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.
Alijah Vera-Tucker (USC)
Measurements:
- Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 308 pounds
The first glance at Alijah Vera-Tucker will give Vikings fans some bad flashbacks. Vera-Tucker wore No. 75 at USC, which will remind Minnesota fans of the team’s former draft bust Matt Kalil, but he also showed enough while wearing that jersey to merit a first-round pick.
Vera-Tucker’s strengths lie in his fundamentals. His technique usually puts him in the right place and that helped him allow just seven total pressures while playing guard in 2019.
The issue for Vera-Tucker is his athleticism. While he put up 36 bench press reps at his Pro Day, his agility creates issues. His 3-cone drill time of 7.65 seconds was in the 66th percentile of this year’s class and his 4.61-second shuttle was in the 76th percentile. This could be an issue in the Vikings’ zone-based running scheme and it created more problems when Vera-Tucker was moved to tackle last season at USC.
The concerns with Vera-Tucker’s athleticism should limit him to guard, but that shouldn’t be a problem. While there could be prospects that offer a higher ceiling, Vera-Tucker offers the high floor, which is something Minnesota should be interested in if they trade down from pick No. 14.
Wyatt Davis (Ohio State)
Measurements:
Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 315 pounds
One of the biggest problems with the Vikings’ offensive line has been the number of times we’ve seen a player fall to the turf. Whether it’s Garrett Bradbury raising his arms like he just won a game of flip cup or Dakota Dozier completely whiffing on a block, it’s comical how many times a Vikings lineman has found themselves in a bad situation during the recent past.
Minnesota won’t have this problem if they select Wyatt Davis. A 6-foot-4, 315-pound mauler out of Ohio State, Davis brings the stubbornness of a Snorlax when it comes to pass protection as he allowed no sacks during the 2019 season.
Davis has some issues when it comes to picking up blitzes. When teams throw pressure at him, he has a hard time picking up linebackers and safeties, which leads to trouble. Davis allowed 15 hurries in 2019 before allowing three sacks during the 2020 season.
Despite his flaws, Davis would be a strong addition to the Vikings. His athleticism is tailor-made for a zone-blocking scheme and the ability to blast defenders in run blocking could create bigger lanes for Dalvin Cook. A strong all-around prospect like Davis is exactly what Minnesota should be looking for at guard.
Landon Dickerson (Alabama)
Measurements:
Height: 6-foot-6 | Weight: 326 pounds
Landon Dickerson played all five offensive line positions during his time at Alabama, but he seems better suited to line up on the inside.
At 6-foot-6 and 326 pounds, Dickerson posted a 92.9 zone-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. While he wasn’t clearing the path for Alabama running back Najee Harris, he was lighting up defensive linemen while protecting Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones. Dickerson allowed just one sack during his two seasons starting for Alabama and he is another player that won’t get caught slipping off his blocks.
Dickerson is recovering from a torn ACL from the SEC Championship, but he still suited up and took the final kneel-down snap in the CFP Championship. He also was spotted doing cartwheels and bench pressing in overalls during his Pro Day, signaling that his recovery is going well.
The biggest question is how the Vikings would use Dickerson. Minnesota has Bradbury at center, but it’s possible they could use Dickerson at guard, where he would probably excel. With his elite play on the field and his leadership off of it, the Vikings could use a player like Dickerson who could fill a variety of roles on the offensive line.
Creed Humphrey (Oklahoma)
Measurements:
Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 312 pounds
After cracking the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman, Humphrey has racked up 2,488 career snaps at center. While that would suggest that he’s likely to remain at the position, he has some qualities that would be better suited for putting him at guard.
Humphrey was one of the top offensive linemen in the country, allowing just 22 pressures between the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Those numbers are impressive but could have been aided by playing with Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts, who made opposing teams think twice about rushing the passer with their ability to create.
Humphrey’s athleticism leaves something to be desired as well. His 3-cone drill graded in the 70th percentile of this year’s class but his 112-inch broad jump shows that he has the power to make an impact in the running game.
Like Dickerson, Humphrey would be learning a new position on the fly in Minnesota. Although the Vikings may be gunshy after the last Sooner they drafted to play guard didn’t pan out, Humphrey is a solid prospect that could provide an upgrade.
Trey Smith (Tennessee)
Measurements:
Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 321 pounds
Trey Smith is a high-risk, high-reward prospect that was highly coveted during his recruitment. A former five-star prospect, Smith has long been rumored to be a first-round prospect, but he has hit snags in his development due to his medical history.
Smith has spent long stints on the sidelines with a history of blood clots in his lungs. While the problem could be sorted out in the future, his availability could be a key sticking point with teams looking to draft him.
The good news is that Smith has brought a lot to the field when he’s on it. Smith played three positions during his time at Tennessee and became a full-time left tackle in 2018. While he’s played on the outside, he hasn’t had much time to develop thanks to his medical history. Working at one position with some health could be enough to help Smith reach his full potential.
If the Vikings aren’t scared off by his medical history, Smith could be a steal in the middle rounds.
Quinn Meinerz (Wisconsin-Whitewater)
Measurements:
Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 320 pounds
The fastest rising prospect of this offensive line class may be Quinn Meinerz, who made a name for himself at the Senior Bowl. Only four offensive linemen had a higher win rate than the UW-Whitewater alum and he backed it up with an impressive Pro Day performance.
Meinerz ranked in the 92nd percentile of this year’s class in the 3-cone drill and the 84th percentile in the shuttle drill. With a broad jump that measured in the 90th percentile, he has the explosiveness to move defenders off the line and the athleticism to get into the right position to make plays.
Vikings Draft 2021: Four-round risk-reward mock draft
What would a Minnesota Vikings draft look like if they draft players with question marks? Boom or bust prospects could shape Minnesota's future.
That combination is another reason why Meinerz would work in the Vikings’ zone scheme. While Meinerz is the type of prospect that the Vikings are usually beaten to in the draft, they would be wise to make an exception here.