Vikings in good position with No. 3 pick
There are no guarantees when it comes to the draft, but the Vikings certainly appear to be in a no-lose situation with the No. 3 overall pick this year.
No matter what happens, they're in prime position to fill a glaring need, or needs, that will make them a better team immediately. Whether it's Southern Cal left tackle Matt Kalil, Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon or a trade down for more picks, the Vikings will be overjoyed and still holding potentially nine or more picks coming out of the first round.
Cornerback is the team's No. 1 priority, but that's not a position that's typically filled with a top-three pick. So look for them to fill another big need at a position, left tackle, that typically dominates the top of the first round.
If the Rams snag Kalil at No. 2, the Vikings could adjust and pick Blackmon to fill yet another huge need that would help quarterback Christian Ponder make significant progress from a rocky rookie season.
The Colts are expected to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck No. 1 overall. The Rams already have their quarterback of the future in Sam Bradford, so they're openly shopping the No. 2 pick to teams that want Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III of Baylor.
Teams that are desperate enough for a quarterback will try to beat the competition by talking to the Rams on draft day. But ideally it's the Vikings who make the most sense as a trade partner.
The Vikings won't pick a quarterback, so they're not a threat to take RGIII. The Browns, at No. 4, pose that threat, so it seems like teams that want a quarterback only need to trade ahead of the Browns.
Based on the draft value chart made popular by former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson in the 1990s, the No. 2 pick is worth 2,600 points while the No. 3 pick is worth 2,200 points.
To put that 400-point difference in perspective, the 50th overall pick - a second-rounder - is worth the same. So, in other words, the cost of dealing with the Rams is significantly higher than it is in dealing with the Vikings.
The Vikings would prefer trading down and stockpiling picks to plug the many holes throughout their roster. They currently have eight picks and are expecting to collect two more as compensatory choices for losing Sidney Rice and Ray Edwards to free agency.
Trading the third pick could bring several more picks. For example, based on the draft value chart, even if the Vikings traded down one spot with the Browns, they could realistically expect the Browns to give them picks in the third, fourth and fifth rounds.
Moving down just one spot could land the Vikings all those extra picks and still keep them in position to take Kalil, Blackmon or the best cornerback on the board.
The Vikings also could deal with the quarterback-starved Redskins (sixth overall) or Dolphins (eighth or ninth overall, based on a coin flip later this month) and still stay inside the top 10.
Coming off a 3-13 season, it's the first good spot the Vikings have been in for quite some time.
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