Minnesota Vikings

Claiborne, Reiff among Vikings draft options

Updated Nov. 10, 2022 1:57 p.m. ET

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All signs point to the Vikings drafting USC tackle Matt Kalil with the No. 3 pick on April 26, but what if all signs are smokescreens commonly associated with the NFL draft? Or, what if the St. Louis Rams get too greedy with their asking price to trade out of the No. 2 pick and stay put to select Kalil before he has a chance to get to the Vikings?

The draft is still seven weeks away and teams haven't started to fill their needs through free agency, leaving a lot of variables still up in the air. Peyton Manning's next move after being released from the Indianapolis Colts could dramatically affect the market for the No. 2 pick, which is expected to go to a team looking to draft Baylor QB Robert Griffin III. So, too, will Matt Flynn's expected departure from the Green Bay Packers.

The Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins are three of the teams most desperate for a quarterback, and each of them have been rumored to be interested in trading up to the second spot and drafting Griffin. But if Manning fills one of those spots and Flynn occupies another, it could deflate the demand side for the No. 2 pick. The Rams are rumored to be asking for three first-round picks for their No. 2 spot – they can ask what they want, but that doesn't mean they'll get it.

So what if the Rams end up staying at No. 2 and drafting Kalil and the Vikings are the ones fielding calls to trade down? Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is interested in listening, for sure. He put that notion front and center during an interview in front of all the national television cameras at the NFL Scouting Combine last month. However, Spielman is cautious about how far back he would actually trade.

"The thing you have to be careful of is, if you do trade back, how far do you trade back before you get a very good player compared to a difference maker?" he said in a side session with beat reporters. "So as this process continues, we'll definitely hone in on that. But that won't be determined until our final meetings in April."

Spielman offered no answer, but every draft provides a different cutoff point for the number of so-called "blue-chip players," and that can be a floating number dependent on each team's evaluation.

Here's a look at some of the other options if the Vikings trade out of their third pick:

LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne – If the Vikings want an elite cornerback – and they admittedly need help in their secondary – Claiborne is it. He is considered the best and most versatile cornerback in the draft, and after him each of the remaining options has questions, from the character questions surrounding Janoris Jenkins to the man coverage abilities of Dre Kirkpatrick.

"Claiborne is more a more natural man-to-man defender. Kirkpatrick has tremendous zone awareness. Some people think he can be a free safety," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "I think Claiborne you can plug in and play in just about any defense. He has a better overall package then Kirkpatrick."

Claiborne won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back and declared himself eligible for the draft after his junior season, when he intercepted six passes. He's also an accomplished kick returner and led the SEC with a 25.1-yard average.

Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon – After an ultra-productive junior season, Blackmon's stock could be dropping slightly in the eyes of some after a lackluster performance at the Scouting Combine. He is more physical than fast and there are numerous taller receivers than his 6-foot frame. Still, if his tape is his résumé, then he's a top-10 pick after 111 receptions for 1,782 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2010, followed by 113 catches for 1,337 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2011. He also showed he is a big-game player following each of those seasons, putting up more than 100 yards and multiple touchdowns receiving in each of his postseason bowl games the last two years.

Blackmon has drawn comparisons to Terrell Owens, whom he named as his receiving model growing up.

"He's a little more crisp. I know I have a lot to work on with route running. I am working on it continually," Blackmon said. "I know I have some work to do and I'm willing to do it."

Iowa tackle Riley Reiff – After starting 11 games at three different offensive line positions as a freshman, Reiff settled into the left tackle spot when Bryan Bulaga left Iowa for the Green Bay Packers. Reiff hasn't looked back since.

"I still like Riley Reiff a lot and I still think he's a starting left tackle in the NFL. I just don't think his upside is as high as Matt Kalil, who is also an underclassman," Mayock said in a conference call before the combine. "You start looking at the top end of this draft, from a talent perspective, I don't think Riley Reiff should be a top-10 pick, but I think he might be when it's all said and done. He's a really good, solid technician. When they come out of Iowa, they're always well-coached, especially the offensive linemen. You can plug him Day One."

Stanford tackle Jonathan Martin – While the Vikings have several defensive needs, either the team's value placed on those positions or the talents of those players likely don't match if the Vikings trade slightly out of the top 10. One player whose value and the Vikings' need might match with a pick in the 10 to 20 range is Martin.

Like Reiff, Martin made 11 starts as a freshman and has been protecting the blind side of expected No. 1 pick Andrew Luck the last two seasons. He might not have the foot quickness of Reiff or Kalil, but he is athletic enough to be a starting left tackle in the NFL and those players are always coveted – look no further than the barren free-agent market at tackle to see how much NFL teams value that position.

"As a competitor, you've got to think you're the best. Matt's a tremendous player, but I think I'm better than he is," Martin said of Kalil. "I believe in myself as a player. It's nothing cocky about it. It's just how I approach my game when I'm preparing for an event like (the combine). I'm an athletic tackle, I'm smart, I don't make many mistakes, and that's helped me a lot the last couple years."

The Vikings' options are many in the draft … if they find someone willing to part with enough picks to move up to No. 3. If not, it might be Kalil or bust – and teams hate to hear the word "bust" associated with their draft.

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