After the shock of the first round — the Vikings actually using their original pick instead of trading down — the team entered the second day of the 2018 NFL draft with the following picks for day 2 of the draft:
- R2N30 (62nd overall)
- R3N30 (94th overall)
The team’s identified needs include offensive line, defensive line, running back, tight end, and safety, in roughly that order of priority. After off-season losses, a starting guard or tackle is the highest priority, then defensive line rotational depth, a pass-catching running back to provide a change-of-pace on third down, and depth at the tight end and safety positions.
Hard though it may be to believe, “Trader” Rick actually went ahead again and selected a player at the 62nd overall pick with no hint of a trade. The selection was Brian O’Neill, Tackle, Pittsburgh:
From the Vikings website:
Player Bio
O’Neill’s athleticism helped him win honors as Delaware High School Defensive Player of the Year (five sacks, 13 pass deflections, also 33 receptions, 614 yards, and eight touchdowns as a tight end) in football and the state’s basketball Player of the Year award. His talent came as no surprise since his father was a running back at Dartmouth and his mother a swimmer at Northeastern University. O’Neill was a tight end during his redshirt season in 2014 and the following spring but moved over to offensive tackle before the 2015 season. He played in all 13 games, starting the final 12 (one at left tackle, the rest at right tackle). O’Neill continued his improvement on the line, starting all 13 games at right tackle and earning second-team All-ACC from league coaches. Injuries on the line caused him to move to left tackle for his junior season, where he started all 12 games and garnered first-team all-conference honors. Pitt coaches used O’Neill’ athleticism as an offensive weapon as a rusher (two scores, one on a lateral and the other on an end-around) and passer (0-for-2). He won the satirical “Piesman Trophy” in 2016 for one of his touchdowns.
Overview
O’Neill has good length and is a terrific athlete, but his inconsistencies at the Senior Bowl practices will be hard for teams to get out of their minds. What might be even more troubling is the way he seemed to panic and lose technique in certain matchups. O’Neill is a classic zone scheme blocker, but teams may take a look at him as a move guard with tackle potential rather than locking in with him as a blind-side tackle. O’Neill needs to get thicker and stronger or swing tackle could be his ceiling.
And finally, the pressure must have gotten to “Trader” Rick, having gone two whole rounds with no trades, ended up swapping the Vikings’ third round pick to Tampa Bay, collecting the Bucs’ fourth round (102nd overall) and sixth round (180th overall) picks in exchange. This means the team has the following picks (pending further trade activity) for the final day of the draft:
- R4N02 (102nd overall) – Acquired from Tampa Bay
- R5N30 (167th overall)
- R6N06 (180th overall) – Acquired from Tampa Bay
- R6N30 (204th overall)
- R6N39 (213th overall) – Compensatory pick
- R6N44 (218th overall) – Compensatory pick
- R7N33 (225th overall) – Acquired from Denver in the Trevor Siemian trade earlier this year.
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