And then there were three.
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Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Thursday that the Vikings are only considering three players to select at the No. 3 position in the draft: offensive tackle Matt Kalil, cornerback Morris Claiborne and wide receiver Justin Blackmon.
(Apparently Spielman doesn't agree with NFL Network's Mike Mayock, who believes Blackmon shouldn't be in that rarefied air.)
Spielman isn't telling us anything we couldn't already have guessed. It would be stunning if the team took Blackmon. Spielman said the team will entertain trade offers.
"What you're saying (to the staff) is, 'All these guys have equal ability,'Â " Spielman said, noting there is no favorite for the pick.
We have officially entered draftspeak mode. It defies credibility that the Vikings don't know who they prefer out of the trio above, even if the team has done a good job hiding its intentions when it comes to Kalil. Still, we appreciate Spielman giving us something to talk about in a draft lacking intrigue at the top.
We'd be surprised if Kalil isn't the pick. He's one of the least talked-about elite prospects in memory, in large part because he's so safe and so talented.
