3 reasons why the Vikings should trade up to draft Penei Sewell
By Dean Jones
An area of need for Minnesota
Riley Reiff performed well for the Vikings in 2020, but the financial savings involved with his early release made the player’s departure almost inevitable. Now the organization will be tasked with finding an adequate replacement, which Penei Sewell would undoubtedly be if they went in this particular direction.
Minnesota does have the option of slotting Ezra Cleveland to left tackle after the rookie showed signs of promise on the interior late last season. However, there is no guarantee Cleveland is ready for such a responsibility, and the Vikings cannot afford to get this decision wrong if they want to realistically wrestle the NFC North crown from the Green Bay Packers in 2021.
The cost to move up at least eight spots in the first round to get a chance to land Sewell won’t be cheap for Minnesota. But the window of opportunity where winning is concerned with Kirk Cousins under center is shrinking with every passing year.
Couple this with the increasing pressure on head coach Mike Zimmer to turn things around after a disappointing season overall that was due in no small part to a 1-5 start, and a move such as this is not out of the realm of possibility.
Putting Sewell opposite Brian O’Neill would give the Vikings an exceptional bookend presence that might make all the difference in their quest for postseason football in 2021.