With the 2013 NFL Draft approaching, Around The League will examine one big question facing all 32 teams. Next up: The Minnesota Vikings.
Can Vikings find a replacement for Percy Harvin?
The day Percy Harvin was shopped to the Seattle Seahawks, my cell phone lit up with angry texts from a friend who's followed the Minnesota Vikings for life.
"How could the team allow their most electric playmaker to get away?" he asked.
Losing Harvin hurts, but they avoided a painful showdown and took control of Seattle's 25th overall pick. Paired with their own first-rounder at No. 23, the Vikings have a whopping 11 selections, including four in the first three rounds.
The need at wideout must be addressed. The Greg Jennings signing helps, but he turns 30 in September and durability was a core issue last season. From there, the depth chart is a grisly mess.
Second-year receiver Jarius Wright is penciled in to start across from Jennings, with little behind them. That's ill news for quarterback Christian Ponder, who would like to prove he's more than an Adrian Peterson handoff robot in his third season.
Harvin gave the Vikings one of the league's most dynamic threats. His obvious replacement is Tavon Austin, but the West Virginia mighty mite likely is history by No. 23. Minnesota could package picks and rise up the board, but in a wideout-rich class, there's plenty to pick from.
Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson and California's Keenan Allen are options. And how about Justin Hunter? NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell has a serious man-crush on Patterson's teammate, calling him "the most intriguing" and "the most physically talented" pass-catcher of the bunch.
Minnesota also has needs at linebacker and cornerback, but if the team comes out of this exercise without an exciting option to fill Harvin's shoes, Vikings fans -- including my long-suffering friend -- are going to be red-faced.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
