At 2-10, the Minnesota Vikings are in the midst of one of their worst seasons in team history. With no hope of reaching the playoffs, many people including myself are starting to look towards the draft to see who we may try to draft. Of course the draft has so many variables and changes on almost a weekly basis, so let’s start by looking at the remaining schedule for the Vikings:

12/11 - At Detroit
12/18 - Home vs. New Orleans
12/24 - At Washington
1/1 - Home vs. Chicago

The games against Washington and Chicago appear to be the most likely chances for the Vikings to win in their last 4 games, since both Washington and Chicago have struggling offenses.

-- Detroit and New Orleans are fighting for playoff spots and still have a lot to play for.

-- Even if the Vikings do beat both Washington and Chicago, they are still looking at a 4-12 season. However, with the way Washington running back Roy Helu has been running the ball, that game is not as easy as it looked early on in the season.

-- The Bears have been hit by a series of costly injuries, including quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte. So taking that into account, and assuming the Vikings beat Chicago, we are now looking at a 3-13 season and a top 5 pick in the draft.

The other teams in the running for the upper picks include:

Indianapolis (0-12)
Carolina (4-8)
St. Louis (2-10)
Miami (4-8)
Jacksonville (3-9)

-- Indianapolis appears set to lose the rest of their games, and they figure to have the #1 pick locked up already.

-- St. Louis should beat the Seahawks at home, given the inconsistent nature of Seattle’s play this year, which would put St. Louis at 3-13.

-- Carolina has kept most of their losses close this season, and they figure to play the Buccaneers closely in their 2 meetings in the remaining weeks, and should beat them at home, which would put them at 5-11.

-- Miami has been playing better of late and should win at least 1 more game this year, which would also put them at 5-11.

-- The Jaguars are also in the midst of a bad season for their franchise and will probably finish the year at 3-13.

Should the Vikings finish the year at 2-14, they would surely be assured the #2 pick in the draft and could be looking at drafting USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil, which would be a great upgrade at offensive line that the Vikings are desperately seeking. But if the Vikings were to win a few games, the draft position changes entirely, and they may be looking at a #5 pick or higher.

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