Whoever has the third pick in the 2012 NFL Draft will almost certainly pick one of the best pro prospects in the last few years in Matt Kalil. When there's a left tackle out there who looks as solid as can be, you generally have to pick him.
For whatever reason, the Minnesota Vikings have the third pick overall, but might not want Kalil anyway. DraftTek still has Kalil going third overall, but Minnesota's general manager seems reticent to picking Kalil, instead perhaps looking at a skill position player. Bob Sansevere of the Twin Cities Pioneer Press has more.
After listening to the Spielman spiel, this much appears certain: If he keeps the third pick and passes on Kalil, Spielman will draft LSU cornerback Mo Claiborne. He raved more about Claiborne than Kalil.
If the Vikings were to deal the pick, there are plenty of teams like the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Bucs and St. Louis Rams who might be interested, perhaps even teams further down the line. But the Vikings could use a left tackle to protect Christian Ponder, which makes the situation all the stranger.
To discuss Kalil with USC fans, go to Conquest Chronicles. Check out the NFL Draft Overall rankings over at Mocking The Draft. To talk about the third pick with Minnesota Vikings fans, go to Daily Norseman. To see a feature of Kalil's skills in action, hit up Pacific Takes.
