Vikings Like What They See From Xavier Rhodes

[Superman]

Truthfully saying Vaughn is ok as a Dimeback isn't really saying much, thats saying hes the 6th best DB on the field. Either way, Im with you on wanting Rhodes because he has the physical skills to be a shutdown corner and I wanted Lemonier later BAD, Even more then both of those though I wanted Brian Winters in the 3rd before the Jets took him with the 10th pick in that round

Most people don't want Vaughn on the team at all. I think he'll be fine as our 4th corner.

[Jason_]

We could have added multiple pass rushers with potential in later rounds, if we wanted. I'm not faulting the Werner pick; like you say, BPA is very subjective, particularly in this year's draft. But I think it's a faulty premise to suggest that because pass rusher was such a great need that we necessarily had to draft one in the first round. I liked Sam Montgomery and Corey Lemonier, and kind of wanted Grigson to take one of them even after we grabbed Werner in the first. I still don't think we have enough pass rushers, especially after we traded Hughes away.

 

It just bugs me that we continually break the Werner vs. Rhodes decision down to pass rusher vs. corner, when it doesn't really have to be that way.

 

Oh I completely agree and I don't think they went into the draft thinking that they had to draft a pass rusher in the first round.  If Werner hadn't been there then I wouldn't have been surprised if they would have taken Rhodes.  the only 2 options at pass rusher that would have been there that I can remember would have been Damontre Moore and Tank Carradine who both had questions about them.  

 

I do think, however, that they took positional need into consideration when they setup their big board.  When they got to pick 24 and Rhodes and Werner were still there, then imo, Rhodes would have had to have been graded significantly higher to justify taking him over an equally graded player at a position of greater need.  So while I don't think they went into the draft with the mindset that their first round pick would absolutely be spent on a pass rusher, I do think they went into the draft with a number of pass rushers on their board and with the mindset that they did have to address it at some point during the draft.  And when they got to pick 24 and Werner was still there then it really was the perfect match of need and BPA in my opinion.  But then again, I'd been very high on Werner and hopeful that he could wind up a Colt since I began watching him in 2011.

 

I do also agree with you that I wouldn't have been upset at all if they'd taken another pass rusher later in the draft.  Even after we took Werner, I was still tracking Lemonier, Damontre Moore and several others hoping that we might pick up one of them as well.  I wouldn't have been upset at all if they'd have taken Okafor, Lemonier or Montgomery in the 3rd round but then they'd have had to hope they could still get one of their top OG's in the 4th.  So I'm not upset that they took Thornton but I also wouldn't have been upset with Lemonier, Okafor or Montgomery.  I was also a bit disappointed when the Giants took Moore.  I was hoping he'd still be there at least as an option when the colts came up again in the 3rd 

[Superman]

Oh I completely agree and I don't think they went into the draft thinking that they had to draft a pass rusher in the first round.  If Werner hadn't been there then I wouldn't have been surprised if they would have taken Rhodes.  the only 2 options at pass rusher that would have been there that I can remember would have been Damontre Moore and Tank Carradine who both had questions about them.  

 

I do think, however, that they took positional need into consideration when they setup their big board.  When they got to pick 24 and Rhodes and Werner were still there, then imo, Rhodes would have had to have been graded significantly higher to justify taking him over an equally graded player at a position of greater need.  So while I don't think they went into the draft with the mindset that their first round pick would absolutely be spent on a pass rusher, I do think they went into the draft with a number of pass rushers on their board and with the mindset that they did have to address it at some point during the draft.  And when they got to pick 24 and Werner was still there then it really was the perfect match of need and BPA in my opinion.  But then again, I'd been very high on Werner and hopeful that he could wind up a Colt since I began watching him in 2011.

 

I do also agree with you that I wouldn't have been upset at all if they'd taken another pass rusher later in the draft.  Even after we took Werner, I was still tracking Lemonier, Damontre Moore and several others hoping that we might pick up one of them as well.  I wouldn't have been upset at all if they'd have taken Okafor, Lemonier or Montgomery in the 3rd round but then they'd have had to hope they could still get one of their top OG's in the 4th.  So I'm not upset that they took Thornton but I also wouldn't have been upset with Lemonier, Okafor or Montgomery.  I was also a bit disappointed when the Giants took Moore.  I was hoping he'd still be there at least as an option when the colts came up again in the 3rd

Yes, need does come into play there. Assume they had Rhodes and Werner rated equally, or even close, defaulting to Werner because of pass rush need is obvious.

Moore went a few picks before we came up in the third, but Lemonier, Montgomery and Okafor went 2, 9, and 17 picks after we drafted Thornton. Say we had taken Rhodes in the first, I'm pretty sure we'd have gone with a pass rusher there instead. Like I said before, I'd have been good with us taking a pass rusher there even after we took Werner in the first. But I'm happy with Thornton also; hopeful he becomes a starter at some point this season.