Minnesota Vikings GM has done studies on drafting offensive linemen
By Adam Carlson
Drafting offensive linemen at the NFL level can be a real challenge, and Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is getting his research done.
When selecting players at the NFL Draft, very few players can be considered “can’t-miss” prospects. Many players who receive that moniker sometimes fail to reach expectations as well, making it hard for teams like the Minnesota Vikings.
The good thing is that the team is doing their homework. According to an article on the Star Tribune website, general manager Rick Spielman has been evaluating how he has acquired offensive linemen in the past to find a way to be more efficient with picks and salary cap money going forward.
Spielman admits he has experienced a “much lower percentage” of success when drafting offensive linemen after the third round. Because of that, he’s been doing a lot of research, even issuing studies and evaluating analytics.
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"“There’s different ways that I had to look back and see, ‘What are we doing right or wrong with this offensive line and how do we get it addressed?’ ” he said. “That was a whole focal point on a lot of the studies and a lot of the analytics that I have been doing since the end of the season.”"
The Minnesota Vikings will need all this information since both free agency and the draft are quickly approaching. The team should be in the market for several guys along the offensive line, with needs at both tackle spots.
Fans shouldn’t be too worried though, as Spielman’s research has already given him a lot of information to go on.
"“At this point we do have a game plan in place,” Spielman said."
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It will be interesting to see how Rick Spielman will attack fixing the issues on the offensive line and what his analytics tell him that he should be doing. Hopefully, he and the Minnesota Vikings can help to solidify that offensive line in time for the 2017 NFL season.