Info on the Vikes selections.....All from our good friends at CBS Sports. (Key note, did I mention how much I liked thier site this year?)
CBS Sports
1-30. Minnesota (12-4) Brian Price DT
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Analysis
Pass rush: Flashes a quick initial burst to slide through gaps and create havoc in the backfield. Varies his speed and surprises pass blockers with his burst and variety of hand techniques, including a classic rip and swim. Excellent use of leverage and strength for the bull rush. Can push the pass blocker deep into the pocket and disengage to make the play. Only adequate balance and agility to change direction. Has to do a better job protecting his knees against cut blocks. Spends too much time on the ground. Possesses very good short-area quickness, but taps out quickly and can become a lumbering bear if he has to chase the quarterback. Short arms and will struggle to disengage once the tackle locks him out. Marginal height and effort to get his hands up in the passing lanes, knocking down only one pass a year.
Run defense: Tough to move off the line of scrimmage with his low center of gravity and great strength. Creates a pile in the middle and can make the play without making the tackle. Anchors well against the double team and has the quick feet to split it and make the tackle. Good use of hands to shed. Locates the ball quickly, but is inconsistent with his balance to re-direct in time to make the play. Spends too much time on the ground. Adequate hustle in pursuit laterally, but tires quickly and provides little in terms of chasing downfield.
Explosion: Arguably his greatest asset. Has an explosive burst to penetrate through the gap. Good explosive jolt with his hands to knock a blocker backward.
Strength: Good use of strength in his upper and lower body to push the pocket as a bull rusher. Good lower-body strength to anchor in short-yardage situations. Good strength for the drag-down tackle while still engaged with a blocker.
Tackling: Good strength for the drag-down tackle while still engaged, but makes many of his stops by lunging at ballcarriers at the line of scrimmage. Has very good short-area quickness, but lacks the balance to break down in space consistently against elusive ballcarriers. Too often beats blocks to get into the backfield only to be eluded by ballcarriers.
Intangibles: Grew up in notorious South Central Los Angeles and attended Crenshaw High School. Has dealt with personal tragedy -- two of his brothers were shot and killed. Was forced to sit out the first three games of his freshman season due to paperwork issues with the NCAA.
2-30. Minnesota (12-4) Dominique Franks CB
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Analysis
Read & React: Good recognition of routes. Can read his man and is aware of others on his side of the field. Reads the quarterback's eyes well when in zone. Easily diagnoses quick screens and reverses.
Man Coverage: Fast and low backpedal, flexible with a smooth hip turn. Nice change-of-direction skills, able to stick with receivers on crossing routes and down the sideline. Stays aware of his man when quarterback scrambles, but will be quick to attack. Willing to pop receiver at four or five yards to knock him off his route when playing off the line. Could be more consistent using his hands on the line, but is generally effective.
Zone Coverage: Good awareness in zone, able to come off his man and clamp down underneath route to limit the gain or make a big play. Has the speed to catch up with the deep route. Had miscommunication with safeties on coverage handoffs throughout his career, leading to more big plays than you'd expect from a richly talented secondary.
Closing/Recovery: Excellent plant and drive and recovery speed, closes on the ball in the air very quickly in zone and man. Baits quarterbacks to throw the out pattern, which he can easily knock away with long arms and strong hands. Has dropped would-be interceptions.
Run Support: Rarely asked to support the run at OU. Effective as a cut-down tackler, a technique that might not work against bigger backs in the NFL. Forces plays inside when on an island. Larger receivers can force him out of the play and Franks must use his hands better to get off blocks.
Tackling: Has the requisite height and upper-body strength for the position. Reliable tackling his receiver after the catch, wraps up most any ballcarrier with his length and aggressiveness. Will throw down or plant his man if able, and let him know about it afterwards. Has the size and speed to chase down open ballcarriers and drag them to the ground, but is not strong enough to avoid stiff arms from larger backs and receivers.
Intangibles: Good character and work ethic, no major issues with coaches or teammates. Should get a shot as a returner. Does not have great elusiveness on punt returns but works as the safety return man in the red zone, runs strong and makes difficult catches. Lacks great vision on kickoff returns.
3-29. Minnesota (12-4) Navorro Bowman OLB
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Read & React: Smart, with a great nose for the ball. Reacts quickly to inside or stretch runs, recognizes misdirection plays and screens, and collapses on receivers in a hurry when dropped into coverage. Will bite on play-action at times because of his aggressive nature and quickness.
Run defense: Excellent chase and hustle against the run, closes on the ball quickly from sideline-to-sideline. Changes direction well, breaks down in space and attacks the ball. Attacks run plays so fast it looks as though he's on a run blitz even when that's not the case. Knifes through traffic and sidesteps fullback blocks inside as well as any linebacker in the draft. Flows through trash and finds the ball when lined up between the tackles. Has the upper-body strength to punch and prevent a lineman latching onto him in space, but must become more consistent getting off tight end blocks on the line and at the second level. Gets engulfed by better tackles at the point of attack.
Pass defense: Cognizant defender in zone coverage. Quick and fluid in his drop -- gets deep enough to prevent first downs. Gives up no extra yardage when receivers catch a ball in his area or when he sniffs out a screen. Good hands for the interception and can make a play after the catch with fine speed, vision and elusiveness for a defensive player. Can leap to knock down passes to receivers behind him or when rushing the quarterback. Runs with receivers and tight ends down the seam, although his lack of height puts him at a disadvantage.
Tackling: Rare tackling ability in space. Breaks down and is extremely difficult to elude once he's in the area. Drops his hips and plants the ballcarrier whenever possible. Strong arms and hands. Creates turnovers by getting his hands on the ball or wrapping arms around the ballcarrier. Uses hustle and aggression to overcome his limited reach.
Pass Rush/Blitz: Tough to stop when coming off the edge because of his closing speed, flexibility to turn the corner and determination. Agile enough to avoid running back and tight end blocks when blitzing and is capable of bull rushing or powering through the shoulder of interior linemen up the middle. Hits with a purpose when he sniffs out a quarterback rollout or bootleg.
Intangibles: Missed three games with a groin injury in 2009. Well-liked teammate with a high football IQ. Character concerns could hurt his draft stock. Lost his father (blood clot) and high school coach (car accident) within about six months during the 2008 season. Father of Navorro, Jr., born in the summer of 2009. Graduated in December with a degree in Crime, Law and Justice.
4-30. Minnesota (12-4) John Skelton QB
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Accuracy: Accurate enough to give his receiver a chance to make a play after the catch whether on a quick screen, out route, slant, fade or throw down the seam. Leads his man on slants and deep throws. Will aim the ball and feather it in instead of letting it loose.
Arm Strength: Throws 45-50-yard passes with little effort, but he rarely takes full advantage of his arm strength. Ball gets from hash to opposite sideline in a hurry when he steps into the throw. Good trajectory on deep passes, and the ball doesn't hang up. Inconsistent spiral, though the ball still has fair pace when it wobbles.
Setup/Release: Prototypical size and stands tall in the pocket. Waits patiently for routes to develop. Mostly in the shotgun when passing but will go under center on run plays and the occasional play-action. Release speed is not an issue whether in the pocket or on the run. Relies on his arm strength too much; will throw off back foot and into traffic. Throws from different arm angles and usually well-balanced. Could sell the ball fake more in play-action.
Reading Defenses: Knows the second and third progression, and is willing to throw underneath route if deep receiver is covered up. Will pick apart a defense if given time. Looks to the quick screen before checking out deep throw. Will not look off the safety or creeping corner consistently, resulting in interceptions. Trusts his receivers too much, throwing jump balls when unnecessary.
On the Move: Mobile for his size and able to throw accurately on the run in either direction. Squares his shoulders when throwing on the run. Will evade sacks from FCS defenders, but unclear whether he'll do so against better competition. Doesn't always get his eyes downfield when pressured in the pocket but does when outside. Mobility leads him to leave the pocket too quickly at times. Agile enough to get first downs when scrambling or running the read option, but not quick enough to run for more than a few yards and lacks elusiveness in the open field. Lowers his head for a first down if sideline isn't available and can slide if possible. Good size for the sneak.
Intangibles: Two-year captain who leads his offense on and off the field. Quiet with the media but vocal on the field. Has the work ethic and intelligence to become an NFL starter.
5-30. Minnesota* (12-4) Pat Angerer ILB
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Read & React: Has a nose for the ball on run plays. Reads the quarterback's eyes in coverage, and is quick to get to the ball in the air. Not easily fooled by misdirection and has the speed to recover after a false step.
Run defense: Can go sideline-to-sideline and down the field to chase the ball from the middle. Despite being undersized playing inside, he will take on linemen and disengage from blocks to make the play. Quick enough to avoid some blocks but he gets planted into the ground too often and does not change direction quickly enough to catch elite runners. Gets a bit nosy inside at times, finding it tough to get through trash if the play bounces outside. Needs defensive linemen to tie up blockers and keep him free to be effective.
Pass defense: Able to drop quickly to the first-down marker and find a receiver, even after play-action. Good ball awareness in zone coverage; always on the nearest receiver. Very adept at making the interception and will make difficult catches. Lines up against slot receivers, but it's a mismatch if they have any speed or elusiveness.
Tackling: Hustle player who fights through blocks to get in on plays. Will bring his hips and feet to stack up running backs in the hole if kept clean. Typically not an explosive tackler, but is reliable as a catch-and-drag man in the open field. Teams will expect him to be a leader on special teams. Gets a large percentage of his tackle statistics by being the second defender to get to the ball.
Pass Rush/Blitz: Not asked to blitz much, but has the straight-line speed to be effective. Will struggle to beat blocks if linemen pick him up. Can beat cut blocks in space; should be able to defeat them in the backfield.
Intangibles: Ultra-competitive and hard-working. Got through multiple injuries in his sophomore year to become one of the team's top defenders. Team captain and 2009 co-MVP, filled the leadership void as a senior.
5-36. Minnesota (Compensatory) James Starks RB
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Inside: Tall, lanky runner who looks like a former quarterback - but doesn't run like one. Shifty runner with good vision through traffic. Lowers his pads to power through defenders when he smells the first down or goal line. Usually falls forward for the extra yard. Will stutter-step to avoid initial tackler in the hole. Secure with the ball inside.
Outside: Perfect for offense using zone or stretch plays. Lets blocks develop and picks out holes or cut-back lanes to explode through. Long strider who lacks lateral quickness, but will explode vertically once in the open field. Carries the ball in his right hand and doesn't switch when running left. Adequate at getting the corner within the offense, but doesn't change directions fast enough to reverse a play on his own.
Breaking tackles: Will go through arm tackles and runs with some lean, but has troubles keeping his feet (looks a bit out of control at times). Keeps feet moving after first contact at the second level, but struggles to push the pile in the middle. Must show his shoulder injury has not lessened his effectiveness as a power runner.
Blocking: Not very physical. Liability as a pass protector, although it's not for a lack of effort. Likes to hit defenders but is just not strong enough to anchor or sustain against them. Hesitates to pick up linebackers on plays where the pocket is moving. Doesn't pick up defenders to aid teammates on the second level.
Receiving: Well-practiced receiver who physically looks the part. Used on swing passes, circle routes and in the slot from motion. Snatches the ball with his hands, adjusting to low and high throws. Will hold the ball loosely when trying to make a move in the open field. Some elusiveness after the catch, but is better running north-south than east-west. May be tried as a kickoff returner at the next level.
Intangibles: No major character issues. Soft-spoken young man who is well-liked by coaches, teachers and teammates. Gives more credit to his linemen than himself. Successful rehab of knee and shoulder injuries will gives scouts reason to like his work ethic.
6-30. Minnesota* (12-4) Charlie Tanner OG
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04/01/2010 - PRO DAY RESULTS: 79 scouts and coaches representing 30 teams (the Rams and Lions were the only two not represented), including three head coaches, came together to watch. G Charlie Tanner (6-3 7/8, 305) ran 5.20 and 5.12 in the 40. Tanner posted a 36-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot, 3-inch broad jump and a 4.38-second short shuttle ??? all numbers that would have put him in the top-10 amongst offensive linemen at the combine. His vertical jump would have beaten out Oklahoma T Trent Williams' top mark of 34 1/2 inches, while his 4.38-second short shuttle would have shattered the best mark at the combine ??? a time of 4.51 second set by Arizona State OL Shawn Lauvao. Combined with a 5.20 and 5.12 in the 40, Tanner certainly helped his stock Wednesday. - Gil Brandt, NFL.com
7-30. Minnesota* (12-4) Chris Maragos FS
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03/18/2010 - PRO DAY RESULTS: One of the benefits of pro day is that it allows an unheralded prospect to get on the map with an outstanding workout. That is precisely what took place at Wisconsin's pro day on Thursday. DB Chris Maragos (5-foot-10 1/2, 200 pounds) performed so well that he may just find himself getting drafted in the late rounds come April. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.50 and 4.47 seconds, had a 36-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot broad jump and did 15 repetitions in the bench press at 225 pounds. Where Maragos really made his mark was in the agility drills. Quickness is a vital attribute for defensive backs, and Maragos showed he has what it takes athletically. His 6.55-second three-cone drill and 3.98-second short shuttle would have been the best times at the NFL Scouting Combine for any position. He also did position drills. - Gil Brandt, NFL.com
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