5 biggest myths about the Vikings plans for the 2021 NFL Draft
By Nik Edlund
Minnesota won’t draft a kicker
A common myth when it comes to the Vikings and the draft this year is that they won’t take a kicker as long as Rick Spielman is making the picks.
The reasoning behind this seems to be due to the Daniel Carlson fiasco from 2018. If Minnesota is going to learn anything from history, it’s not that they should avoid drafting a kicker, it’s that they need to be more patient with the young kicker they take.
Spielman took the right kicker, the team just handled it the wrong way. After the Vikings cut Carlson, he eventually signed on with the Las Vegas Raiders and became one of the better and more consistent kickers in the AFC.
Minnesota went with Dan Bailey as his replacement and the team and their fans held their breath every time he lined up for a kick.
So while the way the Carlson situation ended up definitely left a bad taste in Spielman’s mouth, and perhaps it still lingers, it shouldn’t stop the Vikings from drafting a kicker this year.
Minnesota currently has Greg Joseph on their roster, and he’s no sure thing. It wouldn’t hurt to bring in some competition in the form of a rookie.
The Vikings do have 10 choices in this year’s draft and after they address all of their needs, they could have a leftover pick that they can use on a kicker. Some options for Minnesota could be Jose Borregales, Evan Mcpherson, or Riley Patterson.