Mel Kiper on 2014 Draft: “Minny has to be excited about this class”
By Nick Fritz
The Vikings picked up players with high potential but a lot to prove in the 2014 draft. In the first round, Teddy Bridgewater and Anthony Barr had all the intangibles, but would it translate to the next level?
Shortly after the draft, Mel Kiper was indecisive about the outlook of the Vikings picks, but did note if they hit on their first rounders it could be a home run.
"The first round of this draft has me pretty split. I thought Anthony Barr was a pretty big reach based on my evaluations; he’s a talented but raw player who lacks instincts on defense. On the other hand, moving decisively to get Teddy Bridgewater made sense … The Vikings did a pretty good job overall, and if Barr develops more and Bridgewater really becomes the answer, this draft will look really good."
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Understandable. Anthony Barr had proven that he was an athletic freak, but not that he could be a consistent linebacker. He had only played the position for two years before getting drafted. As for Teddy, the outlook was even more ambiguous. While everyone talked about his gloves, small frame and bad pro day, his incredible arm got lost in the shuffle. After all, he did finish with the 10th best completion percentage in Division I history.
So after the Vikings roller coaster 7-9 season, did Mel have a more concrete opinion?
"I actually knocked this draft down a peg last spring because I simply wasn’t as high on Anthony Barr as a player who could come in and provide early returns as a pass-rusher. The Vikings got him at No. 9, and I thought it was a reach. What happened? They took him off the line of scrimmage. The cynical side of me says that still made him somewhat of a reach, because I think you can get a player to succeed early there further down the board. But I am also impressed with Barr’s transition — he had moved from offense to defense at UCLA — and it’s clear the Vikings have a player.They also have a player in Teddy Bridgewater, who was the top QB on my all-rookie team. Sure, you can question whether he’ll become a star, but you can’t question that he looked more ready for this level of competition than any other rookie QB, and that he’s simply tough. I really like Bridgewater’s chances, and as I said then, “moving decisively to get [him] made sense, and they have the pieces around him to help him succeed.” Jerick McKinnon got called into action earlier than we thought and looked pretty good — I do think if he gets a lot of carries, he’s going to hit a lot of home runs. All in all, Minny has to be excited about this class. Barr was pretty good, and Bridgewater has a chance to be the answer at QB. Great start."
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I like how he pointed out that Teddy looked more ready for the moment than any other rookie QB. I sometimes wonder if Bridgewater benefitted from Matt Cassel‘s injury occurring during a game. Think about it, any time you have to psych yourself up for something and prepare mentally, it’s easy for negative things to pop up. Teddy was thrown right into the line of fire. He didn’t have to think about it at all, executed well for the half-game he played and then realized he could play at this level.
I really can’t wait to see how Barr looks in his second year. Right from the get-go he looked like a bonafide NFL linebacker. Hopefully he will bounce back from his knee injury and be as spry and dominant as he was in year one.
I also love what he said about Jerick McKinnon. He can be a home-run hitter. Other than the few games where McKinnon had a good amount of carries, the Vikings absolutely could not get long runs. Matt Asiata had a season long rush of 19 yards in 164 carries. No matter who the starting running back is in 2015, I want to see Jerick McKinnon get the ball several times every week.
Next: What Grade Would You Give Zimmer For Year One?
Dec 28, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) smiles after the game against the Chicago Bears at TCF Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Vikings win 13-9. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports