Who are some of the defensive ends the Minnesota Vikings could consider in the 2021 NFL Draft?
The Minnesota Vikings have some big holes to fill in the 2021 NFL Draft. They did address the majority of their concerns in free agency this year, but a few major areas of need remain.
The Vikings could still use help across the offensive line, especially at guard, and they also need to find a pass rusher who can start across from Danielle Hunter.
Minnesota brought back defensive end Stephen Weatherly this offseason. He’ll provide good depth and experience, but he hasn’t answered the bell when given the chance to start, whether that was with the Vikings or during the 2020 season with the Carolina Panthers.
Minnesota also let Ifeadi Odenigbo enter free agency and he, surprisingly enough, was snapped up by the New York Giants quite quickly. D.J. Wonnum seems like the favorite at this point to earn the starting job as he had an impressive stretch as a rookie. Although he did cool off last season and he didn’t register a sack after Week 9.
This is a need the Vikings could address as early as the first round of this year’s NFL Draft. They could also address it multiple times during the draft in order to create plenty of competition across their depth chart. So who are some of the defensive ends Minnesota could pick in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft?
Kwity Paye (Michigan)
Measurements:
- Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 272 pounds
2020 Stats:
- 16 tackles (4 for a loss)
- 2 sacks
As the 2021 NFL Draft inches closer and closer, Kwity Paye has begun to emerge as one of the favorites to be the Vikings’ top pick.
Paye doesn’t have the long, lanky build of some of the other pass rushers on this list. But he’s got a motor that is always going at 100 percent.
Paye’s game is all about hustle, whether he’s fighting through blocks on his way to the quarterback or chasing a running back 10 yards down the field. Paye is constantly attacking until the opposing passer is on the ground or the whistle blows.
He has proven to be versatile as he can line up anywhere on the defensive line. That bodes well for his chances of coming to the Twin Cities as Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer recently stated how he wants to be more creative with his defense. Paye’s versatility could definitely add a new wrinkle or two.
There are a few concerns with Paye as there are with just about any prospect. The biggest is his overall production. Paye has never had more than 6.5 sacks in a season and he only had two last year in what was a shortened and injury-plagued season for him.
He has power, a great motor, violent hands, and definitely the talent to start early in his NFL career. Working with Minnesota co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson could do wonders for his development and he could very well be the first name the Vikings call on draft day.
Gregory Rousseau (Miami)
Measurements:
Height: 6-foot-7 | Weight: 265 pounds
2019 Stats (opted out in 2020):
- 54 tackles (19.5 for a loss)
- 15.5 sacks
- 2 forced fumbles
Gregory Rousseau has been a bit of a polarizing prospect amongst Vikings fans and really when it comes to the draft in general.
The guy has the prototypical build for a 4-3 defensive end with his 6-foot-7, 265-pound frame. His arms go on forever and he’s got a long, lean build that he uses to bend around and overpower would-be blockers.
The reason that the topic of drafting Rousseau is so divisive is that he’s only had one productive season in college. That season was extremely impressive, however, as he had 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss.
He was dominant, and he used his long arms to not only latch on to quarterbacks and bring them to the turf, but to swat passes, and bat the ball out of passers’ hands.
Rousseau is also better against the run than one would expect, and he could develop into one of the more well-rounded defensive ends in the league.
Besides only having one productive season under his belt, the other concern when it comes to Rousseau is the fact he sat out the 2020 campaign. This makes him extremely hard to scout as NFL teams would’ve loved to see what he could have done after having his breakout season in 2019.
Rousseau is probably the closest thing in this draft to Danielle Hunter. There’s no doubt he’s a raw piece of clay that needs molding. But if Andre Patterson can do with him what he did to Hunter, then the Vikings could have two of the best young pass rushers in the league on their defensive line.
Carlos “Boogie” Basham (Wake Forest)
Measurements:
Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 285 pounds
2020 Stats:
- 28 tackles (4.5 for a loss)
- 5 sacks
- 4 forced fumbles
If the Vikings address their offensive line in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, an edge rusher who should be on their radar with their next choice could be Boogie Basham from Wake Forest.
Minnesota likely won’t see this guy slip into the third round. So they’ll either need to trade down in the first round to pick up a second-rounder or package some picks to move up and land Basham in the second round.
Basham was a productive player in his tenure at Wake Forest, accumulating 19.5 sacks over his four seasons with the program. He isn’t as explosive off the ball as Gregory Rousseau or Kwity Paye, but he keeps working until he gets to the quarterback, and he is a violent finisher.
Basham has great technique, he knows how to set up blockers to make his move around them, and he truly is a technician at the position.
His biggest knocks are his lack of initial burst and his overall closing speed. He may never be a double-digit sack guy in the NFL, but he is a player who seems capable of getting around five to eight sacks a season while also being a force against the run.
Basham would look real nice in purple, and he could compete in training camp to start in 2021, making him well worth trading up for if it comes to that.
Ronnie Perkins (Oklahoma)
Measurements:
Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 247 pounds
2020 Stats:
- 23 tackles (10.5 for a loss)
- 5.5 sacks
Ronnie Perkins is a little undersized, but if he falls to the Vikings in the third round of this year’s draft, they should definitely consider taking him. Perkins has an explosive first step, and with him on the field, Oklahoma’s defense was instantly improved.
Perkins was extremely consistent in his career at Oklahoma. He had five sacks as a freshman, six as a sophomore, and five and a half in a shortened junior season.
He’s also solid against the run, especially for being relatively undersized. Perkins definitely would fit in nicely on the Vikings’ defensive line and be a key rotational piece right out of the gate.
There are some concerns about Perkins and the biggest is that he had a failed drug test back in 2019. This caused him to miss some games, but he appealed and had his ban lifted.
Still, that’s a big red flag, and it could be enough to cause Perkins to take a draft day tumble. He also needs to use his hands better and play with more overall patience. But there is plenty for the Vikings‘ defensive coaching staff to work with here.
Dayo Odeyingbo (Vanderbilt)
Measurements:
Height: 6-foot-6 | Weight: 276 pounds
2020 Stats:
- 32 tackles (8 for a loss)
- 5.5 sacks
The Vikings like big, lanky defensive ends and Dayo Odeyingbo definitely fits that mold. He’s 6-foot-6 with tentacle-like arms that he uses to envelop opposing quarterbacks and ball carriers. He’s got impressive overall power and he is a top-shelf athlete with an endless motor.
Odeyingbo was a well-rounded edge defender in his career at Vanderbilt. He tallied 122 career tackles, 26.5 tackles for a loss, and eight sacks.
The sacks do seem a little on the underwhelming side, but the positive takeaway was that he had 5.5 his senior season in just eight games. So clearly, he improved and peaked as he learned the nuances of the position.
There is one glaring concern other than the lack of overall sack production when it comes to Odeyingbo and that is the fact that he ruptured his Achilles this past January. This will put his availability for the early portion of the 2021 season in doubt and it will definitely have a negative impact on where he goes in the draft.
The Vikings medical staff will not only have to gauge where Odeyingbo is in his recovery, but they will also need to estimate the long-term impact the injury could have on his future play.
Talent-wise, this is a player who should come off the board in the third or fourth round. But that injury could push him well into the draft’s third day.
Joshua Kaindoh (Florida State)
Measurements:
Height: 6-foot-7 | Weight: 265 pounds
2020 Stats:
- 14 tackles (3 for a loss)
- 1 interception
- 1 touchdown
If the Vikings are waiting until one of their last picks in this year’s NFL Draft to take a defensive end, or they’re looking to double up at the position, a guy they could look at would be former Florida State pass rusher Joshua Kaindoh.
Like Dayo Odeyingbo and Gregory Rousseau, Kaindoh has that ideal length and size. He’s 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds with neverending arms. He’s got a great first step and he is much faster than a human his size should be.
Kaindoh sometimes struggles to use his hands to get free of blocks and he is a bit lacking in the strength department. But he is more than willing to attack opposing ball carriers and not just be a guy who gets sacks.
One would think a guy with his blend of size and speed would have a lot more than just eight career sacks and that’s a big reason why he will probably be on the board deep into the draft’s third day.
Kaindoh has god-given size and speed, so if he can get with a coach like Andre Patterson, who can teach him to bend and get away from blocks, he could develop into a solid rotational player.
Minnesota Vikings 5-round 2021 mock draft: Post-Pro Day
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.
If the Vikings are able to land him with one of their last choices, he would be a great value pick and one that would hold some promise and potential for the future.