Feb 25, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California Trojans offensive lineman Matt Kalil does a footwork drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

The first option that the Minnesota Vikings have surrounding their 3rd overall pick is trading it away for picks later in the 2012 NFL Draft. In my opinion, I feel as if trading away the 3rd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft would be a very ill-advised move for the franchise to make. I say this because of the prospects available for the Minnesota Vikings to draft. The big three prospects on the draft board when the 3rd overall pick rolls around will be Justin Blackmon (WR), Morris Claiborne (CB), and Matt Kalil (OT). No matter which of these players you choose, their is no other prospect in the draft quite like them (except for Justin Blackmon compared to Michael Floyd). The only trade I would accept if I was the Minnesota Vikings would be if the Cleveland Browns wanted to trade up in the draft from 4th overall to 3rd overall, but the odds on the trade are very slim.

The next three options for the Minnesota Vikings all involve who they should draft with the 3rd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Should they draft Justin Blackmon, Morri Claiborne, or Matt Kalil? All of these prospects fill a gap in which the Minnesota Vikings need filled. The Minnesota Vikings are in need of a wide receiver, cornerback, or offensive tackle. In my opinion, there is only one correct choice for the Minnesota Vikings to draft with the 3rd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The choice would be drafting Matt Kalil out of the University of Southern California (USC). When talking about Matt Kalil, ESPN draft analysis Todd McShay has said,

“I just think he’s a plug-and-play left tackle who can start immediately and can start at a high level and become a perennial Pro Bowl-type player.”

I completely agree with Todd McShay. I feel as if the bigger needs for the Minnesota Vikings are wide receiver and offensive tackle. It comes down to, if the Minnesota Vikings want a weapon for Christian Ponder to throw to or to make sure that Christian Ponder has enough time to make a throw. In the end, I believe that the best option for the Minnesota Vikings would be to draft Matt Kalil with the 3rd overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

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Feb 28, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; LSU Tigers defensive back Morris Claiborne participates in pass interception drills during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Morris Claiborne is the highest rated cornerback and a lock to go in the top 10 picks of this year’s NFL draft, but he does come with questions.

One specific question that he may soon need to be answering: What’s 2+2?

Four. The same number Claiborne scored on the Wonderlic, the NFL’s intelligence test given during the combine.

That’s four points out of a possible 50. Or to put it a different way, 8 percent.

I’m pretty sure that’s a big fat F.

The Wonderlic consists of 50 multiple choice questions that must be answered in 12 minutes. A score of 20 is supposed to indicate average intelligence.

However, National Football Post’s Greg Gabriel reports Claiborne has a learning disability that affects his ability to read.

You can take a sample test here. Give it a shot. It won’t take long and when you’re done, you (hopefully) can say you are smarter than a number of future, former and present NFL players.

Claiborne isn’t the first NFL prospect to score low on the Wonderlic, nor will he be the last.

Several other players have bombed the test over the years. Vince Young, former Titans quarterback, famously scored a six on his first try before recording a 16 the second time around. Terrell Pryor, now with the Oakland Raiders, scored a seven last year.

Hakeem Nicks, wide receiver for the New York Giants, and our very own Percy Harvin scored 11 and 12, respectively before the 2009 NFL Draft.

Even Dan Marino, one of the best quarterbacks of all time, scored a disappointing 15.

It’s hard to say exactly how well the Wonderlic determines intelligence and especially a future player’s career in the NFL. I don’t put much stock in it, but plenty of people much smarter than me do. It’s just another way to test NFL prospects, but just like the 40-yard dash, it would be foolish to judge any player based on one test, right Al Davis?

After all, if the Wonderlic is the test to determine the future career of a player, Alex Smith (Wonderlic score – 40) must be a late bloomer because he has a long way to go to surpass the careers of Peyton Manning (28) and Tom Brady (33).

Claiborne passes the tests on the field, and those are the ones that matter most.

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Jan 2, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Justin Blackmon (81) walks along the sidelines after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter of a game against the Stanford Cardinals in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cowboys won 41-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

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