The Vikings ended the first night of the draft with a bang by trading into the first round to snag Teddy Bridgewater, and in his presser with reporters, GM Rick Spielman confirmed that the fifth-year option was a consideration in the trade-up for Bridgewater, tweets Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. Here’s more on that pick, along with a few more draft-night leftovers….
- The Vikings had a private workout with Bridgewater in Florida and it seems that was what ultimately sold them. Spielman told reporters, including Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that Bridgewater looked “totally different” than he did at his Pro Day and his performance in the workout matched his game tape. Meanwhile, the quarterback himself said Minnesota showed more pre-draft interest in him than any other team, according to Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (via Twitter).
- According to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, his team was targeting four players at No. 16 — Anthony Barr, Aaron Donald, Ryan Shazier, and Zack Martin (Twitter link via Matt Mosley of ESPN 103.3). The first three players were off the board, but the Cowboys grabbed Martin.
- The Falcons made an effort to pick up a second first-round pick, and made calls to try to land a pick in the early 20s, according to GM Thomas Dimitroff (Twitter links via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure). Dimitroff didn’t specify a target, but D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that the club was eyeing Shazier and Dee Ford.
- Looking ahead to the second round, Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (on Twitter) says that guards Xavier Su’a-Filo and Trai Turner are guys to keep an eye on for the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay is in serious need of an offensive guard.