Pro days have finished up and now is a good time to see how the picks could unfold for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The 2021 NFL Draft is just around the corner. The Senior Bowl, free agency, and now pro days have all completed and all there is to do is sit tight and listen to all the rumors that will come out between now and April 29th.
The Vikings attended many of these pro days where Rick Spielman got an up and close look at plenty of prospects that could help the Vikings out this year and even more so down the road. With the moves the Vikings made in free agency, it looks like all they really have left to do is improve the offensive line and that is where they could go with the majority of their early picks.
While improving the offensive line will be a priority, the Vikings have other areas they have to address. They need to find an edge rusher who can start opposite Danielle Hunter, depth at safety, a wide receiver who could develop into the number two option, and maybe one more cornerback.
Here’s a five-round NFL mock draft post pro days, to give an idea of how the choices might shake out for our beloved Purple.
Rashawn Slater – G/T, Northwestern
Rashawn Slater has to be the Vikings’ dream pick at 14 overall. The guy could be an All-Pro at guard or left tackle and the Vikings would likely plug him in as the replacement for Riley Reiff and keep Ezra Cleveland at guard, though there could be a camp battle first.
Slater wowed at his pro day showing god-like strength throwing up 225 pounds 33 times. He also impressed with his agility and movement skills posting impressive times in the 3-cone drill and 40-yard dash. Vikings general manager Rick Spielman was in attendance getting a close look at this big man and potential blindside protector.
The one knock that came out on Slater after his pro day was that his arms weren’t quite as long as the average NFL offensive tackle. There shouldn’t be too much stock put into that as this guy had no problem shutting down Chase Young when they squared off back in 2019.
The biggest question and concern for the Vikings is if Slater will make it to pick 14. This seems very unlikely as teams like the Bengals, Lions, Panthers, and Chargers could all use the polished and powerful big man. There would need to be five quarterbacks taken, and a few surprise choices thrown in as well, to push Slater into the Vikings’ laps where he truly belongs.
Jevon Holland – S, Oregon
The Vikings lost Anthony Harris in free agency as expected, but they were able to find a temporary replacement in Xavier Woods. That was a solid move as Woods is more than a capable player, but the team still needs to find a long-term solution at the position. The chances are very high they use one of their third-round choices on the position and would love to see this Oregon Duck sitting on the board.
Versatility is the name of Holland’s game. He can play the deep field or even line up as a nickel cornerback, as he’s got great coverage skills. He isn’t going to lay the wood like some other safeties in this class but is a more than capable tackler. He is extremely smart and can predict where a play is going to go, getting himself in a great position to make a play. His ball-hawking ability will be extra attractive to the Vikings, as they’ve struggled to make game-changing interceptions the last couple of seasons.
Holland did sit out the 2020 season to prepare for the draft so there could be some rust on him. With Xavier Woods on the roster, that isn’t such a big issue. Holland can be brought along slowly, used on special teams, and then take over the starting gig in 2021.
Deonte Brown – G, Alabama
The Vikings love to take undersized athletic offensive lineman because it fits their scheme. It is time for the team to buck that trend as it just isn’t working, and take a beast of a man. That man could be Deonte Brown from Alabama.
Brown is an absolute load standing 6’4 and 350 pounds. For being so large, he moves surprisingly well and can get outside and to the second level. He did have a turd of a Senior Bowl and looked genuinely disinterested in the game itself, and that was concerning. Word was that his pro day was a different story and he showed better agility and quickness than many were expecting to see.
The Vikings’ offensive line is currently made up of players who get pushed around. Garrett Bradbury, Dru Samia, Dakota Dozier, and even Ezra Cleveland have been overpowered more times than not, and their lack of functional strength blows up plays. By taking a guy like Brown, that concern would go to the wayside. He may not get to the outside as fast as some others but he isn’t going to get bull-rushed back into Kirk Cousins’ lap. It is unclear if the Vikings would take a big, beast of a guard like Brown, but it is beyond time that they do, and doing it in the third round would be well worth the risk.
Paulson Adebo – CB, Stanford
Cornerback isn’t a huge need for the Vikings even after the unfortunate news and uncertain future of Jeff Gladney. They signed Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander and have impressive Cameron Dantzler returning for his second season. They also have Kris Boyd and Harrison Hand on the depth chart, so they could actually ignore this need all together and be just fine in 2021.
However, if the team is sitting there in round four and the best player on the board happens to be a cornerback they could very well pull the trigger. Alexander and Peterson were only signed to one-year deals and their futures with the club beyond this season are up in the air. Factor in that Mike Zimmer loves collecting corners, and the team bringing one in seems almost like a lock.
One player who would make sense would be Stanford’s Paulson Adebo. A year ago, this guy was seen as a late first-round choice but has since fallen down the board, where he’s viewed as a mid-round option. While he’s fallen a bit mostly due to concerns about his recovery speed and the fact he didn’t play in 2020, Adebo possesses a lot of traits that Mike Zimmer loves. He’s got great size at 6’1 and has long lanky arms. He’s also very instinctive, has a high football I.Q, and has shown great ball skills with eight career interceptions.
Adebo would be a solid choice as he wouldn’t need to be rushed onto the field in year one and can be a sponge that absorbs everything Mike Zimmer is teaching him as well as future hall of farmer Patrick Peterson.
Patrick Jones – DE, Pittsburgh
The Vikings are likely going to add an edge rusher at pick 14 or boost their offensive line. If they address the offensive line first, they will definitely use one of their third or fourth-round picks on a player who can compete to start opposite Danielle Hunter.
Pass rusher is the biggest question mark when it comes to the Vikings’ defensive line. They brought back Stephen Weatherly, who hasn’t exactly thrived when he’s gotten the chance to be a starter. There’s also promising second-year man DJ Wonnum waiting in the wings, but he tailed off toward the end of the season and it’s unclear if he’s ready to take on a bigger role. So the team definitely needs to add another player here and that man could be Patrick Jones from Pittsburgh.
Jones is a very nice-looking prospect who stands 6’5 and comes in at 260 pounds. He’s extremely quick off the ball and has a wide array of pass-rushing moves at his disposal. The dude has been very consistent in his career, racking up 8.5 sacks in 2019 and nine in 2021. He does run a bit hot and cold and is a little unrefined, but working with Andre Patterson could elevate this guy into a dominating force on the edge for the Vikings.
Jaelon Darden – WR, North Texas
The Vikings have four choices in the fourth round of the draft this year and can address many needs with those picks. One need they have to focus on is at wide receiver, as they need a better option at the number three spot on the depth chart.
The team did re-sign Chad Beebe, but while he’s a favorite of the coaching staff, he is undersized with inconsistent hands and average speed. Bisi Johnson is also on the depth chart but he took a bit of a step backward in 2020 and looks better suited for that number four or five receiver spot. Jaelon Darden is a player who could be available in the fourth round and would be an excellent choice for the Vikings.
Darden is just 5’9 and 174 pounds, and while he isn’t a burner, he’s extremely shifty. This guy is like a slimy fish that just came out of the water. He slips through tackles and can wiggle away from defenders adding tons of yardage after the catch.
These traits will also come in handy if the Vikings try him as their punt returner. His shiftiness is reminiscent of that of Marcus Sherels’ and he could give the Vikings a much-needed boost in their return game.
Darden is coming off a crazy productive season in 2020 where he caught 74 balls for nearly 1200 yards and 19 touchdowns. This guy has what it takes to succeed in the NFL, and could work his way into becoming a very productive option out of the slot for the Vikings this season.
Shaun Wade – CB/S, Ohio State
The Vikings are still very thin at safety even after the signing of Xavier Woods. Behind Woods and Harrison Smith on the depth chart are just Josh Metellus, who is a long shot to make the team in 2021, and Myles Dorn, who missed all of last season with an injury.
The chances are very high that the team takes two safeties quite early in this draft and if they are able to land Jevon Holland earlier, why not get another tweener type who could also potentially play cornerback.
Wade is an interesting prospect. A year ago he was seen as a surefire first-round pick but struggled in 2020, especially in coverage. He’s a big-time hitter who can come up and intimidate receivers and running backs and his athletic ability is off the charts. It’s that coverage aspect that is going to be an issue and he needs a lot of coaching up and film study before being tasked to cover any type of NFL receiver.
Wade’s versatility will help put an end to his draft-day slide. He makes sense for the Vikings as they have a need at both corner and safety and can be brought along slowly in year one. If he is able to absorb what he’s taught and figure out some of his coverage woes, Wade could end up being one of the bigger steals in recent Vikings’ draft memory.
Marvin Wilson – DT, Florida State
Defensive tackle was a much bigger need for the Vikings earlier in the draft season. They had a major hole at the three-technique position whose primary job is to penetrate and cause disruption to the timing of an offense. They went out and signed Dalvin Tomlinson to fill that role, and while that was a huge signing, the team could still look to bring in a young buck later in the draft.
Marvin Wilson would be a huge score for the team, especially in the fifth round. He was one of the more highly recruited players coming out of high school, and with that came very high expectations. Wilson hasn’t come close to meeting those, but he has been far from a bust as well.
Wilson accumulated 9.5 sacks and 15 tackles for a loss in his time with the Seminoles. He’s a powerful man with an explosive burst off the ball. He’s a load to try and block with that burst and frame coming in at a whopping 6’5 and 305 pounds.
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If he does end up on the Vikings, the team should give him about 10-12 snaps a game and just give him the green light every time the ball is snapped. There’s no doubt he could create that interior pressure the team has been missing the last couple of seasons, and with Tomlinson only signed to a two-year deal, Wilson will be primed to take over when he leaves.