5 NFL Draft habits Rick Spielman needs to change in 2021

Not drafting any Golden Gophers

Rick Spielman has been with the Vikings for a long time. He was named vice president of player personnel in May of 2006 before becoming the official general manager in 2012. Spielman has only drafted one Minnesota Golden Gopher in that span, and that is something that needs to change.

It truly is bizarre that the Vikings don’t nab talent from their own backyard. It wouldn’t take much to send a scout over to TCF Bank Stadium to watch a game and take intensive notes on these players. The scouts could even meet them after games and form personal relationships with these prospects getting to know exactly what makes them tick. The fact that Minnesota has been churning out quality players like Winfield and Tyler Johnson should alert the team that this new regime in town will produce solid NFL talent.

It almost seems like Spielman is intentionally avoiding Minnesota players. In 2019, he had plenty of chances to take linebacker Blake Cashman. This guy was seen as an aggressive linebacker who could push for playing time in year one and be a special teams standout. Instead of taking him, they kept trading down until he was eventually taken by the Jets. The Vikings then took Cameron Smith, who was cut by the team multiple times even before his medical issues. Cashman has played well for the Jets when healthy and would’ve been a much better choice.

Perhaps Spielman was so upset by the last Gopher he took in Nate Triplett that he’s sworn he won’t make that mistake again. Or maybe he feels like he’d be labeled a “homer” if he took Gophers on a consistent basis. Whatever the reason, Spielman needs to get over it and start drafting players from the University of Minnesota because they are proving to be good ones.