Two years ago the Minnesota Vikings had the No. 17 pick in the first round of the college draft and also came up with three second round picks.  The Vikings have the 17^th pick this year, too, but don’t look for a repeat of 2006 when Minnesota chose cornerback Cedric Griffin, offensive lineman Ryan Cook and quarterback Tarvaris Jackson with its three second round picks.

A better guess as to what might happen in 2008 is the Vikings could trade down to have a later first round pick and add another second round choice.  Certainly the Vikings may run an ordinary draft where they simply keep their pick at No. 17 and the one second round choice.  But if the Vikings think they can help themselves more by drafting late in the first round and then early in the second, this speculation could be on target. Right now the Vikings have the 47^th pick in the second round.

What the Vikings will have to decide when it’s their turn to pick players is whether to choose based on value or need.  Value says take the best football player available, but the Vikings have needs at defensive end and wide receiver.

If the Vikings stay at No. 17, defensive end Derrick Harvey of Florida, a pass rushing specialist, might be the choice.  DeSean Jackson, a speedster from California, might be worth moving up to take early in the second round to help the wide receivers talent pool.  Devin Thomas of Michigan State or Early Doucett of LSU are other wide receivers who might be available when the Vikings pick at No. 47.

Since Zygi Wilf took over ownership in 2005, the Vikings have shown a willingness to make changes and take risks.  Their aggressiveness in the free agent market this off- season is one example.  Another was positioning themselves to draft Jackson and provide him opportunities to be a starting NFL quarterback.

With Brett Favre’s retirement, the NFC North is looking very ordinary.  The Vikings, no doubt, see an opportunity and that’s what makes the NFL draft next month intriguing from a local perspective.  Look for the Vikings to aggressively sort out their options, even on draft days, April 26 and 27.

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With 19 games remaining on the schedule, the Timberwolves need to learn whether they have a second exceptional player on their roster to team with center Al Jefferson in 2008-09.  The best candidate is Randy Foye, the second year guard who played in all 82 of the team’s games last season but has missed most of this season because of a left knee cap injury.

Foye is healthy now and has helped the Wolves win two of their last three games.  His statistics this season include the following in 20 games: 11.4 points per game, 3.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists.  Last season he averaged 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists.  He started 12 of 82 games.

Of particular interest now is that regular point guard Sebastian Telfair’s sprained right ankle has provided Foye an opportunity to play that position in the last two games, rather than shooting guard.  Even before his rookie season began Foye spoke about how he values a leadership role on the team, stepping forward in the fourth quarter to make the big plays and shots.

Foye isn’t a classic point guard but that may be his best position and he welcomes the opportunity to play there while Telfair is sidelined.  Foye won’t dazzle with no-look passes or fancy dribbling like Jason Kidd, but he’s likely to make a timely basket with his jump shot, or bank the ball off the backboard from the right side (a Foye favorite).  He’s likely, too, to make a timely pass, or see that the Wolves are in the correct offensive set.

Years ago the Boston Celtics won two world championships with a tough, defensive specialist who was a money player in the fourth quarter.  Dennis Johnson didn’t even play as pretty as Foye, but he was one of the NBA’s most productive point guards.  Larry Bird called him the best player he ever played with.

The Wolves need to find out if Foye can become a star, developing his own game and success, perhaps at point guard.  Telfair, who started 51 games, is young, 22, like Foye, 24.  However, despite his speed, Telfair didn’t lock up the position, sometimes unable to finish drives to the basket, make wide open jump shots, or creatively find teammates with his passes.

Foye also has been inconsistent in his play.  In the last four games he has scored 18, 7, 26 and 9 points.  In two of the last three games he never attempted a free throw but in the other game had 12 attempts.

The Wolves, 14-49, need star players besides Jefferson who ranks 15^th in scoring at 21.4 points per game and fifth in rebounding in the NBA at 11.7.  This season was supposed to provide a lot of answers about Foye and some about the team’s future.  Because of the knee injury we know less than we had hoped, but the last 19 games will give us more insight about Foye and the Wolves.

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Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald Jr. broke the news yesterday of his signing a four-year, $40 million contract extension with Arizona on his Web site, www.larry-fitzgerald.com

A source who has been close to the Gophers predicted safety Dom Barber will be the only player off last season’s team to be drafted by the NFL, probably a day two pick.  Wide receiver Ernie Wheelright is a likely free agent, he said.  Running back Amir Pinnix and fullback Justin Valentine are possibilities, too.

Former Gopher football player Lewis Garrison is in demand as a college basketball official.  Earlier this month he officiated the MIAC tournament championship game and the NSIC tournament semi-final game.  This weekend he will be working the NCAA Division II regional tournament at Winona State.

The Gophers are likely to defeat Northwestern for a third time this year when they play the Wildcats tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon in a Big Ten Tournament opening round game in Indianapolis.  Northwestern isn’t a physical team and that’s good news for the Gophers who defeated the Wildcats 82-63 in Minneapolis and 92-72 in Evanston.

Steve Fritz of St. Thomas has won the MIAC Coach of the Year award for the 13^th time in 28 seasons.  The Tommies won their third consecutive MIAC regular season championship with a 17-3 conference record.  Concordia College senior forward Luke Linz was named the conference’s Player of the Year.  Linz averaged 18.9 points, and 6.3 rebounds.

Ruth Sinn of St. Thomas was chosen as the women’s MIAC Coach of the Year. In her third season at St. Thomas, Sinn led the Tommies to a regular season conference co-championship and a 18-4 MIAC record.  St. Thomas senior forward Carrie Embree was named the women’s MIAC Player of the Year. She averaged 14.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. (Award winners in men’s and women’s basketball are determined by a vote of conference coaches).

Osseo, 26-0, has moved to No. 1 in prep basketball expert Ken Lien’s latest rankings of the state’s top 10 boys teams.  Minnetonka, 22-3 and a recent winner over previously undefeated Hopkins, is No. 2 followed by the Royals, 25-1. Here are the top 10 teams: Osseo, Minnetonka, Hopkins, Benilde-St. Margaret’s (23-3), Crosby-Ironton (26-0), Cretin-Derham Hall (21-3), Henry Sibley (21-5), St. Cloud Tech (24-2), Rochester Mayo (21-4) and Stillwater (22-4).  Lien, chair of the Mr. Basketball program, compiles his top 10 based on who he considers the best teams regardless of school enrollment size.  The rankings and records are complete through the regular season that ended last week.

When the Wild play New Jersey at home tomorrow night, it will be the first game the Devils have played at Xcel Energy Center since 2003.  The Wild won that game, the only win in franchise history against the Devils (1-3-3 all-time).

The Wild are giving away a Pierre Marc-Bouchard commemorative puck to all fans tomorrow night.  The puck recognizes his shootout goal against Chicago on December 5, 2006.  The giveaway is part of a promotional series of pucks this season highlighting the Wild’s greatest goals at Xcel Energy Center.

Center Steve Kelly, recalled from Houston on Saturday, made his Wild debut on Sunday in the team’s 3-2 shootout loss to San Jose. The 31-year-old journeyman played in his 148^th NHL game, but first since November 30, 2003, a span of 1,561 days.

Head coach Jacques Lemaire has 493 career coaching victories. The Wild need to win seven of the final 12 games for Lemaire to reach 500.

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