Minnesota Vikings: 5 prospects worth reaching for at the 2021 NFL Draft
By Luke Parrish
Jaylen Twyman – IDL (Pittsburgh)
Measurements:
- Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 290 pounds
2019 stats (opted out of 2020):
- 41 tackles
- 12.0 TFL
- 10.5 sacks
You could argue that no player in the country was more negatively impacted by opting out than Pitt’s Jaylen Twyman. The interior defensive lineman had an incredible sophomore season in 2019 and was set to prove himself as one of the top defenders in the class heading into the 2020 season.
He decided to sit out the season and focus on the NFL Draft but was met with a downward trajectory as a result. Pittsburgh’s Pro Day did not do any favors for Twyman or his teammates and now he is looking like a Day 3 selection when all is said and done.
The Minnesota Vikings signed Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency to pair with Michael Pierce in 2020 but they still lack adequate depth and speed on the interior. Twyman would be the perfect rotational interior rusher that can supply a breather for the hogs up front.
He showed flashes as a pass rusher but is still not polished enough to be a starting-caliber player. Twyman knows how to use his hands and rush moves but does not have the frame to sustain constant double-teams and powerful blocks in the middle.
While the measurements are a bit concerning, the film and production are far from it. Twyman could slide into the pass-rushing packages next to Danielle Hunter and be a force up the gut.