There was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding what the Minnesota Vikings planned to do with the third overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. With many expecting that the Vikings would select left tackle Matt Kalil, there was an underlying thought that the team may balk at the opportunity to use the pick, opting instead to trade down and collect assets.
Ultimately, they ended up doing both.
Trading the third pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the fourth overall selection in addition to a handful of picks, the Vikings used the fourth pick to select Kalil and added picks. However, the team wasn't finished yet; prior to the end of the first round they traded the 35th overall selection and the 98th overall selection to the Baltimore Ravens in order to trade up to pick 29 to select the second highest-rated saftey, Harrison Smith.
When it came time to grade the Vikings picks, SB Nation NFL Editor Joel Thorman gave them a 'B' grade. Here's his rationale:
"Love that the Vikings picked up three extra mid-round picks to move back one spot and draft the guy they wanted (Matt Kalil). Not a big fan of trading back into the first round for Harrison Smith. Good player, just not a huge fan of the trade-up."
For more on the Minnesota Vikings, head over to The Daily Norseman. For more news and information on the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL hub and for more on the NFL Draft as the hours tick closer, head to SB Nation's specialized NFL Draft hub.