Spielman Makes Another Splash At Draft Thursday Night

The Vikings made a pair of trades in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, ending up with both a linebacker and a quarterback. The Vikings selected LB Anthony Barr of UCLA with the ninth overall pick, then selected quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with the final pick in the first round.

The Vikings held the eighth pick in the draft, but traded with Cleveland for their ninth pick along with a fifth-round pick to take Barr. In two seasons with the Bruins, Barr made 149 tackles and registered 23.5 sacks. Barr entered UCLA as a fullback, but ended his career as a linebacker.

As the first round came to a conclusion, Vikings GM Rick Spielman traded his second round and fourth round picks with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire Bridgewater with the 32^nd overall pick. Bridgewater entered the offseason as the projected #1 overall pick, but saw his stock slide after a poor pro day in the eyes of some scouts