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Minnesota Vikings Bring In Hard-Hitting Eric Kendricks

By Ben Ryan

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As the first day of the 2015 NFL draft comes and goes, the second day is upon us. On this day, teams will be selecting their 2nd and 3rd round picks. On a dark night in Chicago, Illinois, the Minnesota Vikings were on the clock with the 13th selection in the second round.

Prior to this selection, they found themselves in situation where they have multiple options. General Manager Rick Spielman and Coach Mike Zimmer tried to make some trades happen. Unfortunately for them, that didn’t happen…yet.

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With the Vikings 45th overall selection, they selected linebacker Eric Kendricks out of UCLA.

Just like Anthony Barr, the former Bruin will be joining the Vikings. While some may be disappointed with this decision, Kendricks has a lot to offer.

Kendricks is an extremely aggressive linebacker, he hits insanely hard. He’s also very quick with his feet, transitioning from blitz to coverage with ease. His wide range will be used tremendously for the Vikings, along with his intelligence.

An overall smart player who has really developed to be a quality player. There was really only one issue going into the draft, though.

Will his size be a problem?

The answer is, no; well it shouldn’t be at least. at 6’0, 232 pounds, Kendricks size could be much worse for his position. He’ll be a great run stopper because of how hard he hits. As a three-year-starter, Kendricks was a truck and literally ran over everything. In his four years at UCLA, he totaled up for 480 tackles, 308 of them being solo tackles. That’s…scary.

However, despite all the tackles, he could get to the ball carrier much faster. With all of those tackles, only 26 of them were from behind the line. Speed could be an issue to this, but he can’t get too much faster especially if he wants to put on weight to be a larger force.

At the combine, Kendricks posted solid results. He ran a 4.61 40-yard dash, put up 19 reps on the bench press, and jumped to a very impressive 38-inch vertical along with a broad jump of 124.0 inches. These numbers are impressive, not top-notch numbers like what Vic Beasley did, but, you know, that’s Vic Beasley.

Oct 18, 2014; Berkeley, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Eric Kendricks (6) pursues the ball against the California Golden Bears in the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. The Bruins defeated the Golden Bears 36-34. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Kendricks play’s great in a 4-3 defense, and is overall smooth all around the field. Off the field, he’s a great person. He’s a hard working, talented, all around great athlete and player. His senior year, he earned the Butkus award, which is awarded to the top linebacker in the nation. Manti Te’o also earned this award.

Kendrick is a play maker just like Te’o was; but you know, without the whole fake girlfriend thing. Anyways, he also earned second-team AP All-American honors in that senior year.

To keep it plain and simple, Kendricks hits extremely hard. He’s a play-maker, leader, and work horse. Lining up on the same team as his former teammate, Barr, Kendricks will feel more comfortable on the field and will have a guidance.

The Vikings have done it again, another smart choice in the draft. Again adding to the defense which has already improved a significant amount. Kendricks on the same field as Trae Waynes, Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes, Barr, and many others, will only lead to disaster for offenses around the league.

Next: Vikings Select Trae Waynes at No. 11

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