Posted by vk
on 4/28/2012, 9:40 pm
Vikings go outside the box with Arkansas receivers
By Jeremy Fowler
jfowler@pioneerpress.comtwincities.com
Posted: 04/28/2012 12:01:00 AM CDT
April 29, 2012 1:57 AM GMTUpdated: 04/28/2012 08:57:23 PM CDT
The Vikings' wide receiver moves in the fourth round - taking Arkansas tandem Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, friends since their youth in Warren, Ark. - might be the team's most intriguing of the NFL draft.
Through the first two days, the Vikings' picks ranged from obvious (USC left tackle Matt Kalil) to sensible (Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith) to enigmatic (Central Florida corner Josh Robinson, relatively unknown but supremely athletic).
The receiver moves seemed bold, with general manager Rick Spielman resisting the temptation to simply fit the prototype - a tall, stretch-the-field option to complement Percy Harvin.
Instead, the Vikings signed a player best utilized at Harvin's primary position, the slot. Wright, selected 118th overall, might occasionally line up outside because of his speed and ability to fight for the ball, but he's limited at 5 feet 9 and is best served inside.
Can he become Harvin Lite with his versatility and shifty moves in the open space?
"(Harvin) is definitely a guy I see some similarities between in the way we play, and what we bring to the game," Wright said.
Sixteen picks later, the Vikings selected a once-premium prospect whose trajectory took a nosedive after a patella tendon tear from which he tried to return too soon. As a result, Childs looked lost and slow and finished with 21 catches in 2011, but he rebounded at his pro day by running in the 4.5-second range in the 40-yard dash.
Recovering from a
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patella tear can take up to 18 months, Childs said.
In early 2010, the 6-foot-3, 217-pound Childs was an emerging prospect and looked the part of a future NFL wideout - quick, good route-runner, vertical skills, red-zone threat.
The way Childs sees it, he can still offer that package of skills to Minnesota.
"Overpowering the defense," Childs said. "Making plays on the ball, catching the ball at its highest point. Basically put, I'm just a playmaker."
Like a good friend, Wright picked up Child's slack in 2011 with 11 touchdowns and 1,029 receiving yards. Maybe now the guys who roomed together in college can help each other flourish in the NFL.
"I know they bring some big-play ability," Spielman said. "And the objective of this draft was to get a lot of young guys that can come in here and compete. We're staying with the theme of smart, tough passionate football players."
Spielman scouted the Arkansas-Texas A&M game when Wright exploded for 13 catches for 281 yards. During the draft process, special-teams coach Mike Priefer worked out Wright to gauge his potential as a punt returner.
When the draft made a run of smaller, shifty receivers with good turn ability in the fourth round, Spielman pounced on Wright, who ran in the low 4.4s at the NFL scouting combine.
"He's an extremely gifted athlete. He has great speed," Spielman said. "We're trying to increase our speed....It's just another great playmaker. When he has the ball in his hands, he can be electric."
The Vikings are convinced Childs is past his injury setbacks and can concentrate on regaining his top form.
If he does, the Vikings' gamble could be well worth it.
Remember, it wasn't A.J. Green or Julio Jones who posted 135 receiving yards against Florida and talented cornerback Janoris Jenkins in The Swamp in 2009.
It was Childs.
"There weren't too many guys that were necessarily better than me," Childs said of his receiver status pre injury.
The Vikings could have gone the conventional route in the fourth round, signing the best receiver on the board and moving on to the next position. Players such as Wisconsin's Nick Toon and Iowa's Marvin McNutt were still available.
But the Vikings doubled up on differing skill sets, which should please quarterback Christian Ponder.
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