Vikings Draft 2021: Four-round mock draft – April version

Third Round (Pick No. 78) – Ben Cleveland, G – Georgia

Not picking an offensive lineman in the first round essentially pigeonholed the Minnesota Vikings into taking the best available offensive lineman at this point. Since all the top-tier offensive tackles are off the board at this point, it’s time to look at interior linemen.

Putting Ezra Cleveland at left tackle and keeping Brian O’Neill on the right side with Garrett Bradbury puts Mason Cole in one of the guard spots with competition opening up at the other. And, let’s be honest, the rest of the options don’t look too great.

Adding Ben Cleveland could be a real boost to the line. Standing a little over six-foot-six and weighing 354 pounds, the Georgia blocker eats up a ton of space and is a mountain for defenders to move. Once he gets moving in run blocking, he will steamroll over most defenders in his way.

Cleveland projects well to right guard, where he won’t be asked too much to move laterally and can instead focus on winning one-on-one battles. Minnesota will likely work on improving his footwork and agility, but with some slimming down and polish, Cleveland could be a great pick in the third round.