Five Thoughts on Day Three of the Draft

  |  
Apr 30, 2016
Moritz Boehringer

1. Moritz!

Yes indeed, the prophecy has come true. I’m not going to say we called it, because…well, technically we didn’t. We only passed along the news that the Vikings had interest in German receiver Moritz Boehringer, and that turned out to be the truth, as the team selected him in the sixth round. This is awesome for the following reasons:

  1. He’s German. Boehringer previously played for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns of the German Football League, and while I’ve done no research on the matter, I’m fairly confident he’s the first player to be drafted from Schwäbisch Hall.
  2. His measurables are insane. Check out this chart that made the rounds on Twitter Saturday:
    Image via mockdraftable.com

    Image via mockdraftable.com

    A lot to digest, and a little confusing at first glance, but to simplify, the more gray area on the chart, the better. Yes, he’s raw, but any receiver who is 6’4″, 227 lbs, and runs a 4.4 second 40 is worth a late round flier.

  3. This is going to get completely insufferable between now and the start of the season with all the profiles, articles, and tweets. The Vikings beat writers will be inundated with constant requests for daily updates on his progress. It will all be completely irrational, and for that reason it will be great.
  4. There is real intrigue here. Not only if he will pan out in the long run, but how the team will handle it in the short run. Right now, the receiver position looks like this: Diggs, Johnson, Patterson, Thielen, Treadwell, Wright. Add Boehringer, and that makes seven. Highly unlikely the team rosters seven receivers. Will they try to sneak him through to the practice squad (a considerable risk considering they invested a draft pick)? The odd man out would seem to be Thielen, but he adds more on special teams than anyone else in the group. And it doesn’t seem like they’re ready to cut bait on Patterson quite yet. It’ll be interesting to see what happens.

2. T.J. Clemmings is now a left tackle.

Sometime late in the day came this news from Mike Zimmer: second-year man T.J. Clemmings will move from right to left tackle, presumably to back up (and eventually compete with and/or replace) Matt Kalil.

https://twitter.com/GoesslingESPN/status/726523777048281089

This move makes sense, as it will balance the line and at the very least provide a competent backup to Kalil. With Andre Smith the presumed starter at right tackle and Phil Loadholt still in the mix, Clemmings would be buried at his old position. This also strikes me as a vote of confidence that Loadholt will be able to play a role, be it backup or spot starter, after his season-ending injury.

3. A man named Willie Beavers.

The only thing I know for sure about Vikings fourth round pick Willie Beavers is he has an excellent name. Aside from that, he’s big (6’4″, 324 lbs), and he should serve as a depth/developmental player on the offensive line. Beavers played tackle in college, but per the previous Goessling tweet, he’ll most likely be a guard for the Vikings. Our resident analyst, Carl Knowles, thinks Beavers needs to get stronger in his upper body, but has the flexibility to play anywhere along the line. The most likely scenario right away is the Vikings groom Beavers at right guard.

4. Finally, a safety.

Many of us were clamoring for a safety as early as round one (and for most, not later than round three). The Vikings took a while to acquiesce, but they did take a safety eventually, with their last pick of draft. Minnesota selected Jayron Kearse with the 23rd pick in the seventh round. Kearse is the nephew of former Titans defensive end Jevon Kearse, and cousin of cornerback Phillip Buchanan. Bloodlines, good enough for me.

Kearse will get a chance to compete for a roster spot. But the 2016 starter at safety alongside Harrison Smith will almost certainly be newly signed Michael Griffin or fan favorite Andrew Sendejo.

5. That’s a wrap.

After three days of drafting, we’re all finished here. Here’s a look at the Vikings’ 2016 draft class:

  • A nice mix of offense and defense.
  • The Vikings got excellent value in the first two rounds with Treadwell and Alexander, and an intriguing developmental prospect in Boehringer.
  • TE David Morgan is another big body the team can use in jumbo packages and unbalanced lines, and he allegedly has decent receiving skills, as well.
  • Good height in the class, with five of the eight players drafted standing 6’4″.
  • I’m most excited about Treadwell, but Boehringer is a close second. He could develop into a downfield threat or be off the team by the end of training camp. The possibilities are all over the place.

Until next time, Auf Wiedersehen.