Mel Kiper and his hair have released their final 2011 NFL Mock Draft. . .unfortunately, you can't see it if you don't have an ESPN In$ider membership, but we can still tell you who the Vikings are selecting specifically.
Kiper has the Vikings getting into the quarterback business early with the selection of Washington's Jake Locker with the 12th pick. Kiper says the following about the pick:
This pick comes with a caveat: I think the Vikings will actively be looking to move down and get Locker later. But if they do get him here, what they get is a guy with an exceptional package of skills and intangibles. Locker's struggles last year and his fall in the eyes of evaluators is well-covered ground, but what's kept him as a first-round option is a big-time arm, athleticism that matches that of Newton, a solid work ethic and the kind of moxie and leadership skills coaches crave. Accuracy will be the question until Locker is able to answer definitively that it should not be a concern with his play on the field, but there's plenty to like.
Personally, I'm not Locker's biggest fan, so I hope that what Kiper is saying is true. . .I would like to see the Vikings drop back a bit and try to pick up some more picks, then select a different quarterback, whether it's TCU's Andy Dalton or Florida State's Christian Ponder (among others) later on in the first round or early in the second.
We're less than 24 hours away from finding out who the Vikings will actually select. . .I, for one, can't wait to see it.