It’s funny to look back at Mike Zimmer’s first draft in 2014 and think that there was a large contingency of Minnesota Vikings fans who wanted them to take Johnny Manziel. Johnny Football had taken the nation by storm. He threw for 3,706 yards as a freshman at Texas A&M and 4,114 as a sophomore in 2013. Manziel had an uncanny ability to make something out of nothing. He could outrun nearly every opponent he faced and seemingly flicked the ball downfield on the run.
But not everyone was confident he’d succeed in the NFL. Manziel often used his feet to scamper out of trouble and progress downfield, which would be more difficult at the next level. There were also off-the-field issues. Manziel struggled with substance abuse, and his father was worried he wouldn’t make it past his 24th birthday. He left the Manning Passing Academy early after oversleeping. He tweeted that he couldn’t wait to leave College Station after receiving a parking ticket. And he was kicked out of a University of Texas frat party – wearing a Tim Tebow New York Jets jersey, no less.
Still, some people wanted to see him in purple, and it wasn’t only beer-swilling college football fans. “I’d take Johnny Manziel,” wrote Jim Souhan in a poll of Star Tribune columnists. “If the Vikings aren’t going to win a Super Bowl in our lifetime, then give us maximum entertainment.” “Johnny Football in Purple would be a hoot,” echoed Chip Scoggins. “Manziel is such a unique talent with his improvisational skills and swashbuckler’s moxie.” Patrick Reusse advocated for Blake Bortles.
The only columnist to get it right? Sid Hartman. “All you geniuses can forget about a quarterback at No. 8. The Vikings’ biggest problem last season was defense,” the late Hartman wrote. “I think the Vikings will take the linebacker from UCLA, Anthony Barr. This is a guy they’ve had their eye on for a long time, and they really like him.”
Sid might have had a scoop on that one. Regardless, he was right. The Vikings used the ninth-overall pick to take Barr, a converted running back out of UCLA. Then Rick Spielman traded back into the first round to take Teddy Bridgewater 32nd overall. Spielman reportedly tried to trade up for Manziel, but the Cleveland Browns had a better offer and took him 22nd overall. It was probably better lucky than smart. Manziel was out of the league by 2015. Barr became a vital part of Minnesota’s defense until 2021. Bridgewater looked like a franchise quarterback until a freak knee injury altered his career in 2016.
Manziel looked like a franchise-changing quarterback when he was in college. Had his game translated to the pros, Vikings fans would have rued passing on him in favor of a running back-turned-linebacker, despite Barr’s success in the NFL. Instead, Barr became integral to a defense that led Minnesota to the NFC Championship game in 2017. He became a rock for a team that experienced turmoil from the second they left Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. It’s the tradeoff every team makes come draft time. Do you take a swing on a volatile player who may change your franchise? Or go with a more certain commodity?
In 2014, the Vikings made the right decision. In 2023, they face a similar situation.
Inside linebacker is a sneaky need for the Vikings. It’s less obvious than cornerback and quarterback, and fewer draft experts have Minnesota taking a linebacker early. But it’s becoming a vital need. Last year, the Vikings replaced Barr with Jordan Hicks after Barr signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Hicks, 31, is an eight-year veteran who knows how to run a defense. But he’s exiting his prime, and Minnesota needs a succession plan at inside linebacker.
The middle linebacker is the quarterback of the defense, and Barr’s role on the defense went beyond tackles and other counting stats. Neglecting this position will have negative consequences for Brian Flores’ unit. No matter how much Minnesota emphasizes defense in the draft or how much good work Flores does, it’s hard to have a stout defense without a reliable middle linebacker. It’s why Zimmer emphasized the position in his first draft.
It’s hard not to have draft crushes this time of year, and middle linebackers are rarely among them. And in a year where the Vikings may be looking at a succession plan under center, it’s insidiously tempting to fixate on quarterbacks. Will Levis can uncork a deep ball. Hendon Hooker, 25, might be more NFL-ready than a younger prospect. However, most experts have Minnesota taking a cornerback – Maryland’s Deonte Banks is the most common target.
But the old Vikings regime spent a lot of premium draft capital on corner and had little to show for it. Levis and Hooker have their warts. Drafting a middle linebacker is less exciting but may be more prudent. Manziel was the exciting pick in 2014, but Barr was the right one. None of the quarterbacks in Minnesota’s range carry the baggage Manziel did, and they also don’t have the pedigree of being Johnny Football. But the lesson still stands. Sometimes drafting a less-exciting position pays dividends for a fledgling regime.
