Viktor
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
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Cronin wrote:
General Manager Rick Spielman expects his first three picks to fill immediate needs. According to Spielman, there was no way Minnesota was going to trade out of its top two picks, at Nos. 18 and 50, given where the team had Garrett Bradbury and Irv Smith, Jr., on its board and how highly valued they were as potential Day 1 players.
Bradbury, whose flexibility helps upgrade two positions on the interior of the offensive line, is expected to start at center or guard as a rookie. Smith gives the Vikings offense an element it has been missing with an athletic F tight end. Running back Alexander Mattison is expected to fill Latavius Murray’s shoes as a big-bodied back who can complement [Dalvin] Cook with a sizable workload.
If things play out perfectly, the Vikings can improve their dormant rushing attack and become more explosive in the passing game. But despite how well this draft panned out, at least in the early rounds, Minnesota is relying on a handful of rookies to play big roles in protecting and elevating Cousins in the most pivotal season of his career.
In 2018, Cousins became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete 70 percent of his passes with at least 4,000 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 or fewer interceptions in a single season.
Spielman said Saturday after the draft that he hopes Minnesota’s recent additions can also help the Vikings run the ball more efficiently in 2019.
Minnesota ranked 30th with 93.3 rushing yards per game in 2018, and the Vikings were 27th in total rushes with 357.