The Vikings seemed to draft the best player available at every pick in this draft and picking McCauley was no exception.  Projected by many to be a possible first round pick because of his measureables he slipped into the 3rd round and the Vikings couldn’t resist.  McCauley is 6′0″, 201 pounds and he runs a 4.36 40 so he definately has big-time ability.  In 51 games (33 starts) at Fresno State, McCauley has made 142 tackles, broke up 22 passes, had 4 interceptions (78 return yards) and 4 forced fumbles.  Look for McCauley to start out as a nickel back and help out on special teams, but he will be a starter down the road for the Vikings and he was an outstanding pick by them.

The Vikings needed a WR bad in this draft and they got one in the 2nd round.  Sidney Rice has always been a productive player at South Carolina but their are question marks about him.  Not too many Steve Spurrier coached WRs have done well in the Pros.   Rice came out a year early despite many in South Carolina wanting him to return for his senior season.  He has maturity problems and he’s not the toughest guy around.  When you combine those factors with his lack of speed (4.6 40), you have to wonder if Rice will be a good receiver in the NFL.  In 24 games at South Carolina (all starts), Rice caught 142 passes for 2,233 yards (15.7 avg) with 23 TD passes. 

The Minnesota Vikings faced a dilemma with their first round pick…….should they take the best player in the entire draft or a quarterback which is their biggest weakness on the offense?  The Vikings decided to cross their fingers and hope one of their quarterbacks step up and they selected running back Adrian Peterson.  The only thing the Vikings need him to do is stay healthy as he’s had a lot of serious issues with shoulder injuries in the past.  Peterson has nice size at 6′2″, 220 pounds and he’s really fast as he runs a 4.4 40 yard dash.  Peterson is a home run hitter as a running back as he can go the distance on any carry.  He often runs away from defenders after he gets behind them because of his elite speed.  He also isn’t scared to put his shoulder down when he has to.  Peterson played in 31 games at Oklahoma (22 starts) and he carried the football 747 times for 4,045 yards (5.4 ypc) with 41 TD runs.  Peterson has also caught 24 passes for 198 yards (8.3 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Peterson has good hands in the passing game so look for him to adjust to the pro passing game quickly.  Chester Taylor should be worried because it won’t be long until he’s a backup running back once again.

The Vikings have re-signed linebacker Heath Farwell to a 1-year contract.  Farwell makes his money by being a fearless special teams player.  He played in all 16 games last season for the Vikings and he made 27 tackles and recovered a fumble.  The Vikings need more players that are as intense on the field as Farwell is.