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2011 NFL Mock Draft: Weekly Mock Draft Roundup

It's once again time for another look around the internet at some of the various mock drafts that are out there so that we can see who they think the Beloved Purple should take in this April's draft. As always, we'll start with the folks at the mothership here at SB Nation with their latest 2011 NFL Mock Draft, where the guys that do the drafting make a choice that I really don't agree much with at all.

12. Minnesota Vikings: Tyron Smith, OT, USC. Bryant McKinnie is beginning to slow down at left tackle, and Phil Loadholt isn't athletic enough to flip over and replace him. Smith may not be ready to play - he never played the left side at USC, after all - but would be a smart investment for the Vikings.

Yeah, the Vikings aren't taking a tackle at 12. Say what you will about McKinnie and Loadholt, but neither of them are equipped to move to the inside, and putting one of them on the bench would limit the Vikings' flexibility on the line, as both McKinnie and Loadholt are only really capable of backing up one position each. Check out the rest of the SB Nation Mock Draft if you'd like, but there are certainly better options for the Vikings on the board at number 12 in their scenario than Tyron Smith.

Photographs by Micah Taylor, clairity, and Fibonacci Blue used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.