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BBV Community Mock Draft 2011: With The 12th Pick, Minnesota Selects ...

Tyron Smith, Offensive Tackle, University of Southern California.

Playing the role of Minnesota Vikings general manager is 'RolloT.' Here is his rationale for selecting Smith:

Talk about drawing the short straw. If the draft breaks down like this mock has, by the time the Vikings pick the best QBs, WRs, DEs, and CBs are all gone -- which pretty much defines all of the areas of concern for the Vikings. Well, there's also the interior of their offensive line, but there's no OG/C worth the No. 12 pick aside from maybe Mike Pouncey, but that's a big reach. If the option was available I'd expect the Vikings to trade down with some of the playoff teams looking to get first pick of the deluge of defensive line talent about to fly off the board, but with no trading the Vikings have to stay put and go with the BPA and that happens to be USC's offensive tackle, Tyron Smith.

Let me preface this by saying offensive tackle is NOT an immediate need for the Vikings, and I'm aware of this. This team needs a reliable signal caller, a healthy wide receiver, and a safety that doesn't make C.C. Brown look attractive, but sadly none of those are available at No. 12. That said, the Vikings are still getting a great player.

For those unaware Tyron Smith is the Jason Pierre-Paul of this year's draft: tremendous upside, but raw and untested. As we learned and are learning about JPP, you've got to take these players along slowly and let them develop, which might work great with the Minnesota Vikings. Neither of their tackles are particularly heinous, and while Bryant McKinney hasn't been as dominant recently as Vikings fans would like, he's still got enough in him to play adequately for a few seasons. This gives Smith a year to learn the system and work behind a good player to learn the speed of the NFL game, but he has enough upside that should either McKinney or RT Phil Loadholt go down with injury, he could sub in.

I know it's not a sexy pick and I know most times your first round draft pick is supposed to be an immediate improvement to an area of concern, but this is BPA and a potential long-term investment. Again, I expect the Vikings to trade down if things play out this way come April, but if they don't they can at least be sure they're getting a Top 10 talent and arguably the best offensive tackle in the draft to ensure that when do draft or sign their QB of the future, they have a way to keep him upright.

My take: I was right -- the run on offensive linemen in the first round of the draft begins here. This is the pick I was expecting for the Vikings, and the one I would have made. 'Rolle' is correct that the best players at several position are already gone, so rather than reach for a position need the smart pick is to take the best player on the board. Potentially, that means Smith. Would it shock me to see a trade here? No. In fact, it would not shock me to see several trades in the first round. Keeping the order intact, though, this is the right pick.

Round 1

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
1 Carolina Cam Newton
QB
Auburn
Tito
2 Denver Nick Fairley
DT
Auburn
Mike Fiammetta
3 Buffalo Patrick Peterson
CB
LSU
Bigbluethruandthru
4 Cincinnati Blaine Gabbert
QB
Missouri
BitterEli
5 Arizona Von Miller
OLB
Texas A&M
gmen2thebowl
6 Cleveland Marcell Dareus
DL
Alabama
Bobely
7 San Francisco
A.J. Green
WR
Georgia
Pat19
8 Tennessee Da'Quan Bowers DE
Clemson
RealLT
9 Dallas
Prince Amukamara
CB
Nebraska
Simms-McConkey
10 Washington Julio Jones
WR
Alabama
jcalafiore
11 Houston
Robert Quinn
DE/OLB
North Carolina
daddyzander
12 Minnesota Tyron Smith
OT
USC
RolloT
13 Detroit


BigBlueIntervention
14 St. Louis



GiantNomad
15 Miami



HenneGivenSunday
16 Jacksonville


ct17
17 New England



Ryan Valentine?
18 San Diego



Anthony P
19 N.Y. Giants


Ed Valentine
20 Tampa Bay



willgfass
21 Kansas City



The Blood Of Eli
22 Indianapolis


dannymac56
23 Philadelphia


JimmyK
24 New Orleans



Charles L.
25 Seattle


Ejaay
26 Baltimore


LarrySoprano
27 Atlanta


pataroons
28 New England



Ryan Valentine?
29 Chicago


You're my boy, Blue
30 New York Jets



PlaxicoBurress
31 Pittsburgh


stephen_ross
32 Green Bay



NYG28

Round 2

Pos Team Player Pos School Drafter
33 New England



Ryan Valentine?
34 Buffalo


Bigbluethruandthru
35 Cincinnati


BitterEli
36 Denver



Mike Fiammetta
37 Cleveland


Bobely
38 Arizona



gmen2thebowl
39 Tennessee


RealLT
40 Dallas


Simms-McConkey
41 Washington


jcalafiore
42 Houston


daddyzander
43 Minnesota


RolloT
44 Detroit


BigBlueIntervention
45 San Francisco



Pat19
46 Denver



Mike Fiammetta
47 St. Louis



GiantNomad
48 Oakland


G Fan In England
49 Jacksonville



ct17
50 San Diego



Anthony P
51 Tampa Bay



willgfass
52 N.Y. Giants


Ed Valentine
53 Indianapolis



dannymac56
54 Philadelphia


JImmyK
55 Kansas City



The Blood Of Eli
56 New Orleans



Charles L.
57 Seattle


Ejaay
58 Baltimore


LarrySoprano
59 Atlanta


pataroons
60 New England



Ryan Valentine?
61 San Diego



Anthony P
62 Chicago



You're my boy, Blue
63 Pittsburgh


stephen_ross
64 Green Bay



NYG28