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It doesn't matter whether the Vikings grab him with the 11th pick or trade down in the first round to grab him while securing more draft assets, but grabbing Eric Kendricks would immediately upgrade the defense.

Fans shouldn't let the idea of a "reach" prevent them from considering the idea of Kendricks in the first round for the Minnesota Vikings.

The biggest flaws listed for him on scouting reports are either nit-picky or not all that relevant to the Vikings. Numerous scouting reports, like those at NFL.com, CBS and Scout.com list him as an "undersized" linebacker and focus on smaller technical details, like occasionally meeting the blocker with his head down or at times playing out of control—and none of these smaller details were big enough to be noted by more than one evaluation firm.

For the Vikings, size isn't much of an issue. Looking at every linebacker stacked behind the three-technique defensive tackle (usually called the "Will" linebacker, but not always lined up on the weak side of the offense) head coach Mike Zimmer, former defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, has employed over the past few years reveals a pattern of smaller linebackers.

Aside from the fact linebackers regularly lost weight to play the "Will" position in Zimmer's defense, undersized players have been drafted into those positions from the onset. The first linebacker drafted in the Zimmer regime at Cincinnati was Keith Rivers in the first round, who came in at a whopping 235 pounds.

The next "Will" linebacker to be picked was Roddrick Muckelroy (236 pounds) in the fourth round, followed by Sean Porter (229 pounds), also in the fourth. Undrafted free agents Vincent Rey (240 pounds at his pro day), Jayson DiManche (231 pounds) and Emmanuel Lamur (232 pounds) were competing for that spot in camp the last time Zimmer was the DC.

The bottom line is Kendricks is one of the most instinctive players in the draft, and reads keys on the defense better than almost everybody. A player with a nose for the ball, he always seems to be around the play whereever it ends.

With underrated explosiveness and speed, Kendricks can be the complete package at linebacker. Though knocked for taking on blocks poorly, the issue has less to do with functional strength and more to do with leverage.

Kendricks will take on blocks at the shoulders or sometimes even higher, robbing any advantage he should have by being the lower man. Further, he doesn't plant his feet when he takes on lead blockers or guards, which makes his strength on the field one of the more impressive sights in the Pac-12.

His ability to move guards or heavy fullbacks despite these severe technical (albeit easy to fix) limitations means he has unlockable talent in this arena far greater than other well-regarded linebackers, like Paul Dawson or Stephone Anthony.

Beyond that, he shows far more coverage ability than his peers in this area, with more consistent and sound zone drops than Shaq Thompson and the ability to carry tight ends with fluidity and reactiveness better than Dawson or Anthony.

Combining incredibly savvy play with high-level athleticism and strength should make him a top pick in the draft. That he may not end up being that is no reason to snub the pick.