Christian Ponder, Florida State quarterback, drafted by the Vikings

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Can this guy turn the Vikings around?

Actually, after the rolling disaster that was last season, on and off the field, that's probably not on how the 23-year-old quarterback is framing his aspirations.

But with Favre's long-threatened departure from professional football a done deal, the Vikings felt the need for some fresh blood in the huddle rather than a retread, and they got some last night when they made Ponder their first-round draft pick, 12th overall.

Ponder doesn't appear to be cast in the Favre mold. He raced through Florida State in two and a half years with a 3.73 GPA, then got his MBA, then turned to another graduate degree, this time in sports management.

Whether the Ponder pick will serve the Vikings well is the subject of hot debate today, with many second-guessing his worthiness and noting his remarkably injury-prone career to date.

Sadly, the Vikings selection of Ponder came at a cost, as they had to take a pass on Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara. There would have been something nice about Minnesota being the land of two Princes.