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          NFL Nation

          Mel Kiper gives Vikings' 2016 draft a B-

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          Boehringer excited to be drafted by favorite team (1:43)

          German WR Moritz Boehringer joins SportsCenter to share how it felt to be drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, how he came to fall in love with football and shares his experiences playing in the German Football League. (1:43)

          • Ben Goessling, ESPN Staff WriterMay 1, 2016, 04:40 PM ET
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            • Previously covered Vikings for St. Paul Pioneer Press
            • Also covered Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Wild and Washington Nationals
            • Twin Cities native and University of Minnesota graduate
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          MINNEAPOLIS -- Since Mike Zimmer joined Rick Spielman at the head of the Minnesota Vikings’ braintrust in 2014, the team's draft strategy has trended toward players who fit a certain mold, or possess a certain set of attributes, more than players who are necessarily ready to start on Day 1. With those players under the tutelage of a veteran coaching staff, the Vikings have enjoyed impressive returns from their last two draft classes. But for whatever it's worth, the strategy isn't necessarily one given to yield high grades the day after players are picked.

          That's probably worth keeping in mind when you're parsing through the day-after wrap-ups such as this one from ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper. He gave the Vikings' 2016 draft a B-, saying the team got good value with first-rounder Laquon Treadwell, but had both the Chicago Bears (A-) and Green Bay Packers (B) ahead of the Vikings (the Lions also earned a B-) from Kiper.

          He expressed justifiable reservations about second-round pick Mackensie Alexander and sixth-rounder Moritz Boehringer, and both will have some things to work on as they get to the NFL. But especially in the case of Alexander, the Vikings saw a skill set they believed they can mold for their defense; the Clemson corner didn't have an interception in college, but established himself as one of the best cover corners in the country. To Zimmer, there's nothing more important about a cornerback than his ability to deny his man the ball, and Alexander has proven he can do that.

          Concerns about the 5-foot-10 corner's size and ball skills are valid, and we expressed some of those same concerns after the pick on Friday night (for what it's worth, we gave the Vikings' overall draft a B+). But the success of Alexander, and the Vikings' other draft picks, will ultimately be dictated by how they do in the context of the team's system. To this point, the Vikings have succeeded by drafting athletically gifted players and counting on their coaches to mold them. Should that success continue, the team will have a good shot at more meaningful accolades than the ones we all like to hand out the day after the draft.