While many expect the Minnesota Vikings to address the defensive or offensive lines in Round 1, there are some lesser needs the team could fill with that pick.
The Minnesota Vikings hold the 14th pick and have plenty of needs as they approach the 2021 NFL Draft. They could use help on their defensive line at both defensive tackle and defensive end. They need a young safety or two, and on offense, they need to bolster the interior of their offensive line with at least one big road-grading guard.
There should be at least one tantalizing option at one of those needs when they are on the clock in April, but there’s also a chance the cupboard could be picked clean at all their biggest areas of concern.
If there isn’t a player available who fills a huge hole, the Vikings shouldn’t hesitate to address a secondary need with their first-round choice. The NFL Draft is all about accumulating talent and taking the highest-graded player available regardless of need, which usually pays off down the road. Here are some secondary needs the Vikings could address with their first-round pick.
Wide Receiver
Many Vikings fans would be shocked and maybe even dismayed if the team pulled the trigger on a first-round wide receiver for the second year in a row. They have two great ones on the roster with Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson and with huge needs on the offensive line and on defense, taking a wide receiver seems like a luxury pick that the team can’t afford.
Digging deeper into this position, the need is bigger than it appears to be at first glance. Adam Thielen isn’t getting any younger and will be 31 years old when the 2021 season starts. He is under contract for the next four seasons but his cap hit is quite huge. It’ll be interesting to see what his future with the team looks like and when he’ll be offered the chance to restructure or be cut.
The depth behind Thielen and Jefferson is also concerning. The Vikings have Chad Beebe who did fine with his role as a slot guy but he isn’t going to get more than 30 receptions a season. Bisi Johnson took a step backward in year two and he looks like a solid depth piece at best. KJ Osborn didn’t get a sniff at wide receiver and may not even make the team in 2021.
So the need is there and if a player like Devonta Smith or Ja’Marr Chase shockingly falls to pick 14, the team shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. They should even consider Jaylen Waddle who could solve their need for a return man as he acclimates to the NFL game.
Cornerback
No Minnesota Vikings fan would be surprised to see the team grab a first-round cornerback, as head coach Mike Zimmer can never seem to have enough. It would be a little shocking though since the team invested two early picks on the position last year and appear to have found a couple of studs in Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler.
While those two had their ups and downs as rookies, the experience they gained this past season will be huge, and they’ll both be in line to start next season. The depth behind them is also a little better than it first seems. It’s unclear at this point if Mike Hughes will be healthy enough to play. If he is, he can be the nickel back and work the slot. Harrison Hand flashed at times as a rookie and he should be in line for more playing time this season. Kris Boyd also returns and he’s had some positive tape the last couple of seasons.
Basically what it comes down to is the team does have enough on the cornerback depth chart to not take a corner, but if the right one is available at pick 14, they could pull the trigger. Adding a player like Patrick Surtain II or Caleb Farley would make sense. Hughes could opt to retire, as he’s suffered two serious neck injuries and that would be a huge blow to the team’s depth. Getting Farley or Surtain would be a huge boost to the talent at this position, and while there could once again be growing pains, the long term benefit of having one of those two with Gladney and Dantzler would be huge.
Quarterback
The Vikings don’t need to draft a quarterback in 2021. They have Kirk Cousins under center for the next couple of seasons and he’s played very well in recent years. Sean Mannion may not return as the backup, but the Vikings could sign any free agent quarterback off the street and the talent level at the position would be the same. They could also look to promote either Stanley or Browning off the practice squad and just hope that Cousins stays healthy.
That being said, the Vikings could decide to begin preparation for the future and look to land their franchise quarterback at pick 14. There are about five guys who could go in the first fifteen picks and the ones that are most likely to be on the board when the Vikings pick are Trey Lance and Mac Jones.
Jones is probably too similar to Cousins for the team to take. He’s got an accurate arm, but is basically a statue back there, and would get killed playing behind the Vikings’ current offensive line. Trey Lance would be a more attractive option. He’s in the mold of the NFL quarterback of today, the ones who can improvise and make plays with their feet. Lance wouldn’t fill an immediate need, but he could learn from Cousins in year one and then take over in 2022.
Offensive Tackle
Adding an offensive tackle to the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 mocks has been a popular choice but a brief analysis into the position reveals it isn’t a major need for this team. The Vikings’ issues on their offensive line are on the interior. They have issues at both guard positions and a center who has been mediocre through his first two seasons. The tackles have been the one bright spot on this much-maligned position
The Vikings have Brian O’Neil on the right side of their line. He’s been a stud throughout his three seasons in the league. He did give up the most sacks in his career this season but is still one of the better right tackles in the league. Riley Reiff was almost cut prior to the start of the season but played like a rock star in 2020. His play was so good that the team could actually consider keeping him next year even at his exorbitant price tag.
That is the big question the Vikings are going to have to answer prior to the draft. Are they going to keep Reiff or cut or trade him to save some money? If they do let him go, they have Ezra Cleveland waiting in the wings. Speaking of Cleveland, that is the other question the Vikings will have to figure out. If they are going to keep him at guard then taking a tackle at 14 makes sense. If they plan on moving him to left tackle then taking a pure tackle like Sam Cosmi or Christian Darrisaw wouldn’t make much sense.
Re-grading the Minnesota Vikings 2018 draft class
Looking back at the players the Minnesota Vikings selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, how has their time with the franchise worked out?
If the Minnesota Vikings wait on this decision until draft day, they could take one of those tackles if they are the best player on the board and keep their second-rounder from 2020 at guard.