6 guards the Vikings could select in the 2021 NFL Draft

The Minnesota Vikings have been searching for a guard over the past decade. Is 2021 the year they finally fix the problem?

Football is a complicated game. The best coaches in the NFL ask many questions that help contribute to their team’s success and for the Minnesota Vikings, their biggest question has had nothing to do with Mike Zimmer’s schemes or adjustments. Instead, the Vikings have had one question that has yet to be answered over the past decade.

Can he play guard?

This question has spilled over into every viral clip on the internet but somehow escaped Rick Spielman’s desk. While teams have built up the interior of their offensive line, Minnesota has been content to take low-risk fliers at the end of the draft each year.

The path to developing those players has been rocky and led to the Vikings trotting out Dakota Dozier and Dru Samia. Neither player has done a great job of holding onto their starting spot and as Minnesota heads into the 2021 NFL Draft, finding a replacement should be a priority.

This year’s class of guard prospects doesn’t have a Quenton Nelson at the top of the board, but there are several players that can establish themselves on the inside. If the Vikings are bluffing about keeping Ezra Cleveland at right guard, they could select a guard early in the draft and forgo their tendency to pick projects in the later rounds.