2013 Draft Central (Minnesota Vikings)

[vikings4lifebro]

And I love it!

So which one would you take? I like the Patterson kid

[Daniel0227]

I still say Johnathan Cooper in the first.

The 6-foot-3, 295-pounder was an excellent blocker for running back Giovanni Bernard in 2011. Bernard had a tremendous redshirt freshman season with 1,253 yards and 13 touchdowns. Cooper is a good athlete who also is strong at the point of attack. He projects to being a quality interior pass-protector. Cooper once again did a superb job of blocking for Bernard this year.

Cooper could be a candidate to move to center in the NFL. Given his size and his elite athleticism, a shift over could easily be his best move for the pros.

[HSmith22]

As much as I believe Cooper would be a good player and all I'm just not too down with drafting a Guard in the first round. Warmack I think I would be fine with but idk about Cooper.

[Daniel0227]

I don't know man, ESPN has him ranked 14th overall. Could be a fixture at LG for as long as Kalil.
Mike Iupati in 2010 was ranked 16th overall. Mike Pouncy in 2011 was ranked 20th and selected 15th overall.
2008 Brandon Albert was at 23rd overall.
For a Guys like Warmack and Cooper ranked as high as they are and with our need of the best addition for the team, Guard has to measure up really high with that kind of talent level. Iupati being ranked at 16 and Cooper at 14 says alot. This draft class is loaded too.

[niftynation11]

As much as I believe Cooper would be a good player and all I'm just not too down with drafting a Guard in the first round. Warmack I think I would be fine with but idk about Cooper.

I would love a guard in the first, but I would love a superstar at WR more. I'm hoping we can get the Warford guy in the later rounds, he would definitely be an upgrade to our OG.

[FrankieFreakout]

But how big of a need is guard right now? We just had a guy rush for the 2nd most yards in NFL history. Is our guards spots THAT big of a weakness? I don't think you're far off, but we have some pressing needs.

You can get a highly rated guard who could start immediately in rounds 2-5.

[HSmith22]

What round is he projected to go

Hamilton probably anywhere from 2-4. He's a good receiver though. Remember last year there were three draft picks at receiver (Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright) to come from Arkansas so the cupboard definitely wasn't bare in Fayetteville. He was behind those guys until this season so he has been a little bit overlooked and passed by, which is sorta what's happening to his draft stock. That being said he always managed to produce even as a 4th string receiver. Hamilton certainly experienced a great deal of success for the Razorbacks despite not getting many starts. He caught 85 passes for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns in 39 games (including 18 starts) but those numbers were spread evenly throughout his three years prior to this year.

Then this year when he was the top target he had a breakout senior campaign and showed he has the kind of talent NFL teams look for. Hamilton put together the greatest season by a receiver in Arkansas history and one of the best ever by an SEC pass catcher in 2012. He broke the Arkansas single-season records for receptions, receiving yards and 10-plus catch games as well as UA career records for receptions and 10-plus catch games. His 90 catches in 2012 broke the previous record of 66 set by Jarius Wright in 2011 and are tied for the third-highest single-season total in SEC history. Hamilton's 1,335 receiving yards broke Wright's record of 1,117 from last season and rank fourth on the SEC's single-season list. He also broke Wright's career record with 175 catches, bettering the mark of 168 put up from 2008-11, and became the first Razorback to record more than two 10-plus catch games with five. Hamilton also recorded four 100-yard receiving games in 2012, tied for third on UA's single-season list. He had just 5 touchdowns which is his second highest total ever, 6 in 2010 being his best. Arkansas has a good QB too in Tyler Wilson (a guy I wouldn't mind drafting in the middle rounds actually).

Hamilton's size (6'2") and physicality make him an ideal fit as an outside receiver in but for him to earn a top 100 selection he'll need to run better. Hamilton has strider speed and was typically running verticals or deep crossing patterns at Arkansas. I wouldn't say he is a dangerous vertical weapon though as he showed limited ability to consistently gain separation as a route-runner from defensive backs. Sure he's made some huge plays for the Razorbacks over his career, including scoring two long touchdowns against LSU (80, 85 yards) in 2010 but unless he's been hit in stride Hamilton hasn't yet shown a great deal of natural elusiveness or acceleration to make plays on his own consistently. He's not a complete receiver at all in terms of route running. Thus far, he has rarely been asked to run the complicated routes required in most NFL offenses.

I have been saying for awhile that Patterson is a Julio Jones clone. The only reason he is going so low in mocks is that there is only 1 year of film on him since he transferred to Tennessee from a JUCO.

Julio Jones
Height: 6 ft 3 in
Weight: 220 lbs
40 time: 4.39 seconds

Cordarrelle Patterson
Height: 6 ft 3 in
Weight: 205 - 210 (depending on the source)
40 time: 4.39 seconds

Eerily similar if you compare their highlight videos also.

Well as far as talent goes I'de agree he's got the elite potential as does Julio Jones but as far as production goes, Jones had way more experience and playing time in the SEC to hone his game coming into the NFL. Don't get me wrong I really like Patterson, he's probably my favorite receiver in this whole class and I think might have the most potential but right now he's more like Demaryius Thomas or Stephen Hill coming out, though I give him a bit of a edge because Ten. doesn't run the weird offense that Georgia Tech does which should help in his transition from college to pros.

I just watched highlights of both these guys and Patterson is the best. Hopkins has great hands but i didnt see any separation in his game. In the NFL as a WR you gotta have seperation and Hopkins from what i seen lack that. Its just highlights though. I just have to see more on Hopkins

No you're right on with Hopkins. He's not the fastest guy but he's a damn good receiver. A very solid, all around talent. Very productive. Consistent and consistency is not an ugly word for a wide receiver. He has good focus and quick hands to locate and pluck the ball out of the air. He too is a strider speed type of guy. He's got fluid body control but not that shifty. He doesn't have the athleticism of a Patterson though he can probably do some things Patterson can't right now in the receiving game. Make minute adjustments on the run, run better routes complete route trees that NFL teams require, etc. He does a nice job setting up his routes to keep defenders off balance and attack the ball at it's highest point. In short if the ball is thrown in Hopkin's area, he goes and gets it. He'll be a possession receiver in the NFL not a speedy threat guy. His size and lack of speed probably won't make him a 1st round pick, but he's been highly productive over his three seasons at Clemson and is fresh off a record-breaking season in 2012. He finished fourth in FBS in receiving yards (1,405 - school record) and second in touchdown catches (18 - ACC record) with a team-high 82 receptions. Hopkins earned First Team All-ACC honors and leaves Clemson with school records for career touchdown grabs (27) and 100-yard receiving games (12). So the second round should be a lock.

So which one would you take? I like the Patterson kid

I posted on them before earlier...

If we could somehow snatch DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson or Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee in the second round we would be golden. I feel both these players have gone a bit unnoticed and are underrated.

Clemson’s Junior wide receiver was thought of as a second round pick at best coming into this season, being an afterthought starting next to super freshman sensation Sammy Watkins. He was a secondary receiver but still caught 72 passes for 978 yards and five touchdowns. However, Hopkins showed this year that he is no second fiddle to Watkins, taking advantage of Watkins' two-game suspension early in the season to emerge as the Tigers' top pass catcher. Hopkins picked up the slack and became the top receiver for Tajh Boyd and had a terrific season with 82 receptions for 1,405 yards, 17.1avg and 18 touchdowns. While Hopkins may not be as talented as Sammy Watkins, you wouldn't notice by his play on the field. Hopkins is a very dangerous receiver in his own right. He's been burning defenses all season long.

Heading into their bowl game vs LSU, he needed just six catches to break Clemson's single-season record set last year by Watkins. Hopkins went H.A.M. as they say and posted a Chick Fil’ A Bowl record of 13 catches for 191 yards and 2 touchdowns. Overall, Hopkins has a nice well-rounded skill set showing NFL speed, smooth athlete, controlled route runner, with the hands to match and the ability to make the spectacular catch.

Yet he's still only rated further down the list of receivers in this class. While players like Keenan Allen, WR, Cal might be a bigger name I don't think they would bring any more impact than guys like Hopkins would in the second round. I believe Hopkins profiles as a potential go-to target at the next level. He’s not the biggest receiver at 6-1 and 205lbs. He’s also not among the fastest – I’d project a time in the 4.45-4.50 range at the combine. However, this is where the league is in danger of being fooled. He’s a top-20 talent who may go later.

Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson might only have one year of quality experience against big-time competition, but he's an electrifying talent. Tennessee had two great receivers in Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers but after Rogers was kicked off the team, Patterson took his place as the starting X (split end) receiver and never looked back.

Showing off his elite speed and explosiveness he opened the year by beating David Amerson, the prolific NFL prospect, for a 41-yard score on a go route straight down the field. Patterson also took a carry for a 67-yard touchdown later in first quarter. He had six receptions for 93 yards and a score against the Wolfpack that day. On the season, he had just 46 receptions but they went for 778 yards and five touchdowns and he added 3 more and another 308 yards on the ground.

Patterson is raw, but filled with potential and could find himself rising up boards quickly with his combination of size (6-4, 205 pounds) and speed (4.45). Think of him as this year's Stephen Hill who quickly climbed up draft boards last season before being selected in the second round by the Jets (43rd overall). Patterson too will likely blow people away at the combine and rise up boards throughout the pre-draft process.

He's an incomplete prospect who needs to work on some things. He's still not where he needs to be at from route running stand point. So he's not the complete receiver ready for the NFL but yet he's an athlete, he obviously can be a vertical stretch guy. He doesn't look like a natural WR but you cannot ignore that skillset to score whenever he touches the ball. With players like Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas starting to come on strong this season it makes teams value these types of talents even more. You take him, you coach him up, it may take some time but you figure you're getting a guy that one day will be one of the best receivers in the league.

In terms of being a raw route runner, Patterson compares closely to Demaryius Thomas coming out of Georgia Tech, but Thomas was much bigger. Jeremy Maclin seems to be a decent comparison overall, but I think Patterson will time better than Maclin did. Whoever he compares to best doesn't matter much though, but what does matter is he can be developed into a first-round talent that probably shouldn't go nearly that high on draft day. It'll be interesting to see just how high he does go. I'de say mid first round is his ceiling but right now he looks like more of a second-round pick. If the Vikings can grab him in the second round it would be a steal.

But already both players stock value has risen to that of a 1st round potential.

I'de actually prefer Patterson. Even though he's a bit more raw I like him better. If the Vikings try and give him too much to do too soon he'll fail, like Williamson did. But if they ease him in and work him into the gameplan with plays that utilize his strengths then he could be an exciting prospect. They got to handle him more towards like they handle Harvin, he's that type of a receiver. He needs to learn how to run better routes and a complete NFL route tree, at UT he just got by because he outclassed everyone with his athletic ability. Once he learns to do that he could be truly deadly. A threat to score anytime he touches the ball, he's going to turn lots of heads. Even though he's not a complete true receiver per se coming out, Hopkins is more that type, Patterson I think has more playmaking potential and right now we just need to bring in talent no matter how we can get it. I think both will make for good pros but I think Patterson will be the more electrifying player and get separation more which is a huge problem right now for us.

That being said there is a classic ‘sods law’ problem with Patterson. He has everything needed to be a sensational pro-talent who breaks records and enjoys a fine career. He also has everything required to become an epic bust. Teams will have to judge whether they trust explosive physical skills and massive upside to overcome some of the negatives. He’ll have a higher ceiling and a lower floor than probably any other offensive player eligible for 2013. The question is – are you prepared to take the risk?

Analysis

STRENGTHS: Patterson has a solidly-built frame with good height and length. He is a fluid athlete with good initial burst and strength to release to the inside and gain separation in single coverage. Patterson knows how to create with excellent vision, controlled footwork and speed, showing excellent change of direction and a strong plant foot to make elusive, sharp cuts.

He has a natural feel with the ball in his hands, making defenders miss with quickness to weave through defenses. Patterson is tough, confident ballcarrier and runs with the belief that no one can tackle him, powering through arm tackles and allowing defenders to slide off of him.

He has very good strength for the position to use his body, box out defenders and make contested grabs, out-muscling defensive backs. Patterson has quick hands and natural adjustment skills to make impressive catches on off-target throws. His coaches rave about his football intelligence and his competitive nature, playing focused and fiery.

Patterson has been extremely productive at both the JUCO level and Tennessee, setting over a dozen school records at Hutchinson C.C. including career receptions (113), career receiving yards (1,832) and career total touchdowns (36). He was also productive in track at the JUCO level with a 10.33 100-meter dash and 22' long jump.

Patterson finished second on the team in receiving in 2012 and set a new Tennessee record for all-purpose yards (1,858), leading the team with 10 touchdowns (5 receiving, 3 rushing, 1 punt return and 1 kick return).

WEAKNESSES: Patterson is still developing as a route-runner and will tip his patterns at times. He is a natural hands-catcher, but will have some concentration lapses and drop some easy ones, running before securing the reception.

Patterson needs to scale back his physicality downfield, often extending his arms downfield against tight coverage and getting away with some push-offs. He has a bad habit of stopping his feet when running room isn't there, always searching for the home run instead of taking what's there.

Patterson has made some mistakes on punt returns, allowing the ball to go over his head or catching the punt too close to the goal line. He has just one year of experience at the FBS-level, albeit a productive one season.

COMPARES TO: Mix of Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs and Nate Burleson, Detroit Lions - Patterson has a similar frame and physical downfield nature as Bowe with the speed and quickness of Burleson to contribute as a return man.

--Dane Brugler

I'm not sure I agree at all with his comparison to Dwayne Bowe. To me he's WAY more shifty and has actual RAC ability. I'm sure there is a better comparison but to me he looks like he has a little Andre Reed in him. Most people don't remember how explosive he was in run-after-the-catch (Just watch at 6:55 how Reed shakes all those defenders.) Reed was pretty special though so I don't want to overhype Patterson. I would compare him more as a prospect to a Demaryius Thomas / Dez Bryant type talent. Where he possesses star potential but will be a work in progress right away. He might not be a rookie sensation, though he could contribute here and there early on making splash plays. He’s the kind of guy who can fill that void down the road as a No. 1 receiver though, like we saw Dez and DeMaryius step up and become this year.

In fact Cordarrelle Patterson shares a lot of similarities with DeMaryius Thomas. Size (both are 6'3"), speed and athleticism (Both have no problems getting separation) and Rawness as a receiver coming out of college. Many draft experts had Thomas gaining momentum leading up to the draft and most had him as the number one or two-rated wide receiver along with Dez Bryant in the 2010. Ultimately he was selected higher than Dez as actually the first receiver taken, 22nd overall, to the Denver Broncos. I think Patterson's going to be a steep riser in the predraft process too. I'm guessing Patterson is going to absolutely test off the charts and with his measurables he could end up going top 20 - at least 1st round. Patterson's stock is going to climb, actually it already has started, so I can already foresee him making a case as the top receiver in the 2013 NFL Draft class and actually being the first drafted receiver over Keenan Allen, selected 23rd overall by us.

I wanted to say Greg Jennings because of his after the catch ability. Both Jennings and Patterson make their money via YAC/RAC, whichever you call it. He's so shifty that he often can shake a defender off making tackle attempts miss. Patterson's change of direction is to me his biggest asset. Pure magic with the ball in his hands, he'll set you up and make you miss on the tackle then run for another 5-10 yards before someone else can wrangle and wrestle him down. Extremely quick out of a break, his bursts alone give slower defenders trouble to get in position to bring him down. No wasted movement he just runs like a gazelle. What separates him from other fast guys is his field vision, lot's of guys are fast, but the ones that have that field vision and don't take wasted steps are the ones that become big time play makers in the league.

Back to the comparison to Jennings though, Greg isn't the most physically gifted receiver - he's only 5'11" whereas Patterson is 6'3" which makes it even more impressive. For a guy his size he has some crazy change of direction ability and speed. He can make full speed cuts rarely seen from a player with his size. It's rare to see a big man who sinks his hips and cuts the way Patterson does. NFL teams love to throw those quick hitches, slants and bubble screens to a big wideout who can shake the corner off and get 20 yards. Jennings at under six foot is expected to be shifty and shake defenders. He has shown he can make a tackler miss and makes a lot of plays after the catch but what Patterson doing the same things at his size this season for Tennessee is amazing. Just watch some of his highlights again and then some of Patterson's highlights this year. That's exactly Patterson's game. He'll thrive in a offense where you get the ball to him in space where he can then run after the catch for extra yardage and even breaks some long plays for touchdowns because of his shifty ability to shake defenders.

I think though that Patterson has a even higher ceiling than Jennings, because of his size difference (5'11 > 6'3"). He compares physically to wideouts drafted among the top three selections in prior years and it's no secret that physical attributes and career success among receivers go hand and hand. I think he'll develop into a better route runner and overall receiver but he has the size, the athletic ability and speed to become an elite player at the position. One day I think he could reach that Julio Jones billing. He's a special player with a great skill set similar to that of Jones but in the mean time I think he could surprise just like he did in his first game of his first major college football season on pure talent alone. As a pure X-Factor player he blows Hopkins away. In fact I cannot think of many that can match up to this guy in terms of overall production. Put the ball in his hands and he has a chance to score. The type of player that only needs one catch or one possession to have a major impact in a game. He returns kicks and punts and actually set the SEC single-season record for combined kickoff and punt return yards at 27.6 per-attempt + new school record for all-purpose yards in a season with 1,858. All in only his first season at major college football which is what essentially amounts to him being a freshman in college. By the end of the season Tennessee were just trying to find ways to get him the ball – thus why you see him taking a lot of snaps as a running back. He ran reverses, he takes snaps in the backfield, he can run deep routes, he gets separation, he has a great wingspan to make the difficult catches, he's got size and physicality to make contested grabs. He's basically a mix between a bigger Percy Harvin, Dez Bryant, and with Julio Jones body and physicality. Pretty much there aren’t any Cordarrelle Patterson’s in the NFL right now. He is unique.

[HSmith22]

I don't know man, ESPN has him ranked 14th overall. Could be a fixture at LG for as long as Kalil.
Mike Iupati in 2010 was ranked 16th overall. Mike Pouncy in 2011 was ranked 20th and selected 15th overall.
2008 Brandon Albert was at 23rd overall.
For a Guys like Warmack and Cooper ranked as high as they are and with our need of the best addition for the team, Guard has to measure up really high with that kind of talent level. Iupati being ranked at 16 and Cooper at 14 says alot. This draft class is loaded too.

Well with as much as we focus on running the ball I wouldn't say it would be a bad pick. I just think getting playmakers is more of a need than improving the o-line that, like others have said, just helped AP rush for over 2,000 yards. I wouldn't be upset though if that's the direction they go at 23.

[VCU4LIFEGOVIKS]

To ignore WR in the first two rounds would be idiotic. Our oline had issues last season but overall they were serviceable and excellent when it came to run blocking. Profootballfocus even rates our oline as the third best in the NFL (https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...ne-rankings/2/). Our WR core is bottom five in the league and must be addressed. I would use two of our first four picks on WR.

[VCU4LIFEGOVIKS]

Well with as much as we focus on running the ball I wouldn't say it would be a bad pick. I just think getting playmakers is more of a need than improving the o-line that, like others have said, just helped AP rush for over 2,000 yards. I wouldn't be upset though if that's the direction they go at 23.

Exactly. I would even go WR in the first and second rounds. Getting a guy like Cordarrelle Patterson, DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen in the first and then perhaps Terrance Williams, Justin Hunter, Robert Woods or Da'Rick Rogers in second. Pair any of those two WRs with Harvin, Wright and Simpson and you have a top tier WRing core.

[HSmith22]

To ignore WR in the first two rounds would be idiotic. Our oline had issues last season but overall they were serviceable and excellent when it came to run blocking. Profootballfocus even rates our oline as the third best in the NFL (https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...ne-rankings/2/). Our WR core is bottom five in the league and must be addressed. I would use two of our first four picks on WR.

Question is.. which two?

1st Round - 23rd Pick
2nd Round - 52nd Pick
3rd Round - 83rd Pick
4th Round - 99th Pick
4th Round - 117th Pick

Do we use 23 and 83? 23 and 99? 52 and 99?

At 23 there is only three players I would like to see drafted. Cordarrelle Patterson, Keenan Allen, and DeAndre Hopkins. (though I'de prefer Hopkins in the 2nd round via trade down/out of 1st round)

At 52 we're looking at players like Terrance Williams (maybe), Justin Hunter (maybe), Robert Woods, Da'Rick Rogers, and Cobi Hamilton.

Any further and we're down to Kenny Stills, Marquess Wilson, Quinton Patton, Marcus Davis, Emory Blake and I would've hoped we signed or drafted a receiver well before these guys.

[HSmith22]

lol looks like you posted while I was typin' that up, already answering.

[HSmith22]

CP to CP.

Christian Ponder to Cordarrelle Patterson.

It's about time we saw a rookie #84 back making plays in Purple and Gold.

[VCU4LIFEGOVIKS]

CP to CP.

Christian Ponder to Cordarrelle Patterson.

It's about time we saw a rookie #84 back making plays in Purple and Gold.

That does have a damn nice ring to it.

[vikingsfan0845]

To ignore WR in the first two rounds would be idiotic. Our oline had issues last season but overall they were serviceable and excellent when it came to run blocking. Profootballfocus even rates our oline as the third best in the NFL (https://www.profootballfocus.com/blo...ne-rankings/2/). Our WR core is bottom five in the league and must be addressed. I would use two of our first four picks on WR.

Yea man I agree totally. Free agency will likely have a big part in whether or not we decide to go receiver in the first round or not but I full expect one of our first 2 picks to be a receiver.

What I'm really hoping for is another draft like 2012. If we can come away with two impact players on both sides of the ball I'll be thrilled (keep in mind I count Kalil as an impact player, seeing as how much his presence greatly improved our line).

My biggest question with wide receiver is do the Vikings go for the player who has the most upside but may not be ready to have much of an impact right away or try to find the most NFL ready receiver? I don't want to get stuck with somebody like Brian Quick who is full of potential but wasn't ready and had zero impact. To me Keenan Allen is likely the safest pick but this draft has a lot of wide receivers with sky high potential. Hopefully we strike gold.