At this point, it seems almost inevitable that the Minnesota Vikings will select left tackle Matt Kalil with the third pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Brad Wells, however, has the Vikings draft unfolding quite differently in his latest 2012 NFL Mock Draft.
In this mock draft, the Vikings trade the third pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for the 11th and 44th picks in this year's draft and the Chiefs first pick next year. The logic to the trade is that the Vikings can still add an above average tackle--Jon Martin--with the 11th pick, while also shoring up their secondary with the next pick. The question becomes how wide is the gap between Kalil and Martin? Via Wells:
Yes, staying put at No. 3 and drafting Kalil is still a great move for this franchise. However, the Vikes have holes all over their roster. Thus, trading down, taking OT Jon Martin, and getting more picks is an even better move than just taking Kalil. Understand, Martin is no where near as good as Kalil. However, Martin a huge improvement over Charlie Johnson, whose natural position is guard. The additional picks allow the Vikes to boost their secondary later on.
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