The Minnesota Vikings stole the show in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft as they came away with not one, not two, but three picks on day one.
With those three picks, the Vikings selected defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
The influx of young talent might have not been enough to save Leslie Frazier his job after the Vikings went 5-10-1 last season, but it will give first-time NFL head coach Mike Zimmer some pieces to work with. The question is where do they go from here?
The Vikings need to figure out who their franchise quarterback is. Matt Cassel emerged as the starter at the end of last season and signed a two-year deal to stay in Minnesota. He threw for 1,807 yards with 11 touchdowns against nine interceptions in six starts.
It could be a smokescreen, but Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said that none of this year's quarterbacks are worthy of a first-round pick. The reason Zach Mettenberger is listed as a potential option in the poll is because of new offensive coordinator Norv Turner's system which is similar in how it surrounded the quarterback with a power run game and weapons on the outside. The Vikings could look for help along the interior of the offensive line to further assist Adrian Peterson and the run game, but No. 8 would likely be too high.
Zimmer's forte is the defensive side of the ball and he could look at Aaron Donald as a complement to Floyd to wreak havoc in the pocket. On our Journey to the Draft podcast presented by AAA this week, NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell called linebacker C.J. Mosley one of the top 10 players in this year's draft. Zimmer could look at Mosley as a difference-maker in the second level of the defense.
Even though Rhodes was picked, the Vikings could still look for help on the back end of the defense and would have their pick of the top cornerback - depending on Zimmer's preference. Minnesota has a Pro Bowl free safety in Harrison Smith, so Ha Ha Clinton-Dix might not be the ideal complement if Zimmer wants a thumper. However, Zimmer might simply find a way to make the most of the talent.
Minnesota pulled off a coup with three first-round picks last year. What will they do to add more talent? Well, that's up to you.
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