Which 2021 NFL Draft prospects are too good to risk losing out on for the Minnesota Vikings?
Every year, NFL Draft prospects bust while others exceed every expectation, making the value of draft slots less important by the year. Looking at the Minnesota Vikings last year, they landed arguably the best rookie in the NFL when they selected Justin Jefferson 22nd overall. They also got a stud in Cameron Dantzler in the third round of the same draft.
Picking first overall does not mean a team is guaranteed to land the best player in the class and drafting late in the first round does not equate to a bad draft. This year’s draft is loaded with talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterbacks, receivers, and offensive linemen will come in bunches, at least that is the current projection.
The Vikings have a ton of draft picks once again and are picking higher than usual in the first round. Whether they find value with the 14th overall pick or somewhere on Day 3, the Vikings will almost certainly find an impact player at some point in this draft.
Minnesota needs to fix the offensive line, add some extra weapons to the offense, and add depth across the entire defense in the coming months. There are also a few spots open for competition on both sides of the ball, leaving the Vikings in a good spot to add the best players available with the hopes of plugging them into the lineup.
Which players in this class are worth reaching for when the Minnesota Vikings are on the clock?
Paulson Adebo – CB (Stanford)
Measurements:
- Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 190 pounds
2019 stats (opted out of 2020):
- 33 tackles
- 4 interceptions
- 10 pass deflections
There aren’t many reaches that make sense in the first round, especially given Minnesota’s needs and the projection that they will land a top offensive lineman early on. The players they have been linked to all make plenty of sense and fit the value throughout the first round so I will start this list in the middle rounds.
Stanford’s Paulson Adebo was one of my top cornerbacks in 2020 before he returned to school for another season. He wound up opting out of the 2020 season so he has just two years of worthy experience and has not seen action in over a year. Now, his value has dropped substantially and is lost in the shuffle of a top-heavy cornerback class.
Adebo is a very good athlete on the outside but his best trait is his ability to track the ball and make plays in the air. He does a good job in press but flips his hips to turn and run on deeper routes. What really stands out is his knack for playing the ball like a receiver.
In his two seasons at Stanford, Adebo snagged eight interceptions and recorded 27 pass deflections. He is remarkable as a coverage guy and has the size to be a starting-caliber guy at the next level. The Minnesota Vikings would be smart to land him in the third round.
Cameron McGrone – LB (Michigan)
Measurements:
- Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 232 pounds
2020 stats:
- 26 tackles
- 2.0 TFL
- 0.5 sacks
The Vikings may not be in the market for a linebacker early in the draft but they should be open to taking one if the opportunity presents itself. Anthony Barr‘s contract is now up at the end of this season and while he could still come back, replacing him with a younger and cheaper player should at least be an option.
Cameron McGrone has limited experience to his name after just a season and a half of college ball at Michigan. He shined in 2019 as a starter in the middle of the defense but only had seven games in 2020 due to the shortened season. Still, his tape speaks volumes of who he can become as a player.
McGrone was an absolute game-changer in 2019, especially when attacking downhill in the run game and as a blitzer. Michigan loved to blitz and McGrone was the key to their success over the past two seasons.
We have seen a shift to smaller, faster linebackers that can do a little bit of everything on defense. That’s exactly what we can expect from McGrone as soon as he enters the league. I think he can start right away but using him as a sub-package linebacker, similar to how the Vikings used Eric Wilson, could do wonders for the defense.
Depending on how the board falls, McGrone would be a very nice selection for the Vikings in the third round of the draft. He is currently projected to go later in the third round or so, but the Minnesota Vikings can move up to get him and secure an extra piece for their defense.
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.
Josh Imatorbhebhe – WR (Illinois)
Measurements:
- Height: 6-foot-2 | Weight: 215 pounds
2020 stats:
- 22 catches
- 297 yards
- 3 TD
Wide receivers will be a hot commodity once again in 2021 thanks to a loaded class that not only has talent at the top, but also a lot of depth. There are a lot of guys that are going to make plays as Day 3 draft picks and one of those is Josh Imatorbhebhe.
Imatorbhebhe has the physical profile to be a very good outside receiver at the next level once he gets the reps. Developing his game may take a year or two but he is ready to hit the field on occasion as a rookie. The Vikings need a vertical threat in the offense to partner with Justin Jefferson and they also need some size.
Josh Imatorbhebhe fits both of those criteria as a Day 3 receiver that can push Chad Beebe and Bisi Johnson for playing time. He is not a gifted route runner and does not have much production under his belt but Imatorbhebhe is everything you could want in a project receiver.
He has the speed to stretch the field and does an excellent job in high-pointing the ball in tight windows. Imatorbhebhe will shine in the red zone and as a deep threat as soon as he cleans up some of his technique.
Raw prospects are always tough to project but reaching a bit and taking a player of this caliber to try to add weapons is never a bad idea. We’ve seen what the Packers have done with low-cost draft picks at wide receiver, why let them get another specimen when the Minnesota Vikings could get one themselves?
D’Ante Smith – OT (East Carolina)
Measurements:
- Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 294 pounds
You can’t talk about the Vikings’ draft plans without mentioning the offensive line being a major concern. They have tried to add talent in the past few drafts but the results are far from known at this point. If the plan is to keep Ezra Cleveland at guard, the Minnesota Vikings could look to the drat for their new left tackle.
D’Ante Smith is a very raw player on the blindside that fits the athletic profile the Vikings have liked in recent years. Similar to Brian O’Neill and Ezra Cleveland, Smith is a lean tackle prospect that is best in space. He is not going to grab anyone’s attention with power or a mean streak but Smith could develop into the perfect tackle for Minnesota’s zone run scheme.
Lenght and good hands are going to get Smith into the NFL but there is still a lot of work to be done. And yes, I’m aware that drafting a project left tackle is not going to solve any of Minnesota’s present issues. That does not mean they should ignore players who may take a bit to get into the mix.
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They could also look at Smith as a guard thanks to his ability to move into the second level but his lack of power and smaller frame will make for an interesting pairing with an already-converted Cleveland on the inside.
Even if it takes a year or two for Smith to be ready for real NFL action, the Minnesota Vikings could benefit from taking a chance on his future.