Rick Gosselin Thinks the Vikings Will Take Andy Dalton at 12

Before there was Kate Gosselin, there was Rick Gosselin.

Years after establishing his reputation as a Mock Drafter Extraordinaire, Rick is still thought of as perhaps the most authoritative of all writers who engage in the supremely wonky art of guessing who each team will select. In other words, when Rick mocks, people listen.

This year, Mocker Rick has bought into the belief that there will be a run on quarterbacks in the high first round. After Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert are gone, Rick predicts the Titans will take Jake Locker, which will prompt the Redskins to snatch up Christian Ponder at 10.

And where does that leave the Vikings at 12? Rick thinks they will jump on Andy Dalton, lest they be left out of the quarterback stampede altogether.

But is Andy Dalton really a value pick at 12?

Most draft projections have Dalton as a late-firster at best. But, as Gosselin seems to be arguing (I don’t know for sure because you have to pay to read his whole mock and I ain’t paying), with so many teams wanting QBs, guys are going to be over-valued. That’s how Locker and Ponder end up going in the top 10, and that’s how Dalton ends up going at 12.

Still, it seems the Vikings could trade down a few spots and get Dalton if they want him, given that most of the teams behind them are not believed to be quarterback hunting. If the Vikings do pick Dalton 12 after a flurry of QB draftings, it will be because Rick Spielman has panicked, perhaps in fear that if he does trade down another team will trade ahead of him and get the only other QB worth taking in this draft (since Ryan Mallett is a disaster waiting to happen).

It will be interesting to see what actually does happen if the predicted tidal wave of QB selections comes to pass. Does Spielman stand tall in the face of the storm, or does he go against his own no-reach philosophy and take Dalton in a pure butt-covering move?

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