Oct 15, 2011; Dallas, TX, USA; UCF Knights cornerback Josh Robinson (20) warms up before the game against the Southern Methodist Mustangs at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The Mustangs defeated the Knights 38-17. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

As part of our on-going effort to identify a guy the Vikings could draft in the second round to help their horrible secondary, we now turn our attention to UCF corner Josh Robinson. This is not a name that was on most people’s boards a couple months ago, but like Stephen “Not Calvin Johnson” Hill, he has exploded on the scene in recent weeks thanks to a string of impressive work outs. Now Mr. Robinson is hot enough to rate as a 2A prospect on Pro Football Weekly’s draft value chart. So let’s look at Robinson and decide if he would be a good fit for the Vikings and their particular scheme.

Right off the bat, the scouting report on Robinson indicates that he might make a good corner for the Vikings. He’s small at 5-10 but the Vikings are used to that. They’re not concerned so much about height and leaping ability as physicality and tackling and being in the right place. Speed is of course a plus for any corner and Robinson has tons of that. In fact, his 40 time of 4.33 was the fastest of any player at the combine. Lack of downfield speed is what caused the Vikes to shift Antoine Winfield to slot corner and is a lot of what got Cedric Griffin run out of town. So, right away, Robinson gives your secondary a trait it has been sorely lacking in recent years.

Tackling ability is something that naturally plays a big part when scouting a potential Cover-2 corner, and Robinson has that in his arsenal. Robinson is also rated highly in terms of ball skills and hands, and – significantly – is thought of as someone who can excel in either zone or man coverage. Here’s where things get a bit iffy though: Every scouting report remarks on Robinson’s tendency to gamble, and notes that he often gets burned on double-moves. Gambling is a strict no-no in the Vikings’ scheme. Of course that’s something that can be coached out of a guy. The great thing about Robinson is, he has the speed to recover in the event he does get burned. Speed makes up for a lot, which is why you can’t overlook a player like this even if he has certain technical failings.

There are a couple other potential issues with Robinson that might be more troublesome than whether he gambles too much. The big one is physicality. Despite being considered a good tackler, Robinson is not the best in the world at jamming receivers at the line. If that was a problem in college it will only be a worse one in the pros, where the receivers are bigger and stronger and know how to use their hands better. Weight training and coaching would help Robinson get over this issue. Remember that Cedric Griffin was initially knocked for his lack of physicality, but over the years became better at jamming receivers.

So what could Josh Robinson become if he maximizes his talents? Just looking at it superficially, I think he could be better than Cedric Griffin during his best years. He’s certainly faster than Cedric ever was and it appears he has better ball skills. It will take some work to get him there though. Griffin himself was far from a finished product when he came to the Vikings, but after a few years of coaching became an ideal #2 corner in their scheme.

Some rate Robinson as strictly a slot corner in the NFL but in the Vikings’ system there’s no reason he can’t line up outside on all downs. If he doesn’t max out, you’re looking at Asher Allen with wheels. That’s not what we’re after. It all boils down to Robinson’s physical tools and whether the Vikings think they can smooth out his flaws and work him into their system. He’s right now projected as an early-to-mid second rounder, so he should be there with the 35th overall. FWIW, Mel Kiper has him going to the Patriots with the 48th.

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Nov 26, 2011; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets wide receiver Stephen Hill (5) before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Josh D. Weiss-US PRESSWIRE

Stephen Hill has been rising up draft boards ever since his epic performance at the combine, which included a 4.3 40-yard dash time. Everyone knew Hill was big and talented but the combine performance showed that he also has big-time speed. Comparisons between Hill and Lions stud Calvin Johnson started flying around. At this point, few project Hill to land outside the first round, and some have him going as high as 19 to the Chicago Bears. Those who do question his first round worthiness point to the triple-option system he played in at Georgia Tech and his consequent lack of polish as a receiver.

In other words, Hill is almost all upside. A team like the Vikings, who after failing to sign Pierre Garcon are still desperately looking for a #1 receiver, might prefer drafting a more finished player, hoping to plug him in immediately. Or, they might view Hill as such a monstrously talented prospect that, even with that big immediate need, they couldn’t pass on him. We do know the Vikings are at least intrigued by Hill’s talent. He and South Carolina wide out Alshon Jeffery were brought in for a visit earlier this week, according to Adam Caplan.

Hill’s raw ability makes him a fascinating prospect, but he might be too much of a gamble for a Vikings team that, all these years after trading away Randy Moss, is still searching for a man who can give them true #1 receiver production for an extended period of time. Then again, look at the other prospects who might be available early in the second round and tell me which of them has Hill’s potential. Alshon Jeffery? His attitude and conditioning are big question marks, and there are many who project him as a possession receiver only. Mohamed Sanu? His slowish 40 at the combine cast doubt on his ability to be a downfield threat. Of course raw speed isn’t necessarily the #1 trait needed to be an effective deep receiver, as Sidney Rice demonstrated during his one excellent season with the Vikings (Sanu, it must now be pointed out, is several inches shorter than Rice).

In summation: Jeffery seems like a risky pick thanks to some of his baggage – those Mike Williams comparisons should be enough to give anyone pause – and there are questions whether Sanu can fill the role the Vikings need filled. If you want the absolutely safe pick, I would still go with Sanu, who may have the hands and ball skills if not the pure speed required to become a #1. But if you want to hit a real home run? If you want to find a Calvin Johnson-like game changer? Hill seems like your best chance. Of course the Vikings would likely need to trade up into the late first to even have a shot at Hill, if the mock drafters are correct.

Draft intrigue, served up hot and steaming.

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Nov 28, 2010; Landover, MD, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Erin Henderson (50) reacts after a play against the Washington Redskins during the second half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-US PRESSWIRE

If somebody speculates on a free agent or draft prospect the Vikings might be interested in, The Viking Age catches it for a segment we like to call “Speculation Round-Up.”

How about some speculation on a Viking free agent who may land elsewhere? This one is a bit of a surprise. Evan Silva of Rotoworld predicts Erin Henderson will leave the Vikes and land with the New York Jets on a 3-year/$10.5 million contract. Silva believes Henderson would make a quality replacement for outgoing linebacker Bart Scott. Mind you this is not Silva conveying some insider knowledge, it’s just him predicting. I have to believe the Vikings themselves are still the front-runners for Henderson but you never know. Maybe a market is growing for him. He is considered an up-and-comer. And he’s young and relatively cheap.

Staying with Silva’s column: The scribe runs down 11 “bargain bin” free agents and predicts where each will land. He has not a single one of them coming to the Vikings. Will the free agent season really be that uneventful for the purple?

Adam Schefter said on SportsCenter this morning that Marques Colston will likely be leaving the Saints. No potential landing spot is listed. If the Vikings can’t sign Vincent Jackson, Colston could be their #2 receiver target. Dwayne Bowe was franchise tagged so he’s no longer an option.

Dan Connor has been mentioned – by me among others – as a potential E.J. Henderson replacement. If the Vikings indeed want Connor they may have to outbid the Eagles.

The cornerback market got thinned some by franchise tagging but there are still some good ones out there. The two best are probably Brandon Carr and Cortland Finnegan. Adam Schefter reiterated today that Carr will be targeted by the Cowboys. And Finnegan? Gregg Rosenthal has the Vikings in the mix for him along with the Cowboys, Bears and Buccaneers.

Speaking of the Bears…it looks like they will go hard after Vincent Jackson. And so may the Bills (even though they just re-signed Steve Johnson). And possibly the Redskins. Needless to say, Vincent Jackson got very lucky hitting the market this offseason. Huge receiver demand plus a supply shrunk by franchise tagging will equal a titanic payday for V-Jax. I’m not very optimistic about the Vikings’ chances to outbid all those teams. I wouldn’t set my heart on V-Jax if I’m a Viking fan.

Pete Prisco this morning listed five free agents he thinks would be nice bargains. The whole list is defensive tackles and safeties. I’m intrigued by two: Jaguars safety Dwight Lowery and Bengals defensive tackle Pat Sims. Prisco also warns teams to stay away from Carlos Rogers.

Mayock Section

Mike Mayock says Stephen Hill’s college drops won’t hurt his draft stock. Hill is being compared to Calvin Johnson. He probably won’t be on the board when the Vikings pick in the second.

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