Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder might have been 2-8 as a starter — with just one win in games he started and finished — but he apparently has shown enough potential that his team won't be taking a quarterback with the No. 3 overall selection in the April NFL draft.
Ponder said on Tuesday's Dan Patrick Show, that he talked to newly promoted general manager Rick Spielman and that Spielman assured him the Vikings would not draft a quarterback at No. 3.
"We had some conversations about who we might be thinking about drafting, so we'll see," Ponder said. "I kind of have an idea, but (there will be) a lot of changes between now and then."
Ponder, 23, took over as the team's starting quarterback in Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers. He nearly led the Vikings to an upset of the defending champions and picked up a win against the Carolina Panthers in his second start but was largely ineffective after that. He finished the season with 1,853 passing yards, 13 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions and completed 54.3 percent of his throws.
Patrick asked him if he ever felt clueless on the field after not getting his first start until midseason.
"Clueless, no," he said. "I think I had moments when the game was moving pretty fast, and I was just trying to make some plays somehow."
