Minnesota Vikings 2016 NFL Draft plan: Quality or quantity?

With the Minnesota Vikings winning the 2015 NFC North last year, should the team change their strategy going into the 2016 NFL Draft to get more quality?

In the past, the Minnesota Vikings liked to stockpile their draft picks. This wasn’t much of a secret, as general manager Rick Spielman would often disclose that his strategy going into each year’s event was to select 10 players. Typically, this was accomplished by trading down and accumulating more picks, a strategy which helped the team stockpile young talent to develop and help the franchise turn around.

However, now that the Vikings are the NFC North Champions and the team less desperate for filling roster spots, should Minnesota look to get more quality than quantity for their draft selections going forward?

On one hand, this current strategy by Spielman has made a ton of difference for the team. Double dipping in the first round for talent and then filling out the draft in the later rounds with hopes to find talent has paid off. Whether it’s a credit to the scouting team in Minnesota or bold moves by the general manager, finding gems like Clemmings, Pruitt, Diggs, Exum, Cole, Wright, and Walsh as day 3 selections.

But what happens when that well runs dry and the later picks don’t pan out? For every Diggs, Wright, or Walsh there have been plenty of guys like Trevor Guyton, Tyrus Thompson, and Kendall James, who just didn’t make the cut. This quantity of quantity approach was nice, but with fewer holes to fill, it could make more sense to trade up and try for more elite talent rather than guys to roll the dice on.

Currently, the Minnesota Vikings have 8 selections in the 2016 NFL Draft. For example: if the team can maneuver to get 4 picks during the first two days, would it be so bad to only have two available for the final four rounds? This could increase the likelihood that the player they select is a top talent as well as keep the Vikings from having to cut some talented young players who are developing on the roster.

Next: 5 WR options for the Vikings in the 2016 NFL Draft

What do you guys think? Should Rick Spielman stick with his “quantity” approach to the draft? Or should the team change things up and try to make some big moves and not worry about the total number of picks they have? Let us know what you think in the comments below!