NFL Minnesota Vikings

2015 NFL Draft: Pick By Pick With Minnesota Vikings At No. 11

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By @rickstavig

Ereck Flowers, NFL Draft

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

With the regular season now in the rearview mirror, it’s officially mock draft season. Yes, mock drafts are entirely and utterly useless. It’s all speculation loosely based on rumors and projections, with no mock draft ever being anywhere near perfect. It’s like making a bracket for the NCAA tournament: you’ll get a few right but you’ll never get them all right. Still, they’re fun to make, they’re fun to read, and it fuels hope for a good offseason and a better future for whomever you cheer for.

Here’s an update of the mock so far: no. 1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon); no. 2 Tennessee Titans (Jameis Winston, QB, FSU); no. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars (Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa); no. 4 Oakland Raiders (Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama); no. 5 Washington Redskins (Leonard Williams, DE/DT, Southern Cal); no. 6 New York Jets (Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri); no. 7 Chicago Bears (Randy Gregory, DE/OLB, Nebraska); no. 8 Atlanta Falcons (Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson); no. 9 New York Giants (Alvin Dupree, DE, Kentucky) and no. 10 St. Louis Rams (Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford). Who do the Minnesota Vikings take at no. 11?

Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami.

It’s really hard not to mock DeVante Parker (WR, Louisville) with this pick, not only because he’d fill the need/value aspect, but also because of his extensive experience with second year QB Teddy Bridgewater in college. And if he winds up being the pick, it makes a lot of sense, especially considering the fact that Cordarralle Patterson took a step back last year and Greg Jennings might not be back unless he takes a huge pay cut.

But even more paramount than surrounding your young QB with weapons to grow with is providing him with protection to be able to perform his job and stay healthy. That’s why this pick should go towards an OT, where the Vikings have a glaring hole on the blind side.

Matt Kalil was thought to be the long term answer at LT after the Vikes drafted him 4th overall in 2012, and he responded with a Pro Bowl rookie campaign. But things started unraveling when he injured his knee in 2013 and has gotten progressively worse each year since. For instance, his grade per ProFootballFocus in ’12 was +14.3, pretty darn solid, especially for a rookie. In ’13 that number dipped to -6.0, then in ’14 he hit practically rock bottom with a grade of -29.1, including giving up an amazing 12 sacks and 36 hurries. That’s not helping Bridgewater develop and that’s not helping the offense develop.

Flowers has the raw tools to be an upper-echelon LT in the NFL. This kid is 6-foot 6, 325-pounds, has good athleticism, good feet, long arms, a strong base and perhaps most importantly, an intense desire to constantly get better. He’s a leader with an infectious passion for football and is blessed with a blue-collar work ethic. Plus, he’s versatile and has experience playing inside at OG as well as OT, so if he doesn’t beat Kalil outright in camp, he can provide depth along the line before taking over full time.

And if somehow Kalil somehow manages to return to Pro Bowl-form (I’m not holding my breath and neither should the Vikings), Flowers would make RT Phil Loadholt (2-years, $14m left on his deal) expendable in 2016.

Who else might the Vikes take a look at with this pick? Landon Collins (S, Alabama) could make a lot of sense here as well if he’s still on the board. I’m not at all thrilled with his coverage on tape, but playing next to a ballhawk like Harrison Smith would help mask some of those deficiencies through development and his ability to enforce outside the box would be a good fit in HC Mike Zimmer‘s scheme.

Rick Stavig is an NFL Draft Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickstavig or add him to your network on Google+.

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