The Washington Kids

It sure would be nice for the Minnesota Vikings to come out of the 2015 NFL Draft with the defensive trio from the University of Washington. Defensive tackle Danny Shelton, linebacker Shaq Thompson, and cornerback Marcus Peters would look terrific in Vikings purple.

Thompson and Peters play positions of need for the Vikings. Shelton would be a luxury. A huge luxury. Thompson is one of the best athletes in the entire draft. He played linebacker, safety, and running back at Washington. He excelled at every position that he was asked to play. He prefers linebacker. The Vikings could use him at safety and linebacker. Probably more at the latter opposite 2014 top pick Anthony Barr. Thompson and Barr would give the Vikings one of the most versatile, most athletic set of outside linebackers in the league. Perhaps ever. If football concerns were the only concerns for NFL teams, Peters could be the top cornerback prospect in the draft. He's got some character issues. He was kicked off the Washington football team for butting heads with the coaches. He can be a bit of a hot-head on the field. If he can control those emotions they could work to his advantage in football. If he can't control those emotions he does his team and himself no favors. Thompson and Shelton were asked nearly as many questions about Peters as they were of themselves in their Scouting Combine pressers. Arizona St. linebacker Vontaze Burfict had similar character issues when he arrived in Cincinnati in 2012. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was the Bengals defensive coordinator then. He found a way through to Burfict. Maybe he can work some of that same magic with a similarly fiery player. Peters is a big corner at 6'0" 200 lbs. He would look excellent opposite the 6'1" 210 lbs Xavier Rhodes in the Vikings defense. Shelton would be a huge luxury on the Vikings defensive line. 6'2" 339 lbs. A "Dancing Bear" as Draft Analyst Mike Mayock is quick to say. Shelton can move. The Vikings have 6'4" 323 lb Linval Joseph taking up a considerable chunk of the interior of the defensive line. A rotation of the two would be tremendous. It would be even more tremendous to see the two on the field at the same time. Those two guys might look like four to an offensive line tasked with slowing them.

Putting all three Washington kids in the Vikings defense would be a wonderful dream. Picking at #11, the Vikings are really in no position to select Danny Shelton. I just don't see him getting past the Chicago Bears at #7 let alone making it out of the top-10. Thompson and Peters should both be there. In several of the mock drafts that bounce through my head at any one time I actually have the Vikings selecting Shaq Thompson at #11. He would give Mike Zimmer an incredibly gifted and versatile defensive player. Due to the character concerns it isn't out of the question that Marcus Peters drops to the Vikings 13th pick of the second round. Not likely though. There's a lot of dreaming going on between now and the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft on April 30. This is the time for those dreams. Getting these three Washington kids to Minnesota is a fine dream. Now, I have to find a dream that helps the offense.