The Minnesota Vikings Hope Christian Ponder to Tyson Alualu Comparisons are Augury
Last year it was Tyson Alualu the pick every one questioned and no one liked. The Jaguars were ridiculed and Alualu was considered a reach and Jaguars G.M. Gene Smith was ridiculed. But a year later year things have chanced most Jacksonville Jaguars fans applaud that pick now.
A season which saw Tyson Alualu amass 3.5 sacks and 38 tackles (only behind Suh and Lamarr Houston for sacks and tackles among projected Defensive tackles prior to the draft) and bring back nostalgia of Jacksonville defensive run-stuffing wall of yesteryear when the Stroud and Henderson combination made the Jaguars one of the most difficult teams in the league to run on, has quieted many critics too. And reminds us that even though we love to dole out grades after the draft (which I actually enjoy doing more than mock drafts), it’s much too early to tell what these players will become in most cases. Now I must admit that I don’t like the pick as it stands right now. Not with Nick Fairley, Prince Amukamara, and Robert Quinn still on the board, especially Fairley as the Vikings could look for the replacement for Pat Williams who is no longer a young man.
But time could make us all look foolish as Alualu is well on his way to doing.
And it’s not like Ponder’s without any supporters. Reports are that the Bills really liked Christian Ponder (well in that case maybe that’s a negative for the pick? I kid, I kid. Wes Bunting in an interview with me before the draft said this to me about Christian Ponder
“Ponder he’s just a guy that gets it. He has enough of the physical attributes, he’s battled tested. Gets the ball out on time. I don’t know if he’s going to be a first round pick, and frankly I don’t care he’s a guy I’d go to bat for on draft day and the one QB I would trust the most.”
Bunting is a guy who had Maurkice Pouncey as the 4th best player in the draft last year, something that doesn’t look too bad right now either?
Is Ponder a reach at 12th overall? Probably. But is it possible he would not have gotten out of the first round? Yes that’s also likely. So if the Vikings truly thought that Christian Ponder was the answer at the QB they were more than justified in reaching for him at 12th overall because the one thing you can’t do in the N.F.L. is win without good quarterback play in the N.F.L.
It’s likely that the Vikings were having trouble finding anyone to move up to partner up with them and move back into the later part of the first round so they did what they thought they must do.
Ponder is a smart, accurate quarterback who was productive in the N.F.L. and a nice player. He’s smart and a good leader as far as I can tell. He doesn’t have the greatest arm or he can’t move like a Jake Locker or Cam Newton (obviously), but that doesn’t mean he won’t be a good quarterback.
This move does reek a little bit of panic as the Vikings might have believed Locker would be available at 12th overall, and they could have gone with Nick Fariley, Robert Quinn or Prince Amukamara, or even a Nate Solder but like I said about the Titans. These are players that also come with some issues so they’re also risks, and if you feel you’re taking a big risk anyway might as well consider the Quarterback.
Randy Moss continues to haunt the Minnesota Vikings.
Giving up their third-round pick for the eccentric wide receiver in an ill-fated trade last season might have cost the Vikings a chance to get quarterback Blaine Gabbert instead of Christian Ponder in the first round of Thursday night’s NFL draft.
Had the Vikings still owned that third-round pick, they certainly would have had a lot more flexibility to move up in the draft.
Thoughts Vikings Fans?
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Happy Draft Day volume two, everyone.