Vikings Draft 2021: Four-round best available mock draft
By Luke Parrish
Who will be the best players available when the Minnesota Vikings are on the clock in this year’s NFL Draft?
The 2021 NFL Draft is just a little over two months away which means it’s time to look at every single possibility for the Minnesota Vikings. They can go in several directions come April’s draft as they look to fill out an already-promising roster.
What would happen if the Vikings chose to stick to their board, regardless of needs, and select the best player available? Using The Draft Network’s mock draft machine in conjunction with my own rankings, here is a look at the best player available approach.
First Round (No. 14 overall)
Samuel Cosmi – OT (Texas)
This plays out pretty well for the Vikings as Samuel Cosmi was a preseason favorite to be the second tackle selected in this draft before the rise of Rashawn Slater and Christian Darrisaw. Cosmi is still a very talented prospect who anchored the left side at Texas, starting 34 games for the Longhorns in his career.
The Vikings have a long-term question mark at left tackle with Riley Reiff’s future up in the air and Ezra Cleveland potentially settling in at one of the guard spots. If Minnesota has the opportunity to shed Reiff’s salary and get younger at tackle, Cosmi is not a throwaway option by any means.
Cosmi can step in from Day 1 and start at either tackle spot and be a force in the run game. While he may struggle a bit as a pure mauler and a pass-protector, he moves very well for his size and he can be a long-term upgrade on Kirk Cousins‘ backside.