Vikings Draft 2021: Five-round immediate impact mock draft
By Luke Parrish
Fourth Round (Pick No. 125)
Dazz Newsome – WR (North Carolina)
Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and Irv Smith Jr. make up quite the receiving unit for the Vikings, but it’s not going to be enough if they want to make defenses sacrifice at all times. Chad Beebe is currently slated to be the team’s third wide receiver next season, which is far too much of a role for a player with limited value.
Minnesota would be smart to draft someone who can add a wrinkle to the offense as somewhat of a gadget player. Dazz Newsome out of North Carolina is one of the players to keep an eye on as an offensive weapon and special teams threat.
We are all well aware that the Vikings need to clean up their special teams and a big part of that is finding someone who can handle the punt return duty. Newsome returned 48 punts at North Carolina and averaged 11.1 yards per return in the process. He took one punt to the crib in 2018, a season that saw him boast over 15 yards per return.
Drafting specifically for special teams is never the best idea, so Newsome would also have to be involved in the offense to make this selection worthwhile. He has the talent to be a difference-maker on offense over time, but his value on special teams would be felt right away.