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NFL Mock Draft 2013: Robert Woods could be under the radar pick for Vikings

2013-04-22T16:50:09Z

The Minnesota Vikings entered this offseason with one big problem, and a lot of expectations. The problem was wide receiver Percy Harvin, which the team took care of by trading him to the Seattle Seahawks for, among other things, a first-round selection in the 2013 NFL Draft. The expectations came from the team making the playoffs last season after being one of the league's worst teams the previous year.

More: Visit Daily Norseman for more on the Vikings

With such a competitive division, they'll need to build and have a strong offseason to make an improvement on where they were last season. Fortunately, the first-round pick they traded for should help nicely, given their needs.

Now they pick at No. 23 and No. 25 in the first round. Dan Kadar of SB Nation released his latest mock draft on Monday, and he has the Vikings taking Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown with the first of the team's two picks:

The Vikings need young athleticism on defense and Brown is the most athletic linebacker in the draft. He's not the most powerful player and will need to be kept clean by the defensive line. But he can get to the ball in a hurry and finish nicely.

Brown definitely makes sense for the Vikings. They've been looking for some help at the position for some time now and Brown has been rising up draft boards this offseason. You can find his scouting report here. With the No. 25 pick, Kadar gives the Vikings Southern California wide receiver Robert Woods:

It's easy to forget that entering the 2012 college football season, Woods was routinely talked about as the top wide receiver in the nation. He was slowed by injuries last season and got overshadowed by sensation Marqise Lee. But Woods is a savvy route runner with good hands. He gets the nod over Keenan Allen because he's a more dependable player.

Both players would definitely help the Vikings a great deal, but the Woods pick is among the most interesting in the first round of this draft. He's been very under the radar, but before his injury issues, he was one of, if not the top wide receiver in the nation, and could be a huge get for the Harvin-less Vikings.

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NFL Mock Draft 2013: Vikings select Manti Te'o, Jamar Taylor

2013-04-18T12:00:06Z

The Minnesota Vikings "solved" one problem when they traded away disgruntled wide receiver Percy Harvin to the Seahawks for three draft picks, including Seattle's first-round pick in next weeks draft. Adding Greg Jennings in free agency helps the Vikings lack of talent at receiver, but how will they use the 25th overall pick acquired to get the best bang for the buck of losing one of their most talented players?

Another controversial star could be the answer.

More: Daily Norseman: Vikings Big Board

Minnesota is still in need of help in the linebacker, secondary, and receiver units, and that extra pick should help them fill those roles. One of the biggest names, if not the biggest, will be Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o. Though Te'o's highly publicized controversy with a fake girlfriend put him in the spotlight for some time, he certainly did not have the same kind of media attention that Harvin had. One could assume that perhaps all of those troubles are behind Te'o and that he could help the Vikings from day one on their journey to a return trip to the playoffs.

Rob Rang of CBS Sports projected Te'o to the Vikings with the 25th pick in his latest mock draft:

The Vikings have a gaping hole at middle linebacker after allowing last year's starter, Jasper Brinkley to leave via free agency. Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman appears to have an affinity for Notre Dame players, as he's collected five of them, including trading back into the first round a year ago to nab free safety Harrison Smith. Lost in the bizarre off-field saga is the fact that other than the national championship game, Te'o had proven himself to be among the most consistent players in the 2013 class.

But that's not all the Vikings get to do in the first round next week. They also have their own pick, 23rd overall, and they also have another player to replace that is now with the Seahawks. When Antoine Winfield left Minnesota for Seattle in free agency, it left an opening in their secondary for someone to start right away. Rang projected cornerback Jamar Taylor from Boise State to be that guy:

Cornerback was an area of concern for the Vikings before they lost Antoine Winfield in free agency. Taylor, like Winfield, is a versatile, physical defender who'd help take away some of the sting of losing the veteran Vikings' head coach Leslie Frazier called "the glue" of the team.

With Te'o and Taylor on board, the Vikings defense could grow into becoming one of the best in the league. Though it would not completely make up for the loss of Harvin and Winfield, it would be a strong start and give Minnesota a lot of hope for 2013.

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NFL Mock Draft 2013: Could Manti Te'o land in Minnesota?

2013-04-11T12:00:06Z

Manti Te'o is one of the more notable names in the 2013 NFL Draft, and at least one NFL Draft analyst projects Te'o to land in Minnesota.

More: Daily Norseman Mocking the Draft

Sports Illustrated's Don Banks released a new mock draft on Wednesday and in it, he predicts the Vikings will select Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and Notre Dame's Te'o. The Vikings are projected to select Patterson with the No. 23 pick. One of the top wide receivers in the draft, Patterson would combine with Greg Jennings to give the Vikings a formidable wide receiver duo.

Minnesota acquired the No. 25 pick in the Percy Harvin trade, and Banks projects them to use it on Te'o. The senior linebacker has questions on and off the field leading up to the draft. Te'o made headlines after it turned out he was the victim of an Internet hoax. On the field, he struggled in the National Championship game, leading some to question how he'll transition to the NFL.

With Patterson and Te'o, the Vikings would add a key piece to the offense and defense. SB Nation's Matthew Fairburn has a different projection, as his latest mock draft has Minnesota selecting Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd at No. 23 and Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown at No. 25. Fairburn projected Minnesota to take Louisiana Tech wide receiver Quinton Patton in the second round and North Carolina State cornerback David Amerson in the third.

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NFL Mock Draft 2013: Vikings bolster defense with extra picks

2013-04-08T22:41:46Z

The Minnestoa Vikings are in a solid position in the 2013 NFL Draft. Having gained an extra first-round pick in the Percy Harvin trade, they now own four picks in the first three rounds, and are expected to bolster their defense.

SB Nation's Matthew Fairburn released a three-round mock draft on Monday. In it, he has the Vikings taking Florida DT Sharrif Floyd with the 23rd pick, which would be a massive steal:

The Vikings get a nice value here thanks to the Carolina Panthers passing on defensive tackle for wide receiver. Sharrif Floyd is a top-15 player, but he is also the third-best defensive tackle on my board. This is about as low as I could see him falling, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him come off the board at No. 2 overall.

Two picks later, at No. 25, Minnesota selects Kansas State LB Arthur Brown:

The Vikings have shown plenty of interest in Manti Te'o, but Arthur Brown is the better linebacker prospect. If Minnesota managed to come away from the first round with Floyd and Brown, the front seven would be in solid shape for the foreseeable future.

In the second round, the Vikings find their replacement for Harvin, drafting Louisiana Tech WR Quinton Patton:

The Vikings lost Percy Harvin, so wide receiver is a need, despite the addition of Greg Jennings. Quinton Patton doesn't have the physical tools of some other wide receivers in this class, but he is a polished player who can contribute right away.

Minnesota goes back on the defensive side in the third round, taking N.C. State CB/S David Amerson with the 81st pick.

Check out the complete mock draft at the link below.

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2013 Final Four schedule and bracket: Michigan stands as Big Ten's last hope

2013-04-06T12:00:03Z

Although your bracket was busted weeks ago, the NCAA Tournament will still resume action on Saturday night with a pair of Final Four games from Atlanta. Michigan will try to take another step towards ending the Big Ten's 13-year NCAA Tournament title drought in the night-cap against Syracuse, while Louisville will take on Wichita State in the opener.

For more on the story, visit Card Chronicle and Mid Major Madness

Starting with the first game, Louisville will enter the evening as a heavy favorite against Wichita State, a club which advanced to the Final Four in Atlanta as the No. 9 seed out of the West Region. For the Shockers to somehow pull the upset on Saturday, they'll need to slow down a red-hot Louisville team that has averaged 80.5 points per game in NCAA Tournament play. The Cardinals scored a tournament-high 85 points in their last outing, in an 18-point beat down of the Midwest's No. 2 seed, Duke.

For more on the story, visit Nunes Magician and Maize 'N Brew

And in the night cap, Michigan will try to do what no Big Ten team has done since the Michigan State Spartans in 2000, and that's claim a college basketball title.

The Wolverines have talent all over the court, but are led by point guard Trey Burke who was named the Wooden Award winner as National Player of the Year on Friday afternoon. Burke averaged just under 19 points and seven assists this season, and is coming off a 15-point, seven assist performance against Florida in Sunday's regional final.

The winners of Saturday's semifinal games will met in Monday night's championship game.

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Syracuse vs. Michigan, NCAA Tournament Final Four: Game time, TV schedule and preview

2013-04-04T23:53:44Z

The 2013 Final Four takes place on Saturday, and the Michigan Wolverines and Syracuse Orange will meet in the final game in Atlanta.

Complete game coverage: Maize n Brew Nunes Magician

Both programs have long, storied traditions, but it's been a while since either came close to a national title. Michigan's last trip to the Final Four was during the Fab Five era in 1993. Likewise, Syracuse hasn't made it this far since winning it all in 2003.

Led by AP Player of the Year Trey Burke, the Wolverines defeated South Dakota State, VCU, Kansas and Florida to win the South region. They came close to being knocked out in the Sweet 16, but a heroic effort by Burke (18 second half points) gave them an overtime win in a game that will go down as an instant classic.

As for Syracuse, they used their 2-3 zone defense to stifle their opponents. They knocked off Montana, California, Indiana and Marquette in the East region, holding three of their opponents to 50 points or less.

Here's the complete schedule for Saturday:

Game time: 8:49 p.m. ET

Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga.

TV: CBS (also streaming online at March Madness Live)

Line: Michigan by 2

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NCAA Final Four predictions: Louisville to cut down the nets

2013-04-04T02:43:39Z

In an NCAA Tournament and basketball season filled with upsets, the experts believe that the No. 1 overall seed, Louisville, will win the National Championship and cut down the nets on Monday night.

More: Card Chronicle Maize n Brew Nunes Magician Mid Major Madness

Beginning with Saturday's games, they experts all pick Louisville to end the Cinderella run of Wichita State. All four CBS Sports experts predict that Louisville will not only win, but also cover the 10.5-point spread. At OddsShark, they have things a bit closer, but like the Cardinals to advance with a 82-75 victory. Professional prognosticator Nate Silver of the New York Times blog FiveThirtyEight gives Louisville a 84.6 percent chance of advancing past the Shockers.

The experts are unanimous when it comes to the second semifinal as well, with all of them picking the Michigan Wolverines to beat the Syracuse Orange. All four CBS Sports experts agree and believe the Wolverines will cover their 2.5-point spread, but OddsShark projects a thriller, with Michigan coming out on top, 80-79. Silver also has this game a lot closer, giving the Wolverines a 51.9 percent advantage.

Overall, Silver likes the Cardinals, putting Louisville's chances to cut down the nets at 55 percent compared to 21.2 percent for Michigan, 19 percent for Syracuse, and 4.7 percent for Wichita State. OddsShark also believes it will be Louisville left standing in the end, citing the success of favorites in past Final Fours.

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NFL Mock Draft 2013: Vikings could add plenty of young talent with 2 picks in 1st round

2013-04-04T02:02:08Z

The Minnesota Vikings are in a solid position to make things happen, provided they can build on a surprisingly-strong 2012. Few saw them competing to the extent they managed to last season, especially after having a top-five pick in the previous draft.

More: Visit Daily Norseman for more on the Vikings

Now, they're picking much later, at No. 23, but they've improved on that position significantly since the offseason began, by trading Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for the No. 25 pick overall. With those two picks, the Vikings stand a good chance of landing some serious impact players in the draft.

Don Banks of SI.com released his latest mock draft on Wednesday, and he has the Vikings taking defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson out of Missouri with the No. 23 pick:

Most mocks have Richardson going in the top 15, with a bunch of those to No. 14 Carolina. But if Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei falls to the Panthers, Richardson could tumble all the way to the Vikings. With Minnesota having another first rounder to work with, thanks to the Percy Harvin trade with Seattle, the Vikings are in position to take the explosive and disruptive Richardson as Kevin Williams' eventual replacement.

Richardson would be a good pick for the Vikings, who need some youth along their defensive line. With the No. 25 pick, Banks has Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o headed to Minnesota:

Te'o comes off this board before top-rated Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert does, and some would say the odds of that happening aren't good. But the Vikings already have a Notre Dame tight end (Kyle Rudolph) and I'm not convinced they're targeting Cal receiver Keenan Allen with this pick, as many mockers are. The Vikings seem like a decent fit for Te'o, and Minnesota GM Rick Spielman does have a well-chronicled appreciation for Irish talent. The Vikings could still land a quality receiver along the lines of USC's Robert Woods at No. 52 in the second round.

It's true that Te'os stock seems to be all over the place after the scandal and then the fact that he generally looked poor at the scouting combine. Still, most feel like Te'o will be able to get the job done and he should be an immediate starter with the Vikings.

Dan Kadar of SB Nation released his mock on Monday, and he has the Vikings going a similar route, with a defensive tackle and an inside linebacker. However, he has Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown going to the team at No. 23 and Ohio State defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins going at No. 25.

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