August 10, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Rhett Ellison (40) runs his route against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

A couple weeks of training camp and one preseason game are in the bag for the Vikings and their 2012 draft class. Now’s a good time for a little review of where the draft picks stand:

Matt Kalil

Gave up a pressure in the first preseason game but shored things up after that. Made Jared Allen swear earlier in camp. Looks like he’s holding his own so far. No reason to worry.

Harrison Smith

Got up in Percy Harvin’s face during practice. Made a nice disciplined defensive play Friday against San Francisco, turning in a ball-carrier on an end-around so the tackle could be made. Will probably make his debut in the starting line-up this coming Friday. Signs are positive.

Josh Robinson

Has been slowed by a hamstring but should get back on the practice field this week. Maybe we’ll see him out there on Friday. Really curious to see what this kid looks like on the field. Don’t see him challenging Chris Carr for a starting spot right away but maybe down the road (once Leslie Frazier warms up to him).

Jarius Wright

Has been quiet in camp. Nearly committed a major brain fart Friday by letting a San Francisco defender get up and run after an interception. Gotta touch him down in the pros Jarius. Still waiting to see how he fits in. Doesn’t seem that he’s going to get a serious look as a return man.

Rhett Ellison

Kleinsasser 2.0 seemed to fit the bill Friday night. Had a couple catches. His role on this team is pretty secure unless he totally stinks it up.

Greg Childs

Blown patella tendons. Vows he’ll return. He cleared waivers and went on IR.

Robert Blanton

Hasn’t done much. Has been buried with the third and fourth units in practice. Missed Friday’s game with a hamstring. Even with the Vikings’ terrible safety play, he’s a long way from being in the mix.

Blair Walsh

Split the uprights on a couple field goals Friday night and showed big leg on kick-offs. The swirling winds in San Francisco didn’t seem to bother him at all, so kicking inside the Dome should be a breeze. Everyone’s raving about his confidence. Ryan Longwell who?

Audie Cole

Participated in possibly the most boring mic’d up segment ever Friday night on the local Vikings broadcast. Things went better for him in between the white lines however. He had a sack and overall showed good energy. Looks like a player. Still figures as a special teamer mainly.

Trevor Guyton

Not much to report. It’s still a jumble in that defensive line competition. Lots of back-up roles up for grabs. He’s battling several UFAs for playing time.

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May 4, 2012; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Greg Childs (85) plays catch as part of the rookie camp at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

Greg Childs’ college career was derailed by a tear to his right patella tendon. This didn’t bother the Vikings who drafted him in the fourth round this year in hopes that he might get himself back on track and develop into a reliable outside receiver possibly in the Michael Jenkins mold. Unfortunately the injury bug has come back to bite Greg Childs again, this time even worse.

Childs went down during Saturday night’s scrimmage with apparent injuries to both knees. An MRI will be needed to confirm but it appears Childs has torn both patella tendons, an injury which would obviously sideline him for a very long time if not end his career. The scene at the practice field was pretty grim, with reports saying Childs screamed out in pain when he went down.

Very very tough development for Childs who fought to come back from the first injury and now will have to do it all over again but with both legs. I’m rooting for him but I can’t see how he will ever come back to have a productive NFL career. His knees obviously just can’t take the stress.

From the Vikings’ side of things, this should not be a huge set-back. Childs was already no better than 5th on the depth chart at receiver and didn’t figure to move up much despite showing some flashes of talent in camp. Losing him helps Devin Aromashodu and Michael Jenkins who will both probably now stick (though one of them will still be a candidate to be cut when Jerome Simpson returns from his suspension). Stephen Burton is also in the mix behind the mortal locks Simpson, Percy Harvin and Jarius Wright. Kamar Jorden, Kerry Taylor and Manny Arceneaux are in there too.

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Jun 19, 2012; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Greg Childs (85) runs drills at Vikings Minicamp at Winter Park. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

No exclamation point, but still. A “wow” from Pelissero? That’s amazing. Cause normally that guy’s as negative as they come.

Well, tweets and descriptions certainly can’t do a play like that justice, can they? Good news: there’s video now. To say Childs caught the ball “over” Burton isn’t really accurate. He caught it more “behind” Burton, tackling Burton at the same time and pulling off his helmet. Concentration. That’s all I gotta say. Kid’s got concentration.

New Sidney Rice? Might be too early. But you never know…

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