With the NFL draft starting Thursday in Philadelphia, Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman is preparing to proceed without a first-round pick.
The last time the Vikings didn’t make a first-round selection was in 2010, before Spielman assumed his role in 2012, and that was because the team traded out of the first round in a deal that netted cornerback Chris Cook in the second round and defensive end Everson Griffen in the fourth round.
That first round has been something of a haven for Spielman, as he has made nine first-round picks in five drafts.
So does he think there’s any chance of the team taking some of its eight draft picks this year — the Vikings have a second-round pick, two third-round picks, two fourth-round picks and fifth-, sixth- and seventh-round picks — and trying to move up?