There was plenty of speculation that the Vikings would trade for Redskins left tackle Trent Williams over draft weekend.
It was the 49ers, not the Vikings, who made the deal to land Williams.
The Vikings ended up drafting Boise State tackle Ezra Cleveland in the second round. While Cleveland might not be as good as Williams, he comes with less risk and less financial committment.
Vikings GM Rick Spielman said given the circumstances, Minnesota was fine with how it played out.
“We made the best decision for us,” Spielman said via the Star Tribune. “He ended up in San Francisco, and we ended up with a tackle we really like in the draft.”
Cleveland will end up competing with Riley Reiff for the starting left tackle spot. Williams might have been a better “win now” player, but the Vikings were able to save draft capital and money by staying in house.
Of course, if Cleveland ends up being a bust and Williams is an All-Pro in San Francisco, we’ll be looking at this a bit differently in a few months.
