Minnesota Vikings Draft 2021: Early five-round mock draft
By Luke Parrish
The Minnesota Vikings are in the playoff hunt despite several holes on the roster.
This season has been an absolute roller coaster for the Minnesota Vikings, but they are still holding out hope for the playoffs. Even with several holes and weak spots on the team, the Vikings can be a playoff team this year.
But what about the future? The 2021 NFL Draft will offer plenty of talent across the board and Minnesota can do some serious damage in the draft once again. With help from The Draft Network’s mock draft machine, let’s take a look at some of the players the Vikings might select in 2021.
First-Round Selection
Rashawn Slater – OT (Northwestern)
A common mock draft pick in the first round for the Vikings has been offensive lineman Wyatt Davis out of Ohio State. Instead, let’s introduce you to Rashawn Slater, a left tackle out of Northwestern. Slater has quickly become one of the top tackles in this class and he would be a great fit for Minnesota at this point in time.
Slater has some question marks regarding his length and size on the end of the line, but that is not the end of the world for the Vikings. Minnesota has three set starters for the 2021 season regardless of where they want to play certain guys. If Riley Reiff returns, that gives them four quality starters and one glaring need.
Slater can be a Day 1 starter for the Vikings at any spot on the line and he would be an immediate upgrade at left or right guard. He dominated Chase Young at Ohio State in 2019 and he has shown up on film every single game. Slater opted out of the 2020 college season, but he should still be a first-round pick next during next year’s draft.