The Minnesota Vikings will certainly address the defensive side of the ball in the 2021 NFL Draft.
After the disaster that was last year’s Minnesota Vikings defense, which resulted from youth and injuries, Mike Zimmer will not allow them to leave the 2021 NFL Draft without significantly helping that side of the ball.
Last year’s rookie group was pretty solid, in all fairness. The Vikings rookie cornerbacks all had flashes, while Cameron Dantzler became arguably the team’s best outside corner after he returned from injury. First-rounder Jeff Gladney slowly came along in the slot and he seems like he could be the answer at that spot moving forward.
Harrison Hand even had his fair share of playing time near the end of the season and he came away with an interception in the blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints on Christmas Day. Troy Dye and D.J. Wonnum both got their opportunities as well and the Vikings will be able to evaluate their future roles this offseason.
As the NFL Draft creeps closer, there will be plenty of speculation about who the Vikings will select with their early picks. Plenty of defensive talent will be available when Minnesota is slated to be on the clock with the 14th overall pick. They should be able to land top defensive talent through their first few selections of this draft.
But still, there are plenty of gems to be found later in the draft that have not picked up a bunch of national attention up to this point. So who are the best defensive sleepers to keep an eye on for the Vikings in the 2021 NFL Draft?
Jamar Johnson – DB (Indiana)
Jamar Johnson is being criminally underrated in this draft class after a stellar college career with Indiana.
The defensive schemes at Indiana under Tom Allen were not simple by any means, yet they were one of the best units in the nation this past season. The secondary stood out for a team that nearly pulled off an undefeated season and an upset win over Ohio State. The leader of Indiana’s secondary was none other than Johnson.
Johnson is going to be labeled as a defensive back rather than a safety or a cornerback for now because it’s still unknown where he will play at the next level, which is a testament to his versatility and experience.
He showed up in every big game for the Hoosiers last season while playing all over the secondary. Johnson can line up deep as a safety, in the slot, or even as a box defender with the ability to blitz and cover. He was used similarly to how Minnesota uses Harrison Smith in their defense.
Johnson finished his final season at Indiana with 42 tackles, four interceptions, and a forced fumble. Two of his interceptions came against Justin Fields, one of the premier quarterbacks in this year’s draft class.
While Johnson may be tough to place into the defense right away, his versatility can go a long way for a team searching for contributors on that side of the ball. Why not add a chess piece and figure the rest out later?
Tony Fields II – LB (West Virginia)
We all witnessed what happened when the Vikings were down to their last resorts at linebacker in 2020. Alvin Kamara ran for six touchdowns and put a sour ending on the final stretch of the season.
Minnesota added Troy Dye in last year’s draft with hopes of improving their coverage ability in the second level of the defense, which was held down by Eric Wilson for the majority of the 2020 campaign. But Wilson is now a free agent and the Vikings cannot afford to bring him back at a high price.
Instead, they should look to replace him with Tony Fields II, a rangy linebacker out of West Virginia and another good overall athlete. With Anthony Barr hopefully returning, the Vikings should be fine at linebacker with him and Eric Kendricks. But there is a real question mark after them on the depth chart.
Tony Fields II was a reliable MIKE linebacker for West Virginia in his lone season with the Mountaineers after transferring from Arizona. He is efficient in space and he does a great job of getting into the backfield to take down opposing ball-carriers. With Dye being the coverage guy as a depth piece, Fields can be the run-stopping, weak side defender that backs up Barr.
It’s hard to pinpoint where Fields will land in the draft, but he is a player with a ton of upside as a gifted athlete. He racked up 375 career tackles in just four seasons, including 88 tackles in a nine-game 2020 season. He also recorded 21 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, and three interceptions in his collegiate career.
Fields would be a great addition to special teams and the second-string defense if the Vikings decide to spend a draft pick on him.
Khyiris Tonga – IDL (BYU)
The Vikings can learn a lot from the BYU Cougars in the draft cycle. BYU was successful as a result of building through the trenches and dominating the point of attack. One big reason for their continued success was defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga.
Tonga is a massive human as he’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 322 pounds. Despite a large frame and playing as an interior lineman, Tonga is an agile defender that does more than win with power. He can move pretty well for a man of his size, but his role in the NFL will be to stop the run and clog holes up the middle.
For the Vikings, that is an area of massive concern after they gave up 4.7 yards per carry in 2020, the seventh-most in the NFL. Tonga may not be an immediate answer, but he is certainly a player that can give a handful of snaps each game and eventually become a starting defensive tackle.
The Vikings still have to figure out the plan for the interior of their defensive line, but they should be adding pieces to the position group this offseason in some capacity. James Lynch showed some flashes last season and he can potentially be part of the solution moving forward. But he cannot be the only option.
Vikings Draft 2021: Four-round best available mock draft
What would the 2021 NFL Draft look like for the Minnesota Vikings if they stuck to the board and selected the best player available?
Count me in on Khyiris Tonga as we get closer to draft day.