NFL Mock Draft 2014: Top Half of Round 1

Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

8. Minnesota Vikings
Khalil Mack
OLB/DE, Buffalo

If you don’t yet know who this guy is, you will.  Mack is “athletic, instinctive and explosive” according to Rob Rang of CBSSports.com.  He dominated at the small school level and that seems to be his Achilles heel.  Without playing against SEC like competition, some scouts don’t believe he has the playmaking ability to be a difference maker.  They think that he is more of a Robin than a Batman.  I disagree.  With such a wide variety of opinions, Mack will have to go nuts at the combine in order to quiet the critics.  He stands 6’3 248lbs and moves sideline to sideline better than most.   The Vikings will be going through a transition period over the course of the next 2-3 years.  They need a young stud to lead their defense much like Luke Keuchly has done in Carolina.  Yes, they need a QB.  Watch them jump into the late part of the first round to make sure they gain a signal caller before the good ones are gone.  Taj Boyd, Derek Carr, and A.J. McCarron are the players I am watching.