2015 NFL Draft: Vikings Select OT Austin Shepherd In the 7th Round

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Charter Communications can eat a bag of dicks.

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With their first pick in the 7th round of this year’s draft, the Vikings once again addressed the offensive line by taking OT Austin Shepherd of Alabama.

Though Shepherd is not the most talented player in the world, scouts like his work habits and believe he can be a dependable backup in the NFL.

Rick Spielman talked about Shepherd in his Saturday press conference (via Vikings.com):

"In the seventh round, we went with Austin Shepherd. There’s another multi-position guy, he played right tackle at Alabama. He can slide inside and we’ll probably start him out at guard once our coaches get their hands on him. He played some guard at the Senior Bowl as well. He’s a very tough, physical and aggressive kid. He comes from a big time program, he’s a kid that’s well coached, and we felt like we got great value with where he was at in the seventh round."

An NFC North scout (probably someone from the Vikings) told NFL.com:

"“He’s a big, tough kid and he understands how to play the game. He’s not the most talented player but he’s the kind of player you love to coach.”"

Last year’s rash of injuries on the offensive line clearly inspired the Vikings to beef up their depth this offseason. The players they’ve picked up may not be high-end talents but they can certainly be developed into solid depth players.

Next: Is Trae Waynes Overrated Garbage?

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