What would happen if the Minnesota Vikings decided to forget the offense for now and focus on rebuilding the defense during the 2021 NFL Draft?
Looking back on the 2020 NFL season, it is pretty obvious where the Minnesota Vikings fell short. The team was able to score a lot of points offensively but couldn’t stop other teams from marching into the end zone.
Sure, the purple and gold will be getting several players back who were lost for the season due to injury, but there are still holes in the defense and some starters who are bound to get a big payday from other teams in free agency.
For that reason, it would be wise for the Vikings to pick up some new talent to help push for the postseason in 2021. With a limited amount of salary cap available, the most likely spot to find those contributors would be the NFL Draft.
Even though the Minnesota Vikings need some help on the offensive line and could use some wide receiver depth, what would happen if the team focused entirely on fixing the defense in the first three rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft?
Let’s take a look at how that draft might look if Minnesota goes that route.
First Round (No. 14 overall)
Gregory Rousseau – DE (Miami-FL)
The most disappointing thing about the Minnesota Vikings during the 2020 season was their inability to sack opposing quarterbacks. Going from 28 sacks in 2019 to only 23 in 2020 has to open some eyes as to the talent available behind superstar pass rusher Danielle Hunter.
Although Hunter should be back, finding a long-term answer on the other side of the defensive line should be a priority. For most experts, the top two defensive ends available in this draft are Michigan’s Kwity Paye and Gregory Rousseau of the Hurricanes.
Rousseau would be an excellent fit for the Vikings due to his limited experience and huge upside. The fact that he only played one season will scare some teams away that want a more established presence on the edge, but Minnesota has proven itself to be able to develop talented young pass rushers, especially those with exceptional physical talents.
The stats from 2019 on Rousseau are exceptional. In 13 games played, he registered 19.5 tackles for a loss with 15.5 of those being sacks while adding two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and one pass defense.
Missing the 2018 campaign after suffering a broken ankle in the first game and then sitting out 2020 due to the pandemic may keep Rousseau from being a top-five to top-ten pick in this year’s draft, but instead, he seems like a great candidate to land with the Minnesota Vikings and help the defense become a great pass rushing squad again.
Third Round (Pick No. 79)
Paris Ford – S (Pittsburgh)
The secondary for the Minnesota Vikings was struggling last year. With new starters in place and a lot of young talent, the injury bug hit, and the team was signing free agents to fill in an attempt to stop their opponents. Now, another starter is likely leaving with Anthony Harris hitting free agency and expected to draw a nice payday from a safety-needy team.
I’ve made it no secret in my past mock drafts that Paris Ford is my draft crush. He is an exceptional playmaker with great closing speed who could open up things for Harrison Smith to do more than back into coverage as much he did in 2020.
Ford is a great blend of physical play, athleticism, and aggressiveness that could make him an NFL superstar. However, those traits can also get him in trouble since he can overplay or forget fundamentals at times.
With the coaching of Mike Zimmer and his staff, those kinds of mistakes can be minimized and Ford can prove that his smaller size won’t hold him back from proving he can be a long-term answer for the Minnesota Vikings at safety.
Third Round (Pick No. 91)
Osa Odighizuwa, DT (UCLA)
The Minnesota Vikings love Shamar Stephen and may choose to keep him on the roster for the 2021 NFL season. On the other hand, releasing the disappointing defensive tackle could save the team $3.75M according to Spotrac and allow the team to look for a replacement that can be effective in that role.
If the Vikings do move on from Stephen, Osa Odighizuwa could be a realistic target to fill that gap. His sack numbers aren’t amazing since his season-high with UCLA was four, but he steadily increased his quarterback takedown numbers with each passing year while never having less than 5.5 tackles for a loss through each campaign.
At six-foot-two and 279 pounds, Odighizuwa will need to prove he won’t get pushed around at the NFL level. However, he does not lack power and explosiveness as well as a low center of gravity to help him win battles in the trenches.
Putting him next to Michael Pierce on the defensive line would be a great way to help him as he adjusts to the NFL level and would allow him to have more freedom to learn at a comfortable pace.
Vikings Draft 2021: Three-round all offense mock draft
What would the 2021 NFL Draft look for the Minnesota Vikings if they only made offensive selections during the first three rounds?
Which defensive prospects do you have your eyes on from the 2021 NFL Draft? And who would you like to see the Minnesota Vikings draft with their first three selections? Let us know in the comments section!