NFL Draft rumors: Vikings may draft QB in Round 2
By Josh Sanchez
The Minnesota Vikings are expected to address their quarterback position early in the 2014 NFL Draft, but that may not come in the first-round like many had been projecting. Recent comments made by Vikings general manager Rick Spielman appear to suggest that the team could put off selecting a quarterback until Day 2 of the draft in order to add talent at a different position.
“I think you can find quarterbacks in the second round and the third round, as well,” Spielman told the Star Tribune.
“We’ve started that process on the evaluation part. I think we’re scheduled to go out there and see a lot of these quarterbacks through the spring and get to know them a little bit better. The one thing that I want to make sure we don’t do is box ourselves into having to take a quarterback if there’s another player that’s very significant at another position.”
Some of the top options in the second- and third-round are Eastern Illinois’ Jimmy Garoppolo, A.J. McCarron of Alabama and LSU’s Zach Mettenberger.
If the Vikings feel comfortable using Matt Cassel as a “bridge,” then they would be able to draft a quarterback later that they could groom slowly throughout his rookie season.