The SB Nation two-round NFL mock draft continues along with each lead NFL team blogger making the pick for their team. We’re into the second round and the Minnesota Vikings are back up with the No. 36 pick.
2012 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: Round 2, Pick 35
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With the 35th pick in the 2012 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft, the Minnesota Vikings select LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle.
Christopher Gates from Daily Norseman breaks the choice down and I respond to it after the jump. For more on the Vikings, make sure to check out DailyNorseman.com.
Christopher Gates explains: With the Vikings making at least some token moves to attempt to upgrade their secondary this off-season, their second-biggest need in this year’s draft appears to be at the wide receiver position. While I was really hoping for Stephen Hill to somehow make his way to this spot, he got snapped up by San Francisco a few spots earlier. So, in an effort to find a player that could help to fill the Vikings’ need for a player that can get deep and potentially open up the offense, we turn to Rueben Randle, the wide receiver from LSU.
At just a shade under 6’3” and around 210 pounds, Randle fits the bill as the sort of receiver that can play on the outside for Minnesota. He has the size to get off of press coverage and better top-end speed than you might expect, averaging a shade over 17 yards/catch for a team that was (largely) saddled with lousy quarterback play. He’ll probably need some time to adjust to the NFL game, as all wide receivers do, and I know some folks might not have him rated quite this highly, but I think he has as much potential as any wide receiver remaining at this point in the proceedings, and could be a big-play threat for the Vikings in the future.
Dan Kadar responds: Although I'm not especially high on Randle, going after a wide receiver would be a wise tactic for the Vikings. Percy Harvin has had injury concerns throughout his career, Michael Jenkins did little to excite in 11 games and the rest of the receiving corps is filled out with marginal players. It's critical the Vikings build around Christian Ponder and can do so by taking an offensive tackle and a wide receiver with their first two picks. Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith will also be considered, but this is a little early for him.
Mocking the Draft's Top 5 Remaining Prospects
| OVR | Name | Pos. | College | Report |
| 22 | Zach Brown | OLB | North Carolina | prospect notes |
| 23 | Brandon Thompson | DT | Clemson | scouting report |
| 24 | Andre Branch | DE | Clemson | scouting report |
| 25 | David Wilson | RB | Virginia Tech | scouting report |
| 29 | Lamar Miller | RB | Miami | scouting report |
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