NFL Draft 2015: Rick Spielman Checks Out DBs at FSU Pro Day

It’s been a busy day for Vikings coaches and personnel people out on the pro day trail.

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As posted earlier, Mike Zimmer journeyed to UConn pro day to work out combine hero Byron Jones. Meanwhile, Rick Spielman has been sighted at Florida State pro day checking out more defensive backs.

The headliner among FSU defensive backs is cornerback P.J. Williams who is getting lots of steam (if you’ll excuse the Mayockism) as a potential first round pick.

Per Tony Pauline, Williams ran a 4.47 40 at pro day, an improvement over the 4.57 he ran at the combine. He also improved on the 40 inch vertical he posted at the combine by hitting 41.5.

The 6-0, 194-pound Williams is clearly a favorite of the scouts over at NFL.com:

"Cover cornerback with the talent to play on an island, and the swagger to regroup and forget when beaten. Williams can cover outside or from the slot, and has potential to come in and start right away for an aggressive man-cover defense. With consistency of effort, Williams could become the best cornerback to come out of this draft."

CBSSports.com compares Williams to a former NFC North mainstay:

"Charles Tillman, Chicago: Williams has the agility and speed to potentially handle man to man duties at the next level. His tenacity and physicality as an open-field tackler, however, is reminiscent of the Bears’ long-time standout zone defender."

We see Williams being projected as a late-first at this time. Another possible target if Spielman does his signature trade-up into the latter part of the 1st?

The Vikings are definitely doing a lot of work on defensive backs, which makes sense given their holes in the secondary. Even after signing Terence Newman, the Vikes likely want to upgrade their DB talent. You could draft Williams, play him in the slot initially (dumping Captain Munnerlyn in the process) and then move him outside next year. Just a thought.

But Williams isn’t the only DB going through his paces at FSU pro day today. There’s also Ronald Darby, another cornerback some think can start right away in the NFL (via NFL.com):

"Cover corner with average size and outstanding speed. Has shown the instincts to play off coverage and the athleticism to play press. It is a bit of a concern that scouts and even opposing coaches have commented on Darby’s toughness, but he doesn’t have very many missed or broken tackles on his docket and his cover skills should be prioritized over his run support regardless. He clearly has starter’s ability at the position."

Spielman will definitely have a lot to digest after today’s trip.

Next: Mays Likely to Take On Rover Role for Mike Zimmer

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