MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings will continue their hunt for a young quarterback in Baton Rouge, La., this week, when they attend LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger's pro day and meet with him individually after his workout, according to a league source.

The Vikings have the No. 8 pick in the draft, but had planned to meet with most of the prominent quarterbacks in this year's draft class. They're believed to be highly interested in Mettenberger, who has one of the strongest arms in this year's class, and if they were able to get the 6-foot-5 quarterback in the second round, they'd be able to address another position -- possibly on defense -- in the first round.

Mettenberger could still be available with the 40th overall pick after tearing his ACL in November, and the teams that meet with him this week will also want to address character concerns after Mettenberger pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor sexual battery in a case that ultimately led to him transferring from Georgia and spending a year in junior college before landing at LSU. But if he's able to show he's matured -- and healed -- he could see his draft stock climb. The source said the Vikings have not yet invited Mettenberger to their top-30 prospects event later this month, but it's likely the Vikings would do most of their work with Mettenberger on campus anyway.

That might make him a good fit for the Vikings, who are believed to be exploring quarterback options outside the first round. Even if Mettenberger were to climb the draft board enough to be a late first-round pick, the Vikings have dealt back into the first round each of the past two years, and have an extra third-round pick to help facilitate a move up.

While the fact that the draft is still a month away means any information about which way a team is leaning must be taken with a grain of salt, there's been quite a bit of talk about the Vikings' interest in Mettenberger, and it appears they will invest plenty of time getting to know him this week.