The Minnesota Vikings appear to be one of the more polarizing teams in the upcoming NFL Draft. In need of a quarterback, drafting at No. 8 puts them in an odd position. Most "draft experts" are saying that Johnny Manziel is the likely target for the Vikings baring the Houston Texans passing on him, but head coach Mike Zimmer continues to stray from that idea. With a draft trade in mind, what do the Vikings do?
The Vikings were at Manziel's Pro Day which seemed to impress everyone but Zimmer who referred to the event as a circus. The head coach, along with offensive coordinator Norv Turner, took Manziel out to dinner and grilled him on everything from on-the-field decision making to off-the-field issues. Zimmer concluded there were certainly red flags that appeared from that visit, but was it enough to defer the team's interest in the quarterback?
There is also the option of a trade. According to Vikings.com writer Mike Wobschall, several teams have inquired about swapping picks with the Vikings. If Minnesota really is uninterested in Manziel, trading down would help the team out. The St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans have taken interest in that draft pick and are considered a move. The Rams have the No. 2 and No. 13 pick. They could move up to No. 8 and give the Vikings the No. 13 pick plus something else. That would put the team in position to get Jadeveon Clowney and possibly a receiver like Mike Evans.
The Titans sit at No. 11 and would like to move ahead of Buffalo and Detroit in order to grab a top cornerback to replace Alterraun Verner. The Vikings need to decide if it is worth moving out of the top 10 altogether which could leave them out of the running for Manziel, Blake Bortles and possibly Teddy Bridgewater.
The Vikings have taken a lot of interest in LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger to be a possible franchise star down the road. The team does not need to be in the top 10 in order to draft him. According to ESPN, Mettenberger fits the offensive system of Turner better than Manziel which is swaying Minnesota's interest. So what does the team do? It would certainly be hard to pass up on Manziel if he were to fall in their lap at No. 8, but if Mettenberger is the better fit, grabbing more picks in later rounds is a solid plan.
