The Minnesota Vikings are heading into the draft with the possibility of drafting a QB and if the team picks Zach Mettenberger, Blake Bortles or Teddy Bridgewater, they may look to trade Christian Ponder and teams like the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders or Houston Texans could be interested if they miss out on the top quarterback names in the first round of the draft.
A deal is unlikely since Ponder has not played well, but the team could move him for a mid-round pick and that would enable them to add more depth at other positions. The team has Matt Cassel at quarterback for next season and while Ponder could be a solid backup, the Vikings could try to trade him for a later round pick.
According to ESPN.com, the team likes Blake Bortles and Derek Carr, but they could move down if Bortles is taken early, as they also like Justin Gilbert and Darqueze Dennard at cornerback. Todd McShay writes that eight is a "reach" for those players and if the Vikings want to take one of them, there is a good chance they move down in the first round.
The Minnesota Vikings may look at a trade with Christian Ponder heading into the NFL draft and the Vikes also may trade down from their number eight pick to take Justin Gilbert or Darqueze Dennard in the first round, while names like Blake Bortles, Derek Carr and Teddy Bridgewater are targets at quarterback if the team opts to pick a player at the position early in the draft.
Bortles broke out last season in the Fiesta Bowl and scouts love his size and arm and he ended up with 3581 yards and 25 touchdowns last season and now he could be a top five pick. The Vikings have essentially given up on Ponder and Peter King writes at the MMQB that Bortles could be a fit for the team as they are looking to redshirt the QB they take in the draft anyway. King writes that Bortles could benefit very much from one year of study, as he is considered the prospect among QBs with the best tools, highest ceiling and rawest ability.
Last season the team picked three players in the first round between picks 23 and 29 and this year they could put themselves in position to have a number of draft picks in the top half if they choose to move down again. The team got three important players in Sharrif Floyd, Xavier Rhodes and Cordarrelle Patterson and now the Vikings could look to add a quarterback or a cornerback in the first round this season. The Vikes and general manager Rick Spielman are not afraid to trade down and they made that clear heading into the draft and that could be an option depending on how the first seven picks play out this year.
Trading Ponder also could get the team another draft pick to use if they want to trade and they currently have two third round picks and in a draft like this it's very valuable to have mid-round picks. The team got that pick from the Seahawks in the Percy Harvin deal and now they look set to make some moves at the top of the draft depending on how the top five picks play out. The Vikings have a number of options if they want to take a QB, as names like Zach Mettenberger and Aaron Murray are available and they could be picks later in the draft.
The Minnesota Vikings are coming into the draft with Blake Bortles on their minds and if they pick him, a trade of Christian Ponder could be in the cards and the team might have some competition for the QB, as Peter King writes that both the Houston Texans and the Cleveland Browns target the Central Florida star in the draft this year.
The Vikings come into this season after being ranked 23rd in the league in passing yards per game and they also were eighth in rushing and they have the chance to improve on offense this year depending on how the first four picks in the draft go. The Texans obviously hold all the cards and if they pass on Bortles and the Browns look like they will take him, the Vikings could move up if they like him enough.
The Vikings come into the draft with eight picks in the event and that should give the team a chance to add depth at a number of positions and they also could use that to trade back if someone drafts Bortles. The team has spoken out against drafting Johnny Manziel and with Bortles as the likely option, the Vikings could look to trade back if he comes off the board. Peter King wrote that the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Texans are interested in Bortles and if he ends up being taken at number one or number four, expect the Vikings to move out of that pick.
The Vikings went 5-10-1 last season and they missed the playoffs and now they have Matt Cassel coming back and a new head coach in Mike Zimmer. The team opens with a road game against the Arizona Cardinals and then the team plays three tough matchups with the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons before a game against the Green Bay Packers.
