If Mel Kiper's projected Round 2 goes as planned (another ESPN Insider article; we know it won't go as planned, but at least for the Vikings pick), Minnesota will have drafted a consensus late-first-to-early-second-round pick with the #12 selection and a consensus top 5 talent with the #43 selection.
Go figure.
Da'Quan Bowers was a virtual lock to go very early in the first round of the draft until major concerns about his health started to surface. Even after all the concern of the possibility of Bowers needing microfracture surgery, most draft analysts consider it an upset that Bowers wasn't chosen at all in the first round Thursday night.
Here's Kiper's blurb on why the Vikings would pick Bowers at #43:
If Bowers is healthy, this is a potential top-five pick. Tremendous value at this point and worth the risk.
I personally couldn't agree more. Picking Bowers with the #12 pick was way too risky in my opinion (but then again, picking Christian Ponder instead might have been too). But if Bowers does fall all the way to the Vikings, I don't see how they can pass up such bona fide talent at one of their need positions.
The draft resumes with Rounds 2 and 3 tonight at 5 PM CT.