Vikings Drafts

When I think of NFL Drafts that built champions I immediately think of some of the Pittsburgh Steelers drafts of the early 1970s. In particular, their draft of 1974. Bill Walsh did some really nice drafting throughout his time with the San Francisco 49ers. I still think of those Steelers drafts first mainly due to the incredible concentration of talent in only a few drafts. In 1974 the Steelers drafted Jack Lambert, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth and Mike Webster. All four are honored in Canton. Incredible. Those four stars were added to earlier draft choices like Mean Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Jack Ham and Mel Blount. That's only counting their Hall of Famers. It's no wonder that the Steelers won four Super Bowls in the decade. Those drafts in the early '70s built champions. The draft is still the best way to build an NFL team. Even in this era of free agency.

It's way, way, way too early to be comparing the recent drafts of the Minnesota Vikings to those of the '70s Steelers or Walsh's 49ers. The Vikings haven't done anything yet. Still, they are getting tremendous contributions from their young football players. In particular the players selected in the last two drafts. 16 players from those drafts are part of the 53 man roster. Two others, unfortunately, suffered season ending injuries during the preseason. If they're recovery is complete they'll add to that total. It's hard not to be excited about the future. General manager Rick Spielman and his scouts have done an incredible job of finding talent since he joined the team in 2006. He was rewarded with the top personel position at the end of least season. His 2012 Draft looks like it could be something special. All of the hopes start with quarterback and 2011 top pick Christian Ponder. If he becomes the franchise quarterback that all champions need, the last two drafts will be difference makers. In addition to Ponder the Vikings found starters in tight end Kyle Rudolph, safety Mistral Raymond and guard Brandon Fusco in that 2011 Draft. Also added were important role players like defensive tackle Christian Ballard, corner Brandon Burton, defensive end D'Aundrae Reed and receiver Stephen Burton. Some of those players are expected to be starters soon. Ballard, in particular. There have been immediate and important contributions from several of the rookies found in the 2012 Draft. First round selections of tackle Matt Kalil and safety Harrison Smith have paid off and then some. Both look to be elite talent on the field and team leaders for a long time. Cornerback Josh Robinson has firmly established himself in nickel defenses. In today's pass happy NFL the nickel corner is pretty much a starter. Robinson has played like a keeper. The last rookie starter made an impact immediately. Kicker Blair Walsh. His big leg won the season opener against Jacksonville. Through four games the Vikings offense has too often had to rely on field goals. Walsh's leg and accuracy has been critical to the Vikings surprising 3-1 start. We have yet to see the limit of his range. The Vikings now are in field goal range soon after crossing midfield. His kickoffs have tilted the field position battle in the Vikings favor. Last season the Vikings had 19 total touch backs. Walsh has 19 touchbacks in four games. His impact has been huge. Fellow rookies including tight end Rhett Ellison, safety Robert Blanton and linebacker Audie Cole have made strong contributions on special teams. Receiver Jarius Wright has been slowed with an ankle injury suffered in the last preseason game. It's hoped that his outside speed will provide a spark when he returns.

The Vikings have drafted well in the early rounds for much of the past decade. They haven't had nearly the success in the mid to later rounds. That has depleted their depth and and forced the team to lean on free agency more than they would have liked. They've had better success in the last few years with players like center John Sullivan and defensive tackle Letroy Guion. So far, the last two drafts look like the kind of difference making drafts from which champions are formed. Talent has been introduced in all phases. Offense, defense and special teams. Whether they actually become champions obviously remains to be seen. From this perch, the talent, work ethic and leadership needed to get where all teams want to go looks to have been found in the Vikings recent drafts. Now, they have to do the work.