picks, drafting unexpected players and skipping over quarterbacks with great potentials. People could not stop asking “Why?” Well, we cannot expect the team to give answers but there are analysts who are trying to give some explanations.

There is no doubt that the Vikings’ first choice in the draft, second-round pick Chris Cook was not beyond much expectation. Although the Vikings had previously signed a veteran cornerback Lito Sheppard already, with both starting cornerback still recovering from injuries, the team was still in need of more cornerbacks in case starters would not be able to wear back their Vikings jerseys in time for new season. So even if the Vikings did not trade their first-round pick down, they could still pick Cook instead of a quarterback like Jimmy Clausen.

What caused most confusion was the addition of running back Toby Gerhart. First of all, the team already has one of the best running backs in the league with Adrian Peterson; and secondly, Gerhart was not the best backs on the board at all when the Vikings were making the choice.

Other choices like the fourth-round pick with defensive end Everson Griffin was simply considered to offer the team some necessary help, but that is all and none of these newly drafted rookies seem likely to have the chance of standing on the starting line. That’s the point- the Vikings did not change much after the draft and most starters would remain at their position and rookies are not expected to replace any of them at least during their rookie season.