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Those of you who have been stressing the Minnesota Vikings' slow-moving rookie contract negotiations can rest easier. The team announced Tuesday the signing of six draft picks, including fourth-round receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, and have four to go with a mere two months remaining before training camp.

Here's an division-wide update:

Chicago Bears: Draft class signed.

Detroit Lions: First-round offensive lineman Riley Reiff is only unsigned rookie.

Green Bay Packers: Draft class signed.

Minnesota Vikings: First-round offensive lineman Matt Kalil and safety Harrison Smith, third-round cornerback Josh Robinson and fourth-round tight end Rhett Ellison are unsigned.

Matt Kalil discusses practice with the Vikings, saying that it is similar to his time at USC.

Have the Minnesota Vikings put quarterback Christian Ponder in position to succeed in 2012?

Ponder finished his rookie season with a series of injuries and poor decisions, playing behind a patchwork offensive line and with a limited set of weapons in the passing game. The Vikings' short-term future is tied to Ponder's development, so here is what they did for him this offseason:

They drafted Matt Kalil to take over at left tackle, a move that allows Charlie Johnson to move to left guard and accomplishes a significant remake of the offensive line. They signed pass-catching tight end John Carlson to pair with another smooth pass-catcher, Kyle Rudolph, and signed athletic receiver Jerome Simpson, who will be eligible to play in Week 4. Finally, they drafted a pair of Arkansas receivers in Jarius Wright and Greg Childs.

The idea of having multiple tight end targets makes sense for a young quarterback, and Ponder should have more confidence this season in his backside protection. Percy Harvin and Simpson could pair up as a decent playmaking duo at receiver, but depth remains a question mark. Ponder will be in a better position than he was last season, but the talent around him could still be improved.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

The Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill ended Wednesday in a more productive place than it started, which began with a rare verbal harangue from mild-mannered Gov. Mark Dayton against legislative leaders who have proposed significant last-minute changes in the bill.

After a closed-door meeting, Dayton said he was willing to "look at" a proposal that would pay the state's portion through bonding rather than gambling revenues. The new proposal would put a roof on the stadium, as necessary, but there are still many unanswered questions as the legislative session continues past its scheduled adjournment.

Dayton on the Republicans' new proposal: "They're in the majority -- they control the floor, they control the agenda. They have the majority of the votes. I want to see a stadium that's structurally sound and financially sound, that puts thousands of people to work and keeps the Minnesota Vikings here. If it means continuing to work, and looking at another possibility, we're willing to do that."

As the world turns ...

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Vikings will not increase their contribution in the new proposal, a team spokesman told the Star Tribune. That contribution is set at $427 million.
• New Vikings receiver Jerome Simpson is ready to get to work, writes Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune.
• Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder was pleased to see the team draft USC left tackle Matt Kalil, writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• The Green Bay Packers had no comment on the eight-game suspension the NFL handed defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove, according to Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "The Packers couldn't have been thrilled with Goodell's verdict, but there's no harm in keeping Hargrove. Suspended without pay, he won't count against Green Bay's 53-man roster. He is allowed to participate in offseason activities and the preseason and will begin the 2012 season on the 'suspended' list."
• Longtime Packers scout Shaun Herock is leaving to be the Oakland Raiders' director of college scouting, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
• The Detroit Free Press looks back at the Detroit Lions' decision to draft linebacker Jimmy Williams 30 years ago.
• Justin Rogers of Mlive.com takes a second look at the Lions' decision to draft receiver Ryan Broyles.
• Former Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer on the death of former NFL linebacker Junior Seau, via ESPNChicago.com: "For me, this tragedy of Seau, the bounty program, it’s all part of the same issue. That there’s an identity crisis going on in the NFL right now. Thus far, in my opinion, the league office has been very reactionary in the way that they have handled it. And this is generations of culture built up here around the way we practice, the way we teach, the way we’re instructed to play the game whether you're hurt, injured. As long as you can put one foot in front of the other you just go out and play."
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune speaks with former Bears safety Shaun Gayle, who also played with Seau late in his career. Gayle discussed the similarities between Seau's death and that of former Bears safety Dave Duerson.

I wish there were a tangible way to illustrate what the Green Bay Packers have been searching for defensively this offseason. Coaches call it "juice," a term that isn't in my edition of "Football for Dummies" and is hard to define but is probably best considered in the context of children drinking sugar-dense orange juice. They bounce off the walls with boundless energy, leaving a path of destruction no ordinary parent could stop.

In football, "juice" doesn't necessarily lead to sacks or tackles behind the line of scrimmage or any other easily-measured statistic. It's more about the energy a player employs, the stress it puts on an offensive line and the way it interrupts the rhythm of a quarterback's mental progression. It leads to mental mistakes by opponents, along with inaccurate throws and poor decisions.

The Packers' defense fell short in a number of key areas last season. One of the most critical deficiencies, it's now clear, was a relative lack of juice up front. Despite a pair of Pro Bowl players in linebacker Clay Matthews and nose tackle B.J. Raji, the Packers were too often neutralized -- both inside and on the edge -- and thus exposed themselves to the kind of big plays that left them with an NFL record for passing yards allowed (4,796).

The team's response has been notable as much for its methods and as its targets. General manager Ted Thompson broke from tradition on multiple occasions, dipping into veteran free agency to sign defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and trading up three times in last week's NFL draft to select half of the six defensive players he opened the draft with.

When you put Hargrove in a group with first-round linebacker Nick Perry and second-round defensive end Jerel Worthy, you see a profile of exceedingly athletic players with the ability, in their own way, to be natural havoc-wreakers beyond the line of scrimmage. No one would admit to such a detail, and in fact Thompson claimed he had not so much as prioritized the defense this offseason, but I think it's clear the Packers have set out to ratchet up the juice among the defensive players they will use near the line of scrimmage.

"We've got to find a way to control the down and distance," defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters in Green Bay, "and [opponents getting] into predictable situations. … We can't give up the number of big plays as we did last year."

ESPN Stats & Information analyzed the Packers' defense on passes that traveled more than 15 yards in the air, finding that opponents gained an NFL-high 79 first downs and completed 21 passes of 30 or more yards in those situations. Coverage issues played a role in that, of course, but it's fair to say opposing quarterbacks must have felt awfully comfortable to have made so many downfield plays.

As the chart shows, the Packers' four-man rush was one of the worst in the NFL. All teams hope their standard rush can disrupt opponents, and that's where the root of the Packers' ills last season lies. When you see defensive players getting little movement beyond the line of scrimmage, that's a visual example of a lack of juice. When defensive players are getting into the backfield, even if they miss the quarterback or running back, that's displaying some juice. The hope is that Hargrove, Perry and Worthy can get the Packers' juices flowing a bit more in 2012. (See what I did there?)

We've already discussed Hargrove's potential impact, and it's worth nothing that defensive line coach Mike Trgovac said Hargrove's hard-charging personality has already had an effect on the position.

"He's another guy that has a lot of juice to him," Trgovac said. "He really plays hard every down. I think it's just kind of in his DNA to go full speed every down. Any time you can inject that into your room, [it's good]. ... He is always talking to those guys about how he's going to work hard every day."

Perry, meanwhile, brings with him a reputation for inconsistency at USC, but the Packers were enamored with the rare physical traits he will bring to outside linebacker and hope he will impose a significant pressure point on the edge. Both Thompson and defensive coordinator Dom Capers noted that Perry ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds and nailed a vertical leap of 38 1/2 inches even while weighing in at 271 pounds.

"He's an explosive player," Capers said. "… We obviously think he has the potential to do that and be the guy we're looking for at the edge."

New Minnesota Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil, who worked against Perry in practice at USC, suggested he is a physical freak. Even if he doesn't rack up sacks, the theory goes, Perry has enough speed and strength to collapse pockets and make quarterbacks uncomfortable.

"That guy looks like he's Hercules," Kalil said. "His biceps are bigger than my legs and he has the lower body of a horse. That plus his athletic ability and just how strong he is and his arsenal of moves [in practice] really made games easy for me."

Worthy has a similar combination of quickness and size, but the Packers also found him to have exceptional instincts and thus have high hopes that he'll move immediately to the point of attack.

"He's one of the better players I've seen in a couple of years in finding the ball," Trgovac said. "He'll add some juice to our front. He'll get off blocks and do some of the things we ask him to do. He's got some quickness to him for a big guy, and he anticipates the snap count very well."

If true, this offseason will be just what the dietician ordered for the Packers. Juice all around!

Analysis of the 2012 draft literally will continue for years, but I long ago accepted our psychological need for instant answers. It has become a tradition around here to review the immediate reaction of the country's foremost media draft analyst, which I consider to be a starting point for further discussion. So here are Mel Kiper Jr.'s 2012 draft grades , which require an Insider subscription to view fully but can be summarized forthwith:

Chicago Bears
Grade: C+
Kiper snippet: "I'm really surprised they had six picks and didn't get a single offensive lineman."
Seifert comment: The Bears weren't joking before the draft when they said they were satisfied with the makeup of their offensive line, one that will include the return of Gabe Carimi and Chris Williams. Saturday, coach Lovie Smith said: "We as a coaching staff are going to try and put the players in a better position, adding Chris and Gabe to the mix. There's a period of time, as you might have forgotten, during the season, when we played pretty good ball on the offensive line." Kiper thinks that first-round defensive end Shea McClellin might have been overvalued at No. 19 and isn't a big fan of second-round receiver Alshon Jeffery, but I think the Bears improved both positions with those additions.

Detroit Lions
Grade: B
Kipper snippet: "The board broke pretty well for Detroit."
Seifert comment: Yes, few media analysts thought tackle Riley Reiff would be available at No. 23 overall. (Clearly they hadn't measured his arm length.) And it's true the Lions managed to snag three intriguing cornerbacks after making the surprise choice of receiver Ryan Broyles in the second round. But to me what stands out about the Lions' draft is that they are in position to address future needs rather than desperately flail at their current issues. Reiff might not be a starter until 2013 or 2014, and Broyles' knee rehabilitation means he might not have immediate impact, either. It's called roster maintenance, and the Lions haven't been in that position in a while.

Green Bay Packers
Grade: B
Kiper snippet: "The Packers simply had to add to the pass rush."
Seifert comment: There will be plenty of talk moving forward about first-round linebacker Nick Perry and some about fifth-round linebacker Terrell Manning, whom Kiper loves as a situational pass-rusher. But you wonder if they'll both be eclipsed by second-round defensive lineman Jerel Worthy, a first-round talent who should be highly motivated by his draft fall. He's got the ability and capacity to become a dominant force on the line, whether it's as a 3-4 end or as a tackle in the nickel. Worthy could turn this into a proverbial "A" draft.

Minnesota Vikings
Grade: B
Kiper snippet: "I don't think we'll look back and see a lot of star power here, but they got what they needed."
Seifert comment: General manager Rick Spielman did a good job convincing everyone he was considering several bad decisions, and thus has been widely praised for making what seemed to be the obvious ones. That's the case for both of his first round picks, left tackle Matt Kalil and safety Harrison Smith. And after passing on LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, Spielman at least added some speed to the position by drafting Central Florida cornerback Josh Robinson. At the end of the weekend, Spielman used 10 draft picks and pushed two more into 2013. Quantity runs a close second to quality in the draft.

I'm not sure what it means, if anything, but the Minnesota Vikings have produced a unique draft quirk as we approach the final few rounds of the NFC North draft.

To this point, they have drafted three sets of college teammates among their first seven picks. Here's the rundown:

• USC: Left tackle Matt Kalil (No. 4 overall) and tight end/fullback Rhett Ellison (No. 128). Ellison told Minnesota reporters that he was stunned to be drafted.
• Notre Dame: Safety Harrison Smith (No. 29 overall) and cornerback Robert Blanton (No. 139).
• Arkansas: Receivers Jarius Wright (No. 118 overall) and Greg Childs (No. 134). Wright, and Childs, in fact, were high school teammates and grew up together in Arkansas.

The Notre Dame connection is especially notable when you consider the Vikings already have three former Irish players on their roster: Tight ends Kyle Rudolph and John Carlson, along with center John Sullivan.

Tweeted quarterback Christian Ponder: "I'm going to have to figure out how to deal with all of these golden domers."

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- A small part of why the Minnesota Vikings chose left tackle Matt Kalil over cornerback Morris Claiborne in Round 1 of the 2012 NFL draft: The chances of finding a starting-caliber cornerback later in the draft were higher than if they were looking for a starting left tackle.

And so it came to be that the Vikings drafted Central Florida cornerback Josh Robinson early in the third round Friday night. Robinson had the fastest 40 time at the scouting combine in February, running it in 4.33 seconds, and that speed along with a 38 1/2 inch vertical leap give him the raw skills that the Vikings hope will help him develop quickly into a contributor if not a rookie starter.

"Some of the plays he makes on tape really stand out because of those athletic traits," Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said.

Robinson left school a year early and turned 21 in January, so he might need some development time. But I'm trying to remember the last time the Vikings had a defensive player with this kind of speed. I can't.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- It's not often when an NFL coach introduces a draft pick "as our starter" for "many, many years to come." Usually you at least see a charade of making the rookie "win" the job.

But the Minnesota Vikings have too many immediate plans for Matt Kalil, and so that's how coach Leslie Frazier described Kalil on Friday, in the process giving us a clear picture of how the Vikings plan to stack their rebuilt offensive line in 2012.

As suspected, Frazier said Kalil's arrival will push 2011 left tackle Charlie Johnson to left guard. (In fact, offensive line coach Jeff Davidson told reporters he discussed that likelihood with Johnson early last season.) Frazier said there will be a "battle" between veteran newcomer Geoff Schwartz, 2011 draft pick Brandon Fusco at right guard and possibly others.

That leaves center John Sullivan and right tackle Phil Loadholt, who is entering the final year of his contract, as the only holdovers from the group expected to start for the Vikings when training camp opened in 2011.

The key, of course, was getting Kalil in place to begin the process.

"It gives us more flexibility on the offensive line now," Frazier said, "because once you solidify that spot, it's a little bit easier to try and move other people around."

We're Black and Blue All Over:

I'm rested (sort of) and ready (definitely!) for Day 2 of the 2012 NFL draft. Before we steamroll into the nitty gritty, let's take a run through local coverage of Day 1 in the NFC North:

• Bears general manager Phil Emery was no doubt happy to pull a draft surprise, writes Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com.
• New Bears linebacker Shea McClellin is "a natural at the unnatural act of rushing the passer," according to Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.
• Like Isaacson, David Haugh of the Tribune brings up a dreaded comparison to Dan Bazuin: "But, sorry, I recommend healthy skepticism when evaluating [Phil] Emery's first draft pick as Bears GM. You can't hate it yet. But it's very hard to wholeheartedly endorse -- especially considering the pool of potential Bears available."
• Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press: "The [Detroit Lions'] selection of Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff reflects the team’s unwavering commitment in helping its most valuable asset -- quarterback Matthew Stafford -- shine as brightly as possible."
• Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com has a transcript of Reiff's interview with Detroit-area media.
• Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Packers draft pick Nick Perry: "The 6-foot-2, 271-pounder admitted at the Combine that he was more comfortable as a defensive end. With good coaching, the Packers must feel confident they can help him adjust to linebacker."
• Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: " No one is ready to call the 271-pound Perry a savior, but his presence is expected to give the defense a major boost."
• The Packers didn't appear too interested in trading up to get a different pass-rusher, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Hilarious column from Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. A sample: "Vikings general manager Rick Spielman did his best to convince the world that he was flat-out nutty and might not take the player of paramount importance to the franchise. Oh yes, he said, we like Matt Kalil. Kind of. Sort of. But we also like Justin Blackmon and Morris Claiborne. Then he stood on his head and spit nickels. He laid it on thick, all right. And for those a bit taken aback by his free-agent signings, which included a former point guard and several players who missed the 2011 season, there was some consternation. Is this fellow really a basket case? But I had faith. Well, let's say some of us could see through the bad acting."
• Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune: "Minnesota hasn't been home to many general managers who could be called 'slick,' unless you were using the word in a way that might start a fight."
• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com: "In reality, the Vikings were going to make sure they got Kalil. They weren't doing a deal with anyone except Cleveland or Tampa Bay, which also coveted Richardson at No. 5. They were committed to protecting Christian Ponder's blindside, regardless of whether LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and/or Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon had marginally better grades or they fabricated the debate entirely to stir up a market."

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The sky is still blue.

Grass is still green.

Water is still two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.

Up is still up.

Down is still down.

Left tackle is still one of the most important positions in football.

Whew!

Had the Minnesota Vikings passed Thursday night on the opportunity to draft USC left tackle Matt Kalil, I would have been left questioning one of the most basic premises of life. Crazy Rick Spielman, the Vikings' general manager, tried to convince us that he might turn the earth on its axis. In the end, Spielman stopped short of losing his mind.

He took Kalil over LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne because his team was barren at one of the most difficult positions to fill in football.

Spielman drafted Kalil because the immediate future of the franchise depends on creating a more comfortable environment for quarterback Christian Ponder.

And Kalil is a Viking because there are more ways to elevate poor secondary play than there are to fill a hole at left tackle. Spielman demonstrated just that a few hours later by trading back into the first round to select Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith.

"There is never or rarely ever a left tackle that's going to come available in the unrestricted free agent market," Spielman said. "You look at the corners, the top three corners in free agency became available. There are receivers that become available. When you're going back and forth at this position and that position, I know that when you have the opportunity to get a left tackle, especially where we were picking, and as talented as Matt is, I don't know that you'll ever get that opportunity again."

I agree, and frankly I felt like banging my head against a wall this week as so many of you argued for Claiborne. I don't have a single bad thing to say about him or his talent, but the left tackle position is arguably more important than ever given the passing explosion of recent seasons. As long as you're convinced Kalil is a true franchise player, as the Vikings are, you make the move first and then start sorting through your other needs. Left tackle can't be an afterthought. Not on this team, at least.

Even Vikings coach Leslie Frazier, a former NFL cornerback and longtime defensive coach, agreed.

"It's a very important position," Frazier said, "when you're talking about a young quarterback that you want to make sure gets a little bit more comfortable in the pocket, and Matt gives us some confidence in knowing that that position is taken care of.

"We had some needs, but none were more important than addressing the left tackle position."

Drafting Kalil was part of a bravura opening performance for Spielman in his first draft since the Vikings promoted him to general manager, a mixture of sound thinking, stoic poker-playing and aggressive targeting that netted Kalil and Smith -- and still left the Vikings with 10 picks between rounds 3-7.

According to Frazier, the coaching staff has felt comfortable since last month that Kalil should be the pick. Kalil said he got "good vibes" on the possibility during a visit to Minnesota this month, but Spielman managed to turn public perception of what seemed an obvious decision into a legitimate debate.

It doesn't appear that any team bought into the possibility that Claiborne or Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon was his top choice. But Spielman still managed to parlay his professed flexibility -- Kalil, Claiborne or Blackmon -- into an easy pre-draft trade with the Cleveland Browns. If the Browns were convinced he was going to take Kalil at No. 3, they never would have felt compelled to move up and block a team from taking their target, Alabama's Trent Richardson.

Adding three picks from the Browns to move back one spot made it easier to deal a few hours later with the Baltimore Ravens, who accepted second- and fourth-round picks in exchange for the No. 29 pick to select Smith. As much as Spielman had spoken publicly about Kalil, he had never mentioned Smith -- whom the Vikings fell in love with while coaching him at the Senior Bowl. To hide their interest, the Vikings made no contact with him at the scouting combine and didn't invite him to Minnesota for a pre-draft visit.

Even with the trade, the Vikings have enough picks remaining to move back into the second round for a receiver or a cornerback. On the other hand, they might move further back and start piling up picks for in 2013. Or …

"You never know what's going to happen," Spielman said with a laugh.

Not with Crazy Rick Spielman. No sir.

Look, this is the same Spielman who ran the Vikings' past four drafts with mixed results. I don't think it's time to start interviewing artists for his Hall of Fame bust. We had some fun with him this week, but the guy had a good day and the Vikings are better for it. That's all.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- "Crazy" Rick Spielman was at it late Thursday night, wheeling and dealing his way back into the first round to find another starter at a barren position. Much as Matt Kalil figures as an immediate starter a left tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, so does Harrison Smith at safety.

Armed with three additional draft picks for moving down one spot earlier in the round, the Vikings had no problem giving up their second-round pick (No. 35 overall) and one of their four picks in the fourth round (No. 98) to select Smith at No. 29. By my count, the Vikings still have 10 picks remaining in Rounds 3 through 7, more than enough to move back into the second round -- possibly for a receiver -- if they choose to.

I imagine we'll speak soon with Spielman, and I'll wrap up a franchise-changing day for the Vikings before the night is through.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- After a week of sudden speculation about whether the Minnesota Vikings were moving away from their long-assumed affection of USC left tackle Matt Kalil, we have our answer.

They hadn't.

The Vikings selected Kalil at No. 4 overall, passing up the opportunity to draft the other two players that general manager Rick Spielman claimed to be under consideration: LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon. Give Spielman credit for creating enough uncertainty to elicit three extra picks to move down one spot, but in the end it was hard to believe he would pass up the opportunity to select a franchise left tackle regardless of the other multiple other needs on his roster.

It was the right choice. I'll have more on this decision after speaking with Spielman in a bit, but there was no position more barren on this roster than left tackle. It's one of the most difficult positions to fill in the game, and the Vikings had the opportunity to draft the best in the country.

How could they pass that up?

As for cornerback, the Vikings have a much better chance to find a starter later in the draft than they did a left tackle.

It was that simple.

More in a bit.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- We'll start our draft coverage by giving credit to Minnesota Vikings general manager "Crazy" Rick Spielman, who succeeded in creating a trade market for his No. 3 overall pick.

ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that the Vikings will move back one spot in the first round after making a trade with the Cleveland Browns. The Vikings got three extra picks -- in the fourth, fifth and seventh rounds -- to make room for a team to draft a player the Vikings had no plans to select. In other words, Spielman just got something for nothing.

The Browns are expected to draft Alabama running back Trent Richardson. That means the Vikings will still have the opportunity to draft all three players they have targeted -- USC left tackle Matt Kalil, LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne and Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon -- at No. 4, with additional trade compensation as well.

Having publicly ruled out Richardson as an option for the Vikings, Spielman must have convinced the Browns that they were in talks with another team that also had interest in him. I'm going to guess we'll never know who that team was (or wasn't). That's how these things go.

Back in a bit.

There are some genuine reasons to believe the Minnesota Vikings would seriously consider selecting LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. The most obvious was the Vikings' historically poor pass defense last season, along with the national consensus that Claiborne is the best cornerback in the draft.

But there are just as many reasons to be suspicious of the sudden league-wide uncertainty about the Vikings' intent, which for months we assumed to be either a trade or the selection of USC left tackle Matt Kalil. It coincides with the very public efforts of Vikings general manager (Crazy) Rick Spielman to create that very impression. Based on individual team needs, it's more likely that a team in the top 5-8 would trade up for Claiborne, or possibly Oklahoma receiver Justin Blackmon or Alabama running back Trent Richardson, than Kalil.

From a football perspective, some people are shaking their heads and wondering why a team whose base defense includes more zone coverage than anything else would spend the No. 3 overall pick on a cornerback. As conventional wisdom goes, individual coverage skills aren't as valuable when not employed in man/press coverage. Thus, you can get cornerbacks to play in a Cover-2 scheme lower in the draft than if you plan to use them in man coverage.

The Vikings have based their scheme on the Tampa-2 framework since 2006, when Mike Tomlin took over as defensive coordinator. Current coach Leslie Frazier, who like Tomlin is a protégé of modern-day Tampa-2 linchpin Tony Dungy, maintained continuity when he replaced Tomlin in 2007.

The goal of the scheme is to find elite pass-rushers to create havoc among the front four and allow the remaining seven players to flood the coverage zones. As a result, teams that use the Tampa-2 framework don't often pursue cornerbacks in the first round.

The Indianapolis Colts selected cornerbacks Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden with their first two picks of the 2005 draft when Dungy was the coach there. In 2008, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected cornerback Aqib Talib and the Buffalo Bills selected Leodis McKelvin.

Those picks were the exceptions to the rule, and none of the cornerbacks were taken in the top 10.

Spielman said this week that the Vikings aren't a pure zone team, which is true. No NFL team could get away with a single form of coverage for 16 games. ESPN Stats & Information doesn't track coverages, and it is almost impossible to do accurately without help from someone who knew the exact play call on every play.

But considering Frazier's roots with Dungy, and a similar history of new defensive coordinator Alan Williams, it would be fair to say the Vikings' coaching staff has a strong background in zone coverage. That doesn't mean the Vikings won't, or shouldn't, draft Claiborne. But it means that one way or the other, changes would be afoot if they do.

If you have a player as talented as Claiborne in coverage, it makes sense to use more man/press coverage than the Vikings have used in the past. And if that's an issue for the coaching staff, you wonder if drafting Claiborne would further shake the ground under Frazier.

We've already noted the unique position Frazier finds himself in entering a rebuilding process in his second full year as head coach. Would a commitment to an elite cover corner mean that Spielman isn't expecting his Tampa-2 coach to be around much longer? It's a question worth asking. We'll know if it's even relevant in a few hours. Stay tuned.