Vikings Draft 2021: Five-round immediate impact mock draft
By Luke Parrish
What if the Minnesota Vikings want to draft solely for immediate impact in 2021?
The Minnesota Vikings have a roster that is ready to compete next season and all signs point to that being the case heading into the 2021 NFL Draft. With a few needs left on the board, the Vikings can certainly still get better this offseason. What if they only draft players who can make an immediate impact?
First Round (No. 14 overall)
Alijah Vera-Tucker – OL (USC)
This is a name Minnesota fans should start to get familiar with. After landing Patrick Peterson in free agency and cleaning up the secondary a bit, the Vikings are in a great spot to grab a starting offensive lineman with their first selection in this year’s draft.
Alijah Vera-Tucker can play either left guard or left tackle at the next level, which helps with Minnesota’s question marks across the line. His versatility, along with that of Ezra Cleveland, will allow the Vikings to work some things out during training camp and find the right fit for the starting line.
With Rashawn Slater and Christian Darrisaw already off the board in this mock, Minnesota lands Vera-Tucker, filling four of their five starting spots on the offensive line. Though short arms will probably place Vera-Tucker as a guard, he can still compete for the left tackle job.
Vera-Tucker is a solid option at 14th overall, and he could even be targeted a bit later in the round if the Vikings were to trade back, which is very much a possibility. Kirk Cousins needs some protection and there will be several candidates to fill that role when Minnesota is on the clock.