What are four positions the Minnesota Vikings will not be using their 2021 first-round draft pick on?
The Minnesota Vikings pick in the first half of the 2021 NFL Draft, holding the 14th overall selection. They’ll surely be looking to address some of the biggest weaknesses on their roster with that choice.
The Vikings have some major holes at guard on their offensive line and need to add some more pass rushers to their defensive line with a premier edge rusher or a penetrating three-technique defensive tackle.
Minnesota could also look to address some secondary needs. If the best player on the board happens to be a wide receiver, the Vikings shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. If they see a quarterback available who they believe holds the potential to be their signal-caller of the future, they could go that route as well.
While it is hard to predict in January which way Minnesota will go with their first choice of the 2021 draft, it may be easier to rule out positions they won’t be taking with that first pick.
The Vikings have plenty of holes on their depth chart, but there are a few positions where the team is set. Which positions can be ruled out for Minnesota with the No. 14 pick?
Running Back
One position the Vikings definitely won’t be taking at pick No. 14 is running back. While Najee Harris is a dynamite back, and he would make any team better, the Vikings are loaded at the position.
Obviously, Dalvin Cook is the lead horse of this stable and he is easily one of the best backs in the NFL. He’s coming off a career year where he ran for 1,557 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Cook was unbelievable as he turned the tiniest of creases into big gainers and he was able to use his speed to get to the outside. Minnesota rode his back to get back to a .500 record in 2020 and he’s the biggest reason why they weren’t a three-win team.
Behind Cook are a couple of excellent running backs. Alexander Mattison was the primary backup to Cook and he performed well when given the chance.
He finished with 434 rushing yards and two touchdowns this past season. The offense continued to hum when he stepped in and he proved to be an asset in the passing game, hauling in 13 grabs for 125 yards and a score.
Mike Boone was the third back and he is a violent runner who has shown that he can handle the load when called upon. It would be interesting to see how he would fare handling a full workload. Ameer Abdullah even saw some action in 2020 and he played well, catching a few balls here and there.
The Vikings are very deep at this position. They have one of the best in the league topping their depth chart and the other two could start for many teams. There is no chance they’ll use the No. 14 overall pick to draft a running back this year.
Tight End
Tight end is another position the Vikings are extremely deep at and will definitely not address with their first-round choice in 2021. While the future of Kyle Rudolph does slightly increase the possibility of them doing just that, Minnesota has bigger needs they have to address first.
If they do keep Rudolph, hopefully after a restructure, tight end is completely off the table. Even with Rudolph coming off a down season, he is still a very valuable asset in the passing game, and he has proven time and time again to be a dangerous target in the red zone.
Behind him are two tight ends that really emerged in 2020. Irv Smith Jr. stepped up as the red zone target when Rudolph was out. He caught five touchdown passes and became a weapon that Kirk Cousins began to trust and rely on later in the season.
Tyler Conklin also stepped up. He showed surprisingly soft hands catching just about everything that was thrown his way. Conklin had a career season with 26 grabs for 194 yards and a touchdown. This duo proved they could handle the load if Rudolph is let go in the offseason. The Vikings also have a nice pass-catching option on the practice squad in Brandon Dillon, who could see a bigger role if Rudolph isn’t brought back.
While it would be tough for Minnesota to pass on former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts if he fell to them at pick No. 14, they’d be better off cutting a deal with a team that needs a tight end and moving down the board to pick up another pick or two.
Linebacker
The Vikings drafting a linebacker with the No. 14 pick is almost assuredly not going to happen. While former Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons would be the player to make it a slight possibility, Minnesota has plenty of talent at this position and they should, and will, look elsewhere with the 14th choice.
The Vikings have one of the best linebackers in the entire NFL in the middle of their defense in Eric Kendricks, who is a flat out stallion. This guy isn’t just an excellent tackler who can make plays sideline to sideline, but he’s an elite cover linebacker as well.
Kendricks can run stride for stride with running backs, tight ends, and even receivers. He has natural ball skills and he has broken up 41 passes in his career.
Minnesota will get Anthony Barr back next season. While his stats aren’t always eye-popping, he’s another player who understands Mike Zimmer’s defensive system and he makes the entire unit run better when he’s on the field.
Eric Wilson will likely be gone in free agency this season, but Troy Dye did get plenty of playing time and he will be in line to get an increase in snaps. Dye does need to bulk up and add some strength, but he’s got the skill set to be a good one down the road.
The Vikings also have Ryan Connely and undrafted Blake Lynch on the roster and those two provide adequate depth. They could also look to re-sign Todd Davis, who struggles in coverage but is great against the run, and he could be a decent one-game fill-in. Minnesota has a couple of stars at linebacker and decent depth, so taking another one at pick No. 14 is very unlikely.
Safety
Let’s not kid ourselves, the Vikings are definitely in the market for a safety this year. Harrison Smith is aging and Anthony Harris is probably going to leave in free agency. There is very little depth behind these two and Minnesota has to bring in some young talent for the future.
The problem is that there is no safety worth taking early in the 2021 NFL Draft. While this position is fairly deep when you start hitting the second day, there is not top-end prospect who is considered a slam dunk.
In past drafts, there have been players who are perceived to be game-changers at this position. A guy who can cover, hit, and make plays that win ball games are the ones who typically go early and that guy just doesn’t appear to be in this class.
The Vikings can’t force the issue with the No. 14 pick either. They definitely want to upgrade the safety position, but they can’t reach just to fill it. They are better off addressing a lesser need and waiting until they are back on the clock in the third round to upgrade this position.
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Minnesota does have enough ammunition to move up into the second round and grab a player they fall in love with, but that just isn’t going to happen at pick No. 14 with this year’s safety class.