Vikings Address Areas of Need with Pair of Second Round Selections

After an abrupt trade on Friday night sent the Minnesota Vikings' first-round selection to Detroit, the Land of 10,000 Lakes was left eagerly anticipating the team's first selection, the No. 34 pick, on Friday. Amidst ongoing speculation surrounding Brett Favre's return, Jimmy Clausen's freefall out of the first round, and other "bigger names," such as Sergio Kindle and Taylor Mays, still available, the Vikings addressed a pressing area of need by selecting the consensus top cornerback available, Virginia's Chris Cook.

The Vikings desperately needed to add depth in the secondary, after an injury-plagued '09 campaign. Minnesota's defense finished No. 19 in pass defense, as well as No. 27 in passer rating by opposing quarterbacks. Expect a fierce training camp position battle between the rookie, the team's free-agent acquisition, Lito Sheppard, and incumbents, Cedric Griffin and Antoine Winfield. Depth in the defensive backfield remains essential, since most critics consider the pass-happy Saints, Cowboys, and Packers, the greatest impending threats to a Vikings' Super Bowl run.

Cook emerges as a rare blend of speed and size at cornerback. Although Cook's 6'2" frame has inspired discussion of a transition to safety, the Vikings' Vice President of Personnel, Rick Spielman, remains adamant about Minnesota's future plans for 4.4 speedster, "I think we see it as something different than what we have. He's a 6'2" that can run and has vertical jump and very good ball skills." The Vikings' Cover 2 packages will require Cook to drastically improve his aggression at the line of scrimmage in press coverage, as well as in run support. According to VirginiaSports.com, the Cavaliers' talented cover-man recorded four interceptions in 2009, after sitting out the 2008 season for academic reasons.

In addition to the aforementioned off-the-field issues, numerous on-field question marks emerge regarding Cook's raw ability. The rookie's size may yet prove detrimental, if Cook's hip fluidity, ability to recover, and route recognition skills do not translate to the NFL level. Cook's susceptibility to injury at Virginia also remains a significant concern, in light of the Vikings' recent injury-bug in 2009. Nonethless, Cook remains a talented, athletic cornerback, whose playmaking skills are desperately needed, by a team expected to contend for a Super Bowl in 2010.

Minnesota's subsequent second-round selection of Stanford running back Toby Gerhart (after trading up 11 spots to No. 51), certainly raised the collective eyebrows of "Viking Nation." The Vikings expect the Heisman Trophy contender to assume the running back responsibilities vacated by veteran Chester Taylor. Gerhart emerges as a deceivingly dangerous, downhill threat, whose punishing running style should successfully wear down opposing defenses for one of the league's best rushers, Adrian Peterson. Gerhart's selection likely increases Peterson's third-down responsibilities, a role many Vikings' fans have eagerly anticipated. Gerhart certainly was the most accomplished college rusher on the board at No. 51; however, the verdict remains out on whether the All-American's talent and relentless work ethic will translate into productivity as an NFL tailback. Ultimately, by drafting Gerhart in the second round, as opposed to a faster back such as Ben Tate or Joe McKnight later in the draft, Brad Childress clearly has a vision to utilize Gerhart's abilities.

References:
Murphy, Brian. "Chris Cook bolsters Minnesota Vikings' injury-plagued Secondary," http://www.twincities.com/ci_14950021.

NFL team statistics as referenced at http://www.nfl.com/stats/teamseasonId=2009&seasonType=REG&Submit=Go.

Virginia Sports. "Football Statistics: 2009 Stats," http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=1134448.