Vikings Get Their Man, Select LT Matt Kalil
Posted by on April 26, 2012 – 6:27 pmThere was some moving and shaking before the draft began, but GM Rick Spielman and the Vikings never took their eye off the prize. And that prize is a brand-new, battle-tested and physically imposing left tackle from USC – Matt Kalil.
After flip-flopping spots with the Cleveland Browns – moving from #3 overall to #4 overall – and acquiring three additional picks in the process, the Vikings selected the player many believed they would all along in Kalil. In the entire build-up to the draft, the Vikings were in a great position at #3 overall, and they took advantage of that great position by turning it into additional picks while still nabbing the player they coveted all along.
Measuring in at 6-6, 308 pounds, Kalil will step in and start at LT for the Vikings to provide pass protection for young QB Christian Ponder and road-grading run blocking for the team’s talented Adrian Peterson-Toby Gerhart RB duo. He’ll also allow the Vikings to consider shifting last year’s starting LT – Charlie Johnson – to an OG position where he could compete for a starting job and ultimately increase the team’ depth all along the offensive line.
Kalil started at LT for USC beginning in 2010, when he started all 13 games, and then started all 12 games in 2011 as well. His older brother, Ryan, also played at USC and is now a Pro Bowl center for the Carolina Panthers. Matt was a standout performer at the Combine in February, running the 40-yard dash in 4.99 seconds and impressing in the agility drills with times of 4.65 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle and 7.33 seconds in the 3-cone drill, which ranked among the best of all offensive linemen.
The Vikings acquired more than just a potential cornerstone LT in the 1st round on Thursday evening. They also netted 4th-round (#118 overall), 5th-round (139 overall) and 7th-round (#211 overall) choices from Cleveland in exchange for moving back one spot, giving them 14 total selections in the draft. Furthermore, in acquiring those extra selections, they gain ammunition to make a potential move up in the draft at a later time should they choose to pursue that route.
Tags: Matt Kalil, Rick Spielman
Posted in All, Mike Wobschall | 94 Comments »
By NovaScotiaVike on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
SMART
By Mike B. on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Great Job Rick we got Kalil
By Mike B. on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Barrooooohhh
By Mike B. on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
I like that we got our guy Fred has got to be celebrating
By Erik the Red on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Very awesome stuff, can’t wait for Friday and Saturday. This is a chance to make this team a whole lot better! Skol Vikings!
By tdurfeightyeight on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
So we traded down and still got Kalil…wow i said that over a month ago…
By Mike B. on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
It was the only trade that made sense was to the Browns
By DeerTracks on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Listion up Kalil baby, you protect Joe Webb just as hard when he is in at QB!
By NorthwoodsVikesFan on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Awesome!!!! Now, bring on the CBs, WRs and Safeties.
By Mike B. on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
lol DeerTracks
By Lance on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
hmmm Mark barron goes where now? Cheifs?
By NorthwoodsVikesFan on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
I……….smell………..WINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Spencer on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
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By Mike B. on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
I am has happy as a pig in slop
By NorthwoodsVikesFan on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Mike B – I wasn’t saying Tark/Cunningham/Favre weren’t great, just that they didn’t get us to the SB………..I never even mentioned Tarkenton, since he was from another Viking era prior to the quick-fix/shortcut to the SB mentality.
I’d love to have the Purple People Eaters on our D today, though I think they’d be a bit undersized compared to the 350-lb linemen of today, but Jared Allen would have fit right in with them.
By chris_b on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
lets trade 3 of our 4 4th round pics and get back into the first to get barron
By Lance on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
wow tampa takes barron! H smith def not making it out first!
By NorthwoodsVikesFan on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
So who’s got a Viking “Draft-in-progress” – who’s our second pick?
By Mike B. on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
barron to Tampa
By 25yearsaViking on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Nice work Tricky Ricky. Got your stalliion and added 3 more. 12 PICKS LEFT!!!!!
By Shawn on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
wheres Fred Jones we got a 1st round OLmen
By NovaScotiaVike on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Why did Mark Barron wear a tablecloth to the draft?
By chris_b on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
there goes barron
By Shawn on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Spielman probably trying to get back in first for HSmith … fingers crossed
By qwiksilver on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
So we essentially still got our guy and got some extra picks? Winning!!!
By Mike B. on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
I was just saying NorthwoodsVik is that championships are hard to get even with a great team and the Vikings of the 70s were great and they couldn’t get a superbowl win. The patchwork Vikings were as good as they could be. It’s tough to get a championship.
By chris_b on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
think that was kind a high for saftey
By Lance on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
I dunno if we can afford to move up far enough to take smith. Not without lossing picks more then what we already gained…
T johnson in 2nd!
By Troutdaddy on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Yeah baby! And some people thought it wouldn’t happen…. Pffff…. Keep gpoing Spielman. You got us 3 more picks!!! Gonna be a great couple of nights in Vike-land!
By Saddy on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Great job spielman, Matt kalil yay, now let’s get Harrison smith
By Mike B. on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Yeah I figured Tannehill would fall to Miami anyway
By tdurfeightyeight on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
barron ‘s a player
By sandiamond on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
fred has a chance now to liv the Dream 2OL/2DB by the end of RD4
By sandiamond on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
By sandiamond on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
so many teams looking a safety! miracle if we land harrison smith
By chris_b on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
speilman is starting to win me over
By troy on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Bucs panicked
By Lance on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Gilmore! wow!
By Frost on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Gilmore looks like he wants to cry…haha
By sandiamond on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Weapons for Ponder next on the list! stephen hill, alshon jeffery,kendall wright,brian quick
By Spencer on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
LOL- RIGHT BEFORE the commish says the players name…the crowd says “WHAT’
By Canadian Vikes Fan on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Not often I say this, but really good job Vikings brass. Got the cornerstone AND picked up some extra picks
By Lance on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
I didnt think bills would go CB at all.. I thought floyd
not good i dont want all these DB’s going early
By Frost on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Stephen Hill – Harrison Smith – or – Janoris Jenkins @ 35
C’mooooon son…
By Lance on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
No to hill… we dont need a 2nd rd WR… I d love to harrison fall but 99% sure he wont. JJ will fall to 3rd. T Johnson at 35!
By tdurfeightyeight on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
poe didn’t drop as far as they thought
By Spencer on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Mark Baron looks like a Goon lol.
By charliewest40 on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
We need a run on QBs and Olinemen !!
By sandiamond on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
lance you are lost! jenkins and kirkpatrick coming off the board sOOn
By Lance on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Dre will be next your right… jenkins will fall. maybe mid 2nd highest
By rick on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
just think how good all these picks will look in the LA sunshine!!
By greatirishpotatofamine on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
What i would do to land Decastro and Kalil
By sandiamond on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
VikingUpdate.com
Spielman said the #Vikings didn’t want to trade out of the top five. Called Tampa Bay.
By Shawn on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
OK so the QB, RB, TE, and OL positions are now the strenths on this team.
By Mike B. on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Thursday games all season not sure I like that
By dryes on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
what an awesome draft! great move, Spielman. BARooooooooooooommmm!!!!!!
By Erik the Red on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
rick, you can eat some babies.
By Frost on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Trade back into the 1st round and take H. Smith…
By tdurfeightyeight on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
i hope some ot’s come off the board and another qb.as well before we pick at #35
By Spencer on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Our o-line is big as f-ck now.
I want Toby getting 25 touches per game.
By NovaScotiaVike on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Rick is short for Richard. D1ck is also short for Richard.
By sandiamond on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Harrison there on NE’s picks then Spielman should be calling!
By Shawn on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Gary Zimmerman
Todd Steussie
Bryant McKinnie
Matt Kalil
25 years so far at LT … could grow that to 35
not bad
By tdurfeightyeight on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
trumaine johnson can play safety as well as cb
By Spencer on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Floyd and Fitz is unstoppable…
By Meekay on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Floyd will have a better year than Blackmon. Easily.
By Mike B. on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
with Kolb as their QB I am not sure they will be that much better
By AJue11 on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Good play by Rick and the boys… for the first time in over 2 years it looks like this team knows what they are doing
By sandiamond on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Rick Spielman: Vikings might attempt to get back into first round #Vikings (via the 1500 ESPN SportsWire)
They are seeing this: S and CB runszzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
By Meekay on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Kolb>Gabbert
By Lance on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
I hope they do! we need H smith… I just dont know what point it will be worth it
By Lance on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Gabbert is better then people think… they couldnt protect him.. and he had absolutly no one to throw to
By sandiamond on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
shocka
By hognuts on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Never heard of him.
By VIKINGFAN4LIFE on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
what number is Kalil going to have? Because Love has 75
By sandiamond on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
3 DB drafted in top 10 for first time since 2005 (Adam Jones, Antrel Rolle, Carlos Rogers).
By Parody on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
New Blog……….
By Spencer on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
WHO??????????
By Jordan Adams on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
I am beyond thrilled. We can hopefully get another 3-4 starters in this year’s draft and add depth at many other positions. Adding Kalil is a huge deal. Kalil, Peterson, and Allen are the 3 elite players here.
By Nicholas on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
The Pick is IN: Speilman is COMPETENT!!!
By greatirishpotatofamine on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Spielman has to be successful from here, thats how we got in this mess
By KoN on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
I knew Spielman would make the right choice.
By eddie torres on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Is it just me or did Kalil not seem happy at all. I went back 5 times and watched him be greeted by family and friends and then when he took the hat from the guy he mouthed a cuss word not to me written here, which seemed to me it indicated he was not happy…check it out and see if I’m right.
By Frost on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
couldn’t tell what he mumbled when getting his hat, but what i did notice was his mom…
what a milf!!! she could get it….haha
By tdurfeightyeight on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
is it going to be smith?
By tdurfeightyeight on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
or stepen hill?
By tdurfeightyeight on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
we got smith baby!
By tdurfeightyeight on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Wow! we traded back into the first round…and got Smith…the brass must read my blogs
By tdurfeightyeight on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Matt Kalil and Harrison Smith…What a great day for the Vikings
By Jayson on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Very Good job Vikes! SKOL
By Larry on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
We got Kalil,and Smith is the first.Who are we getting in th third?I hope someone.Im not impressed.
By vikings4seven on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Hope kalil works out for us. He seems like an ass. Very little emotion, like he did us a favor by accepting our pick. I would instantly hire is mom in some compacity.
By Rogerthevikefan on Apr 26, 2012 | Reply
Nice start to the draft. Get another OT/G Tom Compton or Andrew Datko. Add a Corner (hope Janoris Jenkins falls). A solid WR, a coverage LB, and a run stuffing DT.
By Kyler on Apr 27, 2012 | Reply
Tobby gerhart is not good we need a complementary back to AP with good speed and great hands now another back who is slow and has no running back instincts he is not a threat to break big plays we he is slow to the whole and he gets smacked around for how big he is.
By DeuceSavage on Apr 28, 2012 | Reply
Kalil can block & take on a horde of raging Raptors! Nothings gonna eat the QB this time!!!