You down with a long snapper?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections

Vikings 2018 SeasonVikings 2019 OffseasonU.S. Bank StadiumMinnesota Vikings PodcastsMinnesota Vikings 2019 NFL Draft2019 NFL Draft Grades: Let us know what you think about the selection of Austin CuttingNew Brett Jones Jersey ,9commentsYou down with a long snapper?CDTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL Draft Grades: Let us know what you think about the selection of Austin CuttingWith their final selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings went way. . .way. . .off the draft board and took a long snapper, taking Austin Cutting from the Air Force Academy.Gotta be honest. . .I didn’t expect the Vikings to take a long snapper, and I certainly didn’t expect them to take one from a Service Academy. The rules on service commitments are a bit fuzzy, but we’ll get clarification on them going forward.Until then, Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus provides us as much context as you’re probably going to get from a long snapper pick.So, there you have it, folks. The Minnesota Vikings drafted a long snapper, and it might not actually be a terrible pick if they’re able to actually get him on the field.What do you think of the selection, folks? Go ahead and sound off below in the poll and in the comments! Warren has a look at a potential late-round pick for the Vikings that could be a steal"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Vikings 2018 SeasonVikings 2019 OffseasonU.S. Bank StadiumMinnesota Vikings PodcastsMinnesota Vikings 2019 NFL DraftLamont Gaillard, C, Georgia - Day 3 Draft Diamond?New,33commentsWarren has a look at a potential late-round pick for the Vikings that could be a stealCDTShareTweetShareShareLamont Gaillard, C Dan Bailey Jersey , Georgia - Day 3 Draft Diamond?Jason Getz-USA TODAY SportsNow that the 2019 NFL Draft is only about a month away, attention is focusing on who the Vikings (and I’m sure other teams too) will take with their first round pick.And while that deserves some focus, I thought I’d also take a look at some lesser known draft prospects the Vikings have met with so far.I’ll start with Georgia center Lamont Gaillard.Lamont Gaillard - C - GeorgiaHeight:6’2 5/8”Weight:305 lbs.Arm length:33 3/8” Hands:10 3/8”There were some concerns about Gaillard’s size among scouts, but the Combine numbers may have alleviated them.Gaillard is pretty close in size to the top center prospect in the draft, Garrett Bradbury, who goes 6’3”, 306lbs - but with only 31.75” arms.Gaillard switched from defensive line to offensive line in 2015 at Georgia, and in 2016 started at right guard before switching to center for his final two years.He’s shown consistent improvement over those three years, particularly his senior year - where continuity playing center may have helped among other things.He was also voted a team captain.Overall PFF grades Gaillard with 98.7% pass blocking efficiency compared to 98.5% for Garrett Bradbury, and 99.1% for Erik McCoy - two of the top center prospects in the draft.In terms of run blocking success, PFF graded Gaillard at 91.3%, Bradbury at 89.1%, and McCoy at 91.1%.Gaillard blocked for four different 1,000 yard rushers at Georgia:Nick Chubb Tom Compton Jersey , Sony Michel, D’Andre Swift, and Elijah Holyfield.So in both pass and run blocking, Gaillard has done at least as well in college as both of the top center prospects in the draft.Both Gaillard and McCoy played in the SEC, while Bradbury played in the ACC, so I’m not sure there’s much difference in level of competition.In the film I’ve watched of Gaillard against Alabama, and top DT prospect Quinnen Williams, he held up well, which suggests he has NFL starter potential.The Vikings are among three teams that have done formal interviews with Gaillard, the others being the Rams and Raiders.Several other teams have done quick interviews with Gaillard as well - including the Lions, Bears and Packers - as well as the Jets and Giants.What’s They’re Saying About GaillardDespite Gaillard putting up some good numbers for a center in terms of pass and run blocking efficiency, and showing some good tape against top interior linemen, Gaillard doesn’t seem to be ranking any higher than a Day 3 prospect in the draft.Why?I suspect there are a couple reasons why Gaillard isn’t ranked higher in the draft.The first was concern over his size/build, which doesn’t seem like much of a ding to me.The second is needed refinement and improvement in technique Alexander Mattison Minnesota Vikings Jerseys , particularly against shoot the gap, speed rushers, among a few other things. But again, these don’t seem to be insurmountable issues, and his tape suggests he does well to tough it out even when he’s at a disadvantage initially on his block.That’s probably more difficult to succeed at against NFL competition, but remains a good quality - along with his overall toughness and leadership ability.There seems to be some disagreement among the scouting reports below as to whether Gaillard would be a better fit for a zone scheme or power scheme, but my sense watching his film is he could do well in either run blocking scheme.He has the agility for a zone blocking scheme, along with doing well on the second level, but also has shown up well with drive blocks on tape too. ——————————————-———————————————-—————————————————-——————————————————-———————————————————-————————————————————Lastly, here is a bunch of film on Gaillard last year, starting with the Championship game against Alabama a year ago last January.1-2018 Championship Game vs. Alabama12-2018 SEC Championship Game vs. Alabama