NFL Mock Draft 2013: Minnesota Vikings Select…

This pick was made by Nam Huynh of Sporting Sota.

The Minnesota Vikings select Arthur Brown out of Kansas State.

Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman put a lot of research into Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o. The Vikings officially spoke with Te’o at the NFL scouting combine and reportedly hosted him on a visit to their practice facility. Spielman attended his Pro Day at Notre Dame and reportedly took him to dinner the night before as well.

Based on that, the educated assumption is that the Vikings are interested in taking Te’o in the first round. Spielman shot that idea down during his press conference on Tuesday, saying there are “a lot” of players whom the Vikings have visited with “three or four times” this spring.

That being said, I believe Minnesota would select Te’o if he were available at No. 23. With him off the board, the Vikings select Arthur Brown, a three-down linebacker who can step right in and start. A linebacker is a big need for the team and they will address it right away. Brown is listed as an outside linebacker, but many believe he could play inside. If the shift doesn’t work out well in camp, they can slide current weak side linebacker Erin Henderson inside and play Brown outside. Henderson played at middle linebacker at Maryland, so he has the experience to do so.

Here is how the draft currently stands:

1. Kansas City Chiefs — Eric Fisher, offensive tackle, Central Michigan
2. Jacksonville Jaguars — Dion Jordan, defensive end, Oregon
3. Oakland Raiders — Sharrif Floyd, defensive tackle, Florida
4. Philadelphia Eagles — Luke Joeckel, offensive tackle, Texas A&M
5. Detroit Lions — Ezekiel Ansah, defensive end, BYU
6. Cleveland Browns — Dee Milliner, cornerback, Alabama
7. Arizona Cardinals — Lane Johnson, offensive tackle, Oklahoma
8. Buffalo Bills —  Chance Warmack, guard, Alabama
9. New York Jets — Jarvis Jones, linebacker, Georgia
10. Tennessee Titans — Jonathan Cooper, guard, North Carolina
11. San Diego Chargers —  Star Lotulelei, defensive tackle, Utah
12. Miami Dolphins —  Xavier Rhodes, cornerback, Florida State
13. New York Jets (via Tampa Bay) — Tavon Austin, wide receiver, West Virginia
14. Carolina Panthers — Sheldon Richardson, defensive tackle, Missouri
15. New Orleans Saints — Barkevious Mingo, defensive end, LSU
16. St. Louis Rams — Cordarrelle Patterson, wide receiver, Tennessee
17. Pittsburgh Steelers — Tyler Eifert, tight end, Notre Dame
18. Dallas Cowboys — Kenny Vaccaro, safety, Texas
19. New York Giants — Tank Carradine, defensive end, Florida State
20. Chicago Bears — Manti Te’o, linebacker, Notre Dame
21. Cincinnati Bengals — D.J. Fluker, offensive tackle, Alabama
22. St. Louis Rams (via Washington) — Eric Reid, safety, LSU
23. Minnesota Vikings — Arthur Brown, linebacker, Kansas State