Vikings vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman spoke at a charity event Tuesday. It should come as no surprise he was vague regarding his draft plans.
“Knowing where we’re going to be at, there will be probably five positions that I know we’ll look at with our 12th pick and then we’ll sort that out,” Spielman said via Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “Like I said, there are a lot of other needs to fill at that 12th position if it’s not a quarterback. I can tell you this: We’re going to take the best player available when it comes to our pick. That I know.”
Quarterback is obviously one of the five positions. Zulgad figures the other four include defensive line, cornerback, offensive line, and “probably” wide receiver.
Unless Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert surprisingly slip to No. 12, taking any other quarterback in this draft that high seems like a reach. Spielman called quarterback the team’s most “glaring” need but is trying to avoid getting desperate.
“I still think you can’t force quarterback. If you’re not comfortable with it, you’re just going to make a mistake,” Spielman said.