What should fans of the Minnesota Vikings expect from first-round pick Christian Darrisaw and what are his strengths and weaknesses?
The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft is in the books and there were some surprising trades to go with intriguing choices among the 32 college prospects who found a new team to play football for going forward. One of those players will be suiting up for the Minnesota Vikings this coming season.
Minnesota made a surprising trade with some top prospects still available. They shipped the No. 14 and 143 to the New York Jets in exchange for picks No. 23, 66, and 86. Of course, trading down means gambling that the player the team wants will still be available when on the clock again.
Thankfully for the Vikings, the purple and gold got very lucky. They were able to land one of the top offensive line prospects in the first round when they selected Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw.
But who is Darrisaw? How will he fit with the Minnesota Vikings? What are his strengths and weaknesses? And what kind of impact should he be able to make in his rookie year with the team? Let’s talk about all of that and more!
The Good
Immediate Starter
Prior to the draft, the question of whether Ezra Cleveland or Brian O’Neill might possibly be the starting left tackle for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season. Now it should be clear that it will be Christian Darrisaw.
A pure offensive tackle, Darrisaw entered Virginia Tech and immediately stepped in at left tackle. His excellent play allowed him to hold on to the position throughout his college career where he only missed one game due to injury.
Prototypical size
Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 322 pounds, Darrisaw has the size that experts love to see from left tackles. He possesses an excellent blend of power and athleticism that can frustrate one-dimensional pass rushers and punch slower defenders right out of running plays.
The weight distribution gives Darrisaw a nice anchor and low center of gravity, allowing him to get the better of any defensive linemen who don’t get their pad level lower than him. When you add that with a nice arm length, you have a blocker who can do anything asked of him.
Pass protection
Although Christian Darrisaw is a very good run blocker, the mammoth of a man excels when protecting his quarterback’s blindside. He was Pro Football Focus’s highest-graded power five pass-blocker in this draft class and didn’t allow a single quarterback hit or sack during his 2020 campaign.
Darrisaw should be able to go toe-to-toe with some of the NFL’s best pass rushers and hold his own right away. As a patient player who works hard not to get beat or be flagged, he should be a welcome addition to the Vikings’ offensive line.
The Bad
When it comes to the concerns about Christian Darrisaw, the complaints can be fairly nit-picky. Considering his production at the college level along with his physical gifts, he possesses all the tools needed to succeed at the NFL level.
However, there are some things that some outlets see in his game that could be cleaned up and improved in order to make him a more complete player moving forward.
Finishing plays
Both CBS Sports and NFL.com believe that Darrisaw needs to play through the whistle on blocks. Getting in a winning position is one thing, but making sure to hold that spot might be a bit of a challenge at the NFL level.
Of course, what will be the most interesting about this is how Darrisaw will approach the higher level of competition the pro game has to offer. The challenge should help push him to be a better player as long as he is up for the challenge. That shouldn’t be too much of an issue considering he’s been working to prove people wrong since he was offered only one Division I scholarship for football coming out of high school.
Other concerns
NFL.com added that his play can be “nonchalant at times” and that is something that the Minnesota Vikings will not allow. Despite what a former offensive lineman of the purple and gold says, the team will demand excellence from their rookie blocker and try to eliminate as many bad habits as possible.
What to expect from Darrisaw in 2021
It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out the plan the Minnesota Vikings have for Christian Darrisaw. He should immediately fill the hole left by the release of Riley Reiff and be the day one starter at left tackle.
With Darrisaw taking over the duty of protecting the blindside of Kirk Cousins, that allows Brian O’Neill to stay at right tackle, a place he has excelled since being a second-round pick of the Vikings in 2018. That also means 2020 second-round draft pick Ezra Cleveland should take one of the starting guard spots with 2019 first-round pick Garrett Bradbury rounding things out at center.
As with all rookies, there will be a learning curve. for Darrisaw, especially when going up against dynamic and prolific pass rushers. The patient demeanor of the big offensive lineman should go a long way in keeping him from losing his cool and he should win a majority of one-on-one battles in the trenches.
The floor is extremely high for Darrisaw with the ceiling being limitless. With no real health or attitude concerns, fans of the Minnesota Vikings should love what this big, bruising blocker brings to the team.
He might not make the Pro Bowl or All-Pro Team as a rookie, but he will be a solid player who will win more often than not against tough defenders. His inclusion in the offense will make everyone better and allow players like Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen to put up great numbers in 2021.
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What do you love most about the Minnesota Vikings picking Christian Darrisaw in the 2021 NFL Draft? And what is your biggest concern about him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.