A seventh-round pick has a daunting path if they wish to be an NFL starter. For one, there may have been a flaw in their technique or their physical build that turned teams away for the first six rounds. Additionally, the team that drafted them might already have depth at that particularly position.
The bottom line is that most seventh-rounders don't make it. That's why the prospect of being the starting middle linebacker has former seventh-round pick Audie Cole excited.
"When you're a rookie, everything's flying," said Cole after Wednesday's practice. "You don't know what's going on. You're the low man on the totem pole. It's like you're a freshman in college again. It's nice; every year you get more confidence, more experience. Even with the new coaches, you know, you're not a rookie anymore."
Cole was selected 210th by the Vikings in 2012, nine slots ahead of Trevor Guyton, the Vikings' final pick. While Guyton was released at the final roster reduction, Cole survived, perhaps propelled by his back-to-back pick-sixes in the second preseason game against Buffalo.
Despite his successful camp in 2012, Cole still had a long ways to go. The Vikings started a linebacking corps of Chad Greenway, Jasper Brinkley and Erin Henderson. Cole was placed on the inactive list most of the season and didn’t record a single tackle in five appearances.
Brinkley departed, however, before the 2013 campaign, and Cole moved up the aforementioned totem pole. He appeared in 13 games and made tackles in six of them.
But 2013 didn't pass by without any challenges. Cole had to sweat out getting waived on Nov. 7, 2013 when the Vikings brought up an extra offensive tackle for their Thursday night game against Washington. The organization took a calculated risk that Cole would not be claimed, and he wasn't. Still…
"Obviously, getting released; I didn't enjoy that," said Cole, "but I got a good opportunity after that."
The opportunity Cole refers to was a Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field. With Henderson out due to personal reasons, the North Carolina State grad got the start and made the most of it, recording 11 solo tackles and his first career sack.
The stellar performance turned into another start, and another, and another. Cole made four starts as Henderson was shifted to the weak side to keep Cole in the starting lineup.
Henderson's role may have been in permanent trouble regardless, but his fate was sealed in early February when he was arrested for drunk driving a second time in four months. The Vikings released Henderson with one year remaining on his contract.
Cole now enters his third training camp in a new position – at the top of the totem pole. He'll be competing with 28-year-old Jasper Brinkley – who circled his way back to the Vikings after a stop in Arizona – and Michael Mauti, another seventh-round pick who’s suffered three torn ACLs in his young career.
All three are now training under a new coaching staff and are probably seeing Zimmers in their sleep. Not only is Mike Zimmer the new head coach, but his son, Adam Zimmer, replaced Fred Pagac as linebackers coach. According to Cole, the younger Zimmer brings a new approach to Winter Park.
"[There's a] different way we run the defense, different way we do things, different things they ask us to do," said Cole. "It's a lot different, but they're all great coaches."
Cole worked with the first team during this week's OTAs. While he cautions against feeling too secure in any spot before the team even puts on pads, Cole says the extra reps are a great confidence booster.
"Every day you're getting reps, and the more reps you get, the more confident you're going to be, especially with the new defense and all that. As long as you keep getting reps, your confidence has to keep building," said Cole.
Cole has good reason to be confident. He has a higher ceiling than his main competitor Brinkley, who struggles in pass coverage, and he has a cleaner bill of health than Mauti, who has yet to play a significant amount of downs since his latest ACL surgery.
The 23-year-old Cole is good friends with teammate Brandon Bishop, a fellow NC State Wolfpack and an undrafted free agent from last year. Bishop finds himself in a very similar situation to where Cole was a year ago; just trying to climb the ladder.
Cole understands his plight, and the hopeful starting linebacker knows what he and Bishop need to continue doing.
"You've got to do whatever they ask you to do," said Cole before brainstorming for a more appropriate phrase. "Do more than they want you to do."
| Sam Ekstrom is a staff writer for Cold Omaha at 105 The Ticket. He has previously served as a play-by-play broadcaster in Iowa and South Dakota and has covered Minnesota sports since 2012. Follow him on Twitter @SamEkstrom for further insights |