Pete Dixon rounds out our initial run through from all our writers. Lucky Pete, he got to make the 1st selection by an NFC North team. I was hoping he would royally screw the Vikings with a silly pick, but he's a pro, and he put whatever disgust he may have for our Minnesota rivals and made a real good pick.
With the 13th pick in the Windy City Gridiron Staff Mock Draft, the Minnesota Vikings take;
Anthony Castanzo, OT, Boston College
Here's what Pete had to say about the thinking behind his selection;
The Minnesota Vikings are a team in serious need of a makeover. Brett Favre has ridden his red Snapper into the sunset, Sidney Rice is looking to play elsewhere and Percy Harvin continues to battle migraines. Offensively, it appears that the team will rely on Adrian Peterson to carry them unless a veteran QB can be signed. The OL, once a strength for the Vikings, has aged and is in decline.
Defensively, we have likely seen the end of the Williams Wall, or half of it anyway, but the front seven remains a formidable group. The secondary, however, needs help. Their NFC North opponents have all improved significantly and the Vikings may be stuck in the basement for another year or two, or longer, as there is no immediate solution.
Where do they begin? With the 12th pick. Ok, but who?
When a team has so many needs and is beyond any "quick fix", I think the smartest move is to select a player that can step in and start right away, become an immediate force and carve out a permanent place on the roster for the next decade or so. This means selecting the best player at his position.
QB is probably the greatest need but the two best, Gabbert and Newton, are off the board. Jake Locker is there and he could be a great choice. I apply the same thinking to DT, DE, CB and WR, where the (arguably) two best players at those positions, respectively, have already been taken.
So with this pick I’m going with Anthony Castanzo, OT, Boston College. He may be the most NFL ready tackle in the draft and could be a stalwart for years to come. Had the draft unfolded a little differently I probably wouldn’t have gone OT here. In fact, if the draft were to unfold this way, the Vikes would be wise to trade down, if possible. But, this team is on the verge of a serious rebuild and the most important position on the OL is a great place to begin.
Next up at pick 13 were starting back at the top of our WCG Staff with Adam picking for Detroit.