With the third pick in the 2012 NFL Draft the Minnesota Vikings select...Matt Kalil, OT, USC
With the quarterbacks off the board the Vikings will have their choice of four or five really good players. The Vikings could go with the flashy pick and select WR Justin Blackmon, or they could take a really good corner in Morris Claiborne. However the smart selection is LT Matt Kalil.
Kalil is the best offensive tackle to come out of college since Joe Thomas. Kalil is not a sexy pick for the Vikings, however Kalil would do wonders for second year quarterback Christian Ponder. With pass rushers such as Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews in the division, the Vikings need to keep their franchise quarterback upright.
Kalil comes from a football family. His brother Ryan just signed the biggest contract for a center in NFL history, six years $49 million with the Carolina Panthers. Kalil's father was drafted by the Buffalo Bills and played in the USFL. His mother was even named Miss California in 1981.
Kalil is going third in every single mock draft and it would be shocking if the Vikings did not take him. With the NFL becoming a throw first league, Kalil has franchise left tackle written all over him.
Up Next: The Cleveland Browns are on the clock and Cody Ulm has the their selection.