Vikings still have made no public statement on direction of first overall pick
By "Cole Winter"

Off-Season 2080 (Minneapolis, MN) - The Vikings front office is in a spot that most teams would envy. They have the first pick in tomorrow night's draft and there is no way that the player they decide on will be off the board. That's the beauty of selecting #1 overall, but the decision on who to take can sometimes be difficult.

It's been rumored that the Vikings front office has gone back and forth several times on who tops their draft board. The Vikings have had no less than five players come in to work out in the past few weeks before the draft. That's a high number for a team that knows whomever they decide on will be the pick. It appears that in the last week, the focus has shifted to the defensive side of the ball with either Florida LB Teddie Ball or Syracuse DL Paul Reeves moving to the top of the list. The other three players who have come in to work out have all been offensive linemen: Notre Dame's Wayne Collins, USC's Kevin Wilmsmeyer, and Georgia's JoJo Lewis--who at 6'3' and 322 lbs is an imposing figure. Reeves had a good workout with the Vikings last Tuesday and has impressed defensive coordinator Ray Childress with his ability to stop the run and his burst off the line in the pass rush. Ball was in Wednesday and it was said head coach Jeff Mastin loved his energy and speed. 'He plays like his butt is on fire every down,' one unnamed league scout has said about Ball. It appears Mastin believes Ball would fit right into his speed oriented 3-4 scheme alongside franchise player Cary Debow and former #1 selection Alan Simpkins. But, there are questions with both the players at the top of the board. Reeves can have trouble getting off blocks and Ball made some costly mistakes for the Gators this season. Both players have some questions about their durabilty, but there is no questioning the raw talent and physical skills of either player.

One anonymous team source summed the search up this way just last night, 'The reality is that no decision has been made, really. There are scenarios where neither of the two defensive players go first but that would probably involve another team getting in the mix.' Does that mean the Vikings are considering trading out of the #1 spot to try and get more value from a draft that seems pretty top heavy this season? It is still a real possibility for this team, who is trying to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2075. The answer will come around 8:01PM tomorrow night.