The Vikings only had five picks in the draft last April but every single player they picked made a impact on the team.  WR/KR Percy Harvin fell all the way to the Vikings at #22 in the first round due to off-field problems at Florida.  The Vikings quickly snapped him up and watched him be named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in the NFL.  He played in 15 games for the Vikings this season and he caught 60 passes for 790 yards (13.2 avg) with 6 TD grabs and he also carried the ball 15 times for 135 yards (9.0 ypc).  He was also outstanding on special teams as he returned 42 kickoffs for 1,156 yards (27.5 avg) with 2 TD returns including one that went for 101 yards.  In the second round the Vikings took OT Phil Loadholt (#54 overall) out of Oklahoma.  Loadholt played in 15 games (all starts) for the Vikings as a rookie and he is a really good player with a huge upside.  He is a mountain of a man at 6′8″, 343 pounds.  CB Asher Allen was selected in the third round (#86 overall) out of Georgia.  He played in 10 games as a rookie for the Vikings and he made 27 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, he had 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception.  In the fifth round the Vikings picked linebacker Jasper Brinkley (#150 overall) out of South Carolina.  When E.J. Henderson went down to injury Brinkley stepped into the starting line-up and he did a decent job.  Brinkley played in all 16 games for the Vikings last season and he made 31 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss and he forced 1 fumble.  He has a nice upside.  In the 7th round the Vikings used the #231 overall pick on safety Jamarca Sanford out of Mississippi.   Sanford played in 14 games as a rookie last season and he made 29 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and he forced 1 fumble.

GRADE FOR 2009:  A

GRADE FOR THE FUTURE:  A+

21-year old WR/KR Percy Harvin has won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.  He played in 15 games this season for the Vikings and he caught 60 passes for 790 yards (13.2 avg) with 6 TD grabs.  Harvin also carried the ball 15 times for 135 yards (9.0 ypc) this year.  Harvin probably also got bonus points for his special teams work although that shouldn’t have mattered with the voters.  He returned 42 kickoffs for 1,156 yards (27.5 avg) with 2 TD returns for the Vikings this year.  This is just the beginning for Harvin who will likely be a key player for the Vikings for a long, long time.

Rookie Percy Harvin and 23-year old Sidney Rice have both really stepped up this season for the Vikings.  Harvin has caught 18 passes for 233 yards (12.9 avg) with 2 TD grabs and he has also carried the ball 5 times for 28 yards (5.6 ypc) this season.  He has also returned 14 kickoffs for 437 yards (31.2 avg) with a 101-yard TD return.  Harvin is awesome in the open field and he has the speed to score any time he touches the football.  Sidney Rice was considered a first round bust until this season as he is stepping up his game.  Rice has played in all 5 games this season and he has caught 17 passes for 233 yards (13.7 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  In his first two years with the Vikings, Rice played in 26 games with the Vikings and he caught 46 passes for 537 yards (11.7 avg) with 8 TD grabs.

Rookie WR/KR Percy Harvin was just as advertised in his season debut.  He carried the ball 2 times for 22 yards (11.0 ypc) and he also caught 3 passes for 36 yards (12.0 avg) with a TD.  Harvin was electric on kickoff returns too as he returned 3 of them for 99 yards (33.0 avg).  Look for more big things out of Harvin this season as they will look to get him more involved in the offense as the year goes on.

The Vikings might have reached a little bit to fill a need in picking OT Phil Loadbolt in the 2nd round.  But, Loadholt is a physical specimen at 6′8″, 343 pounds.  Loadholt is a mauler in the running game which will make Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor happy.  Loadholt played in 27 games (all starts) in his career at Oklahoma.  If the Vikings can get him some help in blocking the speed rushers in the NFL this pick should look good down the road.