EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — For the third straight year, the Minnesota Vikings made the splash of the first round of the NFL Draft in May by trading into the first round, securing two-first round picks to build their roster.

Anthony Barr, the early pick at No. 9 overall, was an exciting blend of athleticism and projection. Only Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer knew how Barr would be unleased in the Vikings’ changing defense. Later, general manager Rick Spielman jumped at the opportunity to trade for Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. In a perfect world, Bridgewater would sit and learn behind veteran Matt Cassel.

Jerick McKinnon, a college option quarterback, was a late third-round pick. The Vikings were tantalized by his physical traits, but he’d have a chance to develop behind Adrian Peterson. Pick after pick, Minnesota’s draft seemed more potential than instant production.

Yet, Zimmer and Spielman knew what they adding to the ever-transforming Vikings roster. Nine games into the season, Minnesota’s rookie class has paid immediate dividends.

"Yeah, the GM did a good job picking," Zimmer said recently, smiling in response to a question about the team’s production from Barr, Bridgewater and McKinnon. "It’s nice to have these young guys, looks like they’re going to be good football players. We will still see. I have a lot of confidence in all three of them."

Barr, Bridgewater and McKinnon have become central figures in their first NFL season for Minnesota. In all, the Vikings have received contributions from seven of their 10 draft picks. Barr, Bridgewater and McKinnon have become starters while Shamar Stephen (seventh round) has been a valuable rotation player at defensive tackle. Defensive backs Antone Exum (sixth) and Jabari Price (seventh) have played mainly on special teams.

"I think this is a good nucleus to build from," Zimmer said. "And the thing I like about it, maybe even moreso, is they’re good kids. We’re trying to implement the kind of program that we want here, the kind of people that we want, the way they handle their business in the weight room, in the meeting rooms, out on the field. We’re trying to implement all those things and I just feel like when you continually get guys and teach them the right way, at least the way we believe that we’re doing things, it will continue to build from here."

Few knew what to expect from Barr, the standup outside linebacker in UCLA’s 3-4 system had to transition to more of a complete linebacker role under Zimmer. Barr is an important piece to the Vikings’ pass rush which leads the league in sacks, but Barr has earned recognition for his work in coverage.

Barr, 22, was the third front-7 defender chosen in the draft. He is tied for third among rookies with 58 tackles this season, leads all rookies with four sacks and has added a forced fumble and NFL rookie-high three fumble recoveries.

The signature play of Barr’s rookie season was a forced fumble and recovery for touchdown in overtime to beat Tampa Bay in Week 8.

"Anthony, like a lot of our guys, was a unique athlete," Spielman said this week. "When I talked to you guys after the draft and coach Zim is up there drawing stuff, X’s and O’s about how he’s going to utilize the skills we saw on tape and how he’s going to fit into the scheme. And they’re doing a lot more things with him now than they were in the early part of the season and he’s continued to grow as well. He’s made some pretty impact plays for us so far and I think that’s going to continue."

No one saw Bridgewater and McKinnon becoming vital parts of Minnesota’s offense this season.

Bridgewater had the chance to watch Cassel without pressure to learn on the job. Bridgewater could take his time and prepare to be the team’s long-term starter. The timetable accelerated when Cassel had season-ending surgery after Week 3.

Now, the job is Bridgewater’s for the foreseeable future.

Bridgewater, 21, hasn’t been perfect, but he’s shown signs of progress in recent games. He played a big role in the Vikings’ scoring three second-half touchdowns on Sunday to erase deficits. Bridgewater seemed to play more free and made plays with his arm and feet.

"You see Teddy, he wants to prove that he’s not just a runner, he’s a pocket passer," Spielman said. "And a couple times you say, well, maybe he could have run there. Then in the second half you start to see him run a few times and pick up first downs and not force the issue. You just want to see him come along the way he’s coming. He’s going to see different things as we go through the season but we’re very excited about him taking steps each week.

"And the one thing you can say about Teddy is, no matter what’s happening, there is a calmness or a demeanor about him that you can’t coach. That shows up especially in critical situations in a game."

Minnesota has won three of Bridgewater’s five starts. He’s completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 1,321 yards, three touchdowns to five interceptions and he has a 74.9 quarterback rating, best among the three Vikings quarterbacks this season.

With Peterson out of the lineup, Minnesota’s offense is now Bridgewater’s. He’s thrown 42 passes in each of the past two games, both close games ending in wins.

McKinnon, 22, wasn’t the immediate solution when Peterson was forced away from the team because of legal issues. Matt Asiata became the top running back and McKinnon was used sparingly, in part because of issues in pass protection.

Eventually, coaches couldn’t keep McKinnon confined to the sidelines once his big-play ability started to show in games. At 5-foot-9 and 208 pounds, McKinnon also has impressed with tough, physical running between the tackles.

McKinnon, the seventh running back selected in May, leads all rookies with 446 yards rushing. His 5.0 yards-per-carry average is the most of any rookie running back with at least 10 carries. He’s added 20 catches, tied for second among all rookie backs, for 106 receiving yards. "There was no question about McKinnon’s athletic ability when he came out," Spielman said. "The question was how long is it going to take for him to learn how to play running back because he was the option quarterback. And teams looked at him throughout the draft as a possible corner because he’s such a unique athlete. . . . I don’t think people realize for a little guy how strong a runner he is and how much balance he does have."

With Spielman bringing in each player and Zimmer coaching, the rookies have added more balance to Minnesota’s roster.

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