Vikings rookie Boehringer struggling with 'mental' side of game

Minnesota Vikings rookie receiver Moritz Boehringer's transition to life in the NFL hasn't been a particularly smooth one.

Boehringer, the first player ever drafted straight to the NFL from Europe, has dropped passes during workouts. He says he knows the cause of his difficulties.

"Most of the time, it's a mental thing," Boehringer said, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. "I'm not 100 percent comfortable with the playbook, but I think it will come in time."

Despite the early struggles, the Vikings remain optimistic about Boeringer's upside.

"He's still got a lot to learn, but he's pretty fast, and he's a big guy," cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. "To move that fast and be that big is crazy."

Boehringer's selection in the sixth round was one of the feel-good stories of the draft, but few sixth-round picks, even players with experience playing American football at a high-level U.S. college, become contributors as rookies. Boehringer is almost certainly at least a year away from playing any significant role for the Vikings.