Plenty of talent still available for Vikings on Day 2 of draft

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Trae Waynes has met NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and held up his new purple Minnesota Vikings jersey, and star running back Adrian Peterson is still with Minnesota.

But there is work left to be done by the Vikings, who enter Day 2 of the NFL Draft with six more selections.

Minnesota begins Friday's second and third rounds with two picks, one in each round. The Vikings have more needs and they own the 45th-overall pick with plenty of options available.

With Waynes adding to the depth at cornerback, Minnesota still has a need in the secondary at safety. The only safety drafted in the first round was by NFC North rival Green Bay, which picked Damarious Randall from Arizona State.

Alabama's Landon Collins was considered by many as the top safety in a weak draft. Collins wouldn't appear to be the type of safety Minnesota desires. He doesn't seem to have the coverage ability Vikings coach Mike Zimmer prefers. Collins enjoys coming up in run support. Perhaps Utah's Eric Rowe, a college cornerback who projects as a possible safety is an option in Round 2.

With Minnesota passing on Louisville's DeVante Parker, wide receiver is still a possibility on Day 2. The deep position features plenty of second- and third-round options with Arizona State's Jaelen Strong leading the pack. Strong is a big receiver who is a good athlete. He is 6-foot-2 and was second among all receivers with a 42-inch vertical jump at the combine.

Six receivers were drafted in the first round and Strong certainly has the talent to be on par with the first-rounders. Ohio State's Devin Smith is a speedy, deep threat; Dorial Green-Beckham has elite talent but is plagued by off-field issues.

After Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and Zimmer put such an emphasis on Waynes' character, it's hard to believe Minnesota will change directions in the second or third rounds and take on players with such concerns like Green-Beckham, Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory, Louisiana State offensive lineman La'el Collins or Texas Christian linebacker Paul Dawson.

Dawson is one of several talented players that profile as inside or middle linebackers. Middle linebacker is perhaps the Vikings' biggest need. Mississippi State's Benardrick McKinney is a thumper in run support but is maybe lacking in coverage ability, as is Miami's Denzel Perryman. More of an overall player and athlete is UCLA's Eric Kendricks.

If linebacker isn't the biggest need, then it's right guard, where Minnesota released starter Charles Johnson. Veteran Joe Berger or last year's draft pick David Yankey are the likely solutions on the current roster. Worthy of a second-round pick could be South Carolina's A.J. Cann. Later, Florida State's Tre' Jackson could be an option.

If Minnesota's looking for tackles, Pittsburgh's T.J. Clemmings is considered one of the top talents still left on the board, along with Oregon's Jake Fisher. Defensive end could provide some value with Mississippi State's Preston Smith, and there are highly regarded defensive tackles such as Florida State's Eddie Goldman.

Peterson reaches Friday still on the Vikings' roster, a likely sign the team will hold him to his current contract. But running back is deep, and Minnesota could add some future potential in possible third-round picks like Alabama's T.J. Yeldon, Boise State's Jay Ajayi, Minnesota's David Cobb and Northern Iowa's David Johnson.