Thursday Night Football: Team needs for the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals
By Jon Dove
Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals 2016 NFL Draft team needs.
This Thursday Night matchup features two teams likely to make the playoffs this year. The Vikings and Cardinals are also in good position to win their division. Arizona can take it one step further and potentially land the No. 2 seed in the NFC thus giving them a 1st round bye and home playoff game.
The Cardinals have a very strong roster but have some areas they could improve during the offseason. Adding a potential every-down running back is the first thing that comes to mind. Chris Johnson has had a solid year but it’s tough to rely on him long term.
Andre Ellington’s injury history is an issue and David Johnson has shown flashes but isn’t a guarantee. If Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott somehow lasts to the end of the 1st round the Cardinals should jump at the chance to bring him into the mix.
The other area that stands out as a need is a pass-rushing outside linebacker. Arizona ranks in the bottom half of the league with only 21 sacks on the year. They are running Dwight Freeney and Alex Okafor out there each week as their top pass rushers.
Someone like Georgia’s Leonard Floyd would make a lot sense as a 1st round target for the Cardinals.
The Vikings are in their current position thanks to the running game and their excellent defense. However, eventually the passing attack will need to step up and make plays down the field. Stefon Diggs is the only real building block in the receiving corps with Cordarrelle Patterson, Mike Wallace and Charles Johnson all have their share of issues.
Someone like TCU’s Josh Doctson would be a nice complement to Diggs because of his length and big-play potential. Doctson would give Teddy Bridgewater someone who’s capable of high pointing the ball and making plays in traffic.