What the Vikings can expect from their Day 3 draft picks in 2021
By Luke Parrish
Janarius Robinson – DE (Florida State)
The Vikings worked hard to find someone to play opposite Danielle Hunter on the defensive line. With Patrick Jones coming their way in the third round, they kept the train rolling by selecting Janarius Robinson at the end of the fourth.
There is a bit of a log jam at defensive end now with a bunch of young guys fighting for a spot on the roster. Jones and Robinson will battle it out with Kenny Willekes, D.J. Wonnum, and Hercules Mata’afa for the depth spots.
Willekes missed last season with an injury and Stephen Weatherly was also brought back this offseason after a year away with the Carolina Panthers.
Don’t be surprised if we do not see Robinson at all in 2021. But at the same time, he also has the size to be the backup plan for Hunter. At 6-foot-5 and 266 pounds, Robinson measures similarly to Hunter and Weatherly, fitting the mold that Minnesota likes on the edge.
Whether he winds up on the practice squad or at the bottom of the roster next season, early expectations should be tame for Robinson. He will benefit from sitting and learning from co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson and Hunter in his rookie year.
This is the range of the draft where teams find a lot of draft-and-stash players, and Robinson is likely one of these guys. For better or worse, he gives the Vikings another body to compete for an opening on the defensive line, and a strong camp could drastically change the outlook of his first season.