With the 12th pick in the 2011 NFL draft the Minnesota Vikings select, Christian Ponder, Quarterback, Florida State.When these words came out of commissioner Goodell’s voice all I could say was, “what”?
Most people outside of the Vikings organization (primarily packer fans) are laughing at the fact that we selected a quarterback that was a projected 2nd to 3rd round pick with the 12th overall selection. Yes, when looking at the pick from a fans point of view it seems the Vikings stretched like Mr. Fantastic in selecting Ponder. But that’s why these GM’s and Head coaches get compensated at the level they do. It is there job to see what nobody else sees, while seeing exactly what everyone else is seeing.
As a head coach in the NFL, if you are to keep your job for more than 3-5 years you must have a franchise QB along your side. Look at some of the league’s best coaches to date, Belichik (Brady), Reid (McNabb/Vick), Payton (Brees), Tomlin (Roethlisberger), what do they all have in common? Franchise quarterbacks. Take some great coaches that are out of jobs because they were unable to find or develop the “franchise” QB, the former longest tenured coach in the league, Jeff Fisher along with the QB evaluator himself, Jon Gruden. Leslie Frazier understands this concept.
My gut says the Vikings were locked on Locker, but knew Tennessee was also. With not enough firepower to move up high enough, the Vikings were left with the “who next” scenario. I feel if Gabbert would have been at 12 he would be wearing purple, but with the Redskins trading down to 16 and Jacksonville selecting Gabbert the race for Ponder started. I believe Speilman and Frazier had Ponder at the top of their available QB board and felt Washington did as well. This made trading down very difficult, due to the fact that they couldn’t go past 16 and still take Ponder. This goes back to my point of the draft being a giant game of chess.
The Vikings most certainly moved their queen first.
Does Ponder warrant the 12th pick? No, not yet. Could the Vikings have moved down, got back into the 3rd round and still have gotten Ponder? Possibly, but this is what makes the NFL draft so intriguing. Nobody has ever posted a perfect mock draft and it seems every year a handful of players fall due to injury and character concerns.
I would have loved to see the Vikes trade down in the late teens or early twenty’s, pile some draft picks and take Anthony Castonzo. Many Vikings rubes at the draft party chanted for Prince Amukamara, but none of us spent months on end scouting and evaluating these players. I trust the judgment of Speilman and the Vikings staff enough to give them the “let’s wait and see” card.
For those of you cheese heads that laugh and post comments about the stupidity of this pick, my response is how many people were ecstatic when the Packers selected Rodgers? Granted the Packers didn’t hold a top tier pick, but they had needs in other areas that could have been addressed with that pick. The answer, not as many that turned ship on Brett Favre.
In day 2 and 3 it will become vital to protect our queen. (Rook to Bishop 4)
Oh if you’re wondering how I feel about the pick?
I’m Pondering.
Jordan T.
