2011 NFL Mock Draft: The Vikings Will Pass on a Quarterback with 12th Pick

March 31, 2011   ·   Brian DiTullio   ·   Jump to comments

The Vikings Take J.J. Watt With The 12th Pick In The Draft

The Minnesota Vikings, much like the Washington Redskins, are stuck in a bit of a No Man's Land in the draft. So they take the best player available.

J.J. Watt does fill a need, but not the need everyone in Minnesota is looking at. The Vikings will need to use this pick and get maximum value out of it. There are a wide range of quarterbacks who will be available in the second round and present much less of a risk.

Watt will improve the Vikings pass rush and give teams like Green Bay, Chicago and Detroit someone to worry about. The Vikings do the right thing by not reaching for a quarterback here and hope the guy they want, be it Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, or someone else, still will be available when their turn comes back up again in the second round.

That is, of course, assuming the Vikings do not decide to try and trade back up into the first round later on in the evening.