The Minnesota Vikings are currently at the NFL Scouting Combine looking to find the next future stars to wear the purple and gold.
Throughout the course of the week, teams will be allowed to interview players to help them make their choices easier when it comes time for the NFL draft in April. In essence, it’s one more piece of the puzzle.
There are a lot of things to keep an eye on throughout the week and it is going to be a very interesting. Our staff got together and identified four things to watch during the combine.
Managing Editor Tyler Forness: Linebackers who could make an early impact
Everyone knows that the Vikings are going to prioritize quarterback and the defensive front. They are the positions of massive need but one that is flying somewhat under the radar is the linebacker position. They are becoming more and more important again and all the proof that you need is looking at the final four teams in the playoffs. Guys like Michigan’s Junior Colson and Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr. could do a lot for their stock with a good week and it’s important to find guys at the position.
Columnist Judd Zulgad: Rumors galore
This is one of the most interesting weeks of the NFL offseason and goes well beyond scouting and talking to prospects. The entire league gathers in Indianapolis, opening the door for conversations that are done during business hours and happy hour. The NFL has introduced a “legal tampering period” for free agents, but the combine is where the illegal tampering begins. The Vikings will meet with the agents for all of their high-profile free agents at the combine and also can start asking those agents about some of their other clients who might be employed elsewhere at the moment. If the Vikings don’t know already, they should have a very good idea about Cousins and Hunter’s future plans when they leave Indy.
Columnist Saivion Mixson: QBs and WRs
All eyes will be on the quarterbacks and wide receivers as they show off their accuracy and timing for all of the NFL decision-makers in attendance. Just like any major meeting of the minds, there will be a lot of discussion and decisions that start to take place in Indianapolis. Watch for any rumblings involving the Kirk Cousins situation, especially with Cousins’ savvy move of posting his rehabilitation progress just before the start of the combine. The happenings of the new league year begin to get into motion, and teams start to implement their off-season plans.
On the field, keep an eye out for the cornerbacks and edge rushers, especially names like UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu, whose medical assessment could be the difference between him being the top edge in the draft or having a significant draft day fall.
Columnist Chris Spooner: Trading up for a QB
Right now there’s a whole lot of buzz about the Minnesota Vikings and the possibility of them trading up to get their quarterback. With the flood of NFL personnel in Indianapolis for the Combine, we should have a much better idea of just how likely that move is at the end of this week. A lot of conversations are going to take place this week, both between the Vikings and other teams, and between the Vikings and their pending free agents. The Kirk Cousins situation looms large over the Vikings, and we should have some clarity on that situation, one way or another, by the end of the week.
