Vikings Had A Fantastic Draft!

I have been accused of being more negative, than positive, at times - especially when it comes to our Minnesota sports teams.

But let's be honest, right now is NOT a great time to be a sports fanatic in Minnesota.  All of our professional teams are, shall we say, worse than most, in their respective sport.

That being said - I am keeping it positive today, and we all love "The Purple"!  The Vikings had a terrible 2011, and most of the experts don't expect this year to be much better.  They may be right, but I will say this - the Vikings had a great draft last weekend.

They improved themselves EXACTLY where they needed it most; offensive line, in the secondary, and at wide receiver.

Now, if Christian Ponder can materialize into the quarterback that Vikings fans are hoping for, we just may be on to something.

Here is your brief "Ty James Recap" of the Vikings impressive 2012 draft.

1) Matt Kalil - Offensive Lineman - USC, pick #3 -- What can you say?  Getting the best o-lineman in the country is never bad.  Super smart guy, good character guy, family man, the whole bit.  Minnesota will love this guy all the way to Canton, someday.  QB Christian Ponder needed this guy, bad!

2) Harrison Smith - Safety - Notre Dame, pick #29 -- The Vikings traded up to get Smith, and for good reason.  He is big, athletic, and has great hands.  Look for him to start, and make an impact, immediately.

3) Josh Robinson - Cornerback - Central Florida, pick #66 -- In my opinion, this may be the best pick for the Vikings in quite some time.  Talk about a guy who is 'just what the doctor ordered' - here you go!  Robinson was the fastest player in the draft (4.29 - 40 yd. dash).  He is a great punt returner - and don't think he WON'T be starting over Chris Cook before week 1 - no doubt about it!

4) Jarius Wright - Wide Receiver - Arkansas, pick #118 -- Wright is small - but he is super-fast, and very dangerous in the open field.  Another who can return punts and kicks, he will help the receiving corps, for sure, and is some good "Percy Harvin Insurance".

5) Greg Childs - Wide Receiver - Arkansas, pick #134 -- Though Childs was selected after Jarius Wright - I like him better, and think he will certainly make more of an impact this year for the Vikings offense.  He's NOT fast - but he is big, and reliable.  He's got great hands, and will be a very nice target for Christian Ponder in the red zone.  Also, like Wright, he comes from a passing offense, and is used to catching a lot of balls.

6) Robert Blanton -- Defensive Back - Notre Dame, pick #139 -- Blanton can play cornerback or safety, and is another rookie who may see a ton of playing time this year.  He is a very good tackler, and is especially strong against the run.  Good ball skills, as well - and a fantastic special teams player.  A great pick for round 6.

7) Trevor Guyton - Defensive End/Tackle - California, pick #219 -- Guyton should be able to add depth to an already strong Vikings front seven.  He only started one year at Cal - but was very good in that one year.  Plus, most of his college career, he sat behind Tyson Alualu and Cameron Jordan - both first round picks.  He can play.

This will go down as the year we drafted Matt Kalil.  But many moons from now, who knows who the shining star of this draft will actually turn out to be.

Remember I called it - Josh Robinson.

Skol Vikings!