What the Vikings can expect from their Day 3 draft picks in 2021
By Luke Parrish
Ihmir Smith-Marsette – WR (Iowa)
This is another big-time playmaker with a lot of athleticism, similar to what the Vikings got in Kene Nwangwu. Ihmir Smith-Marsette has a very good chance to win the No. 3 receiver job in camp this summer, but he will certainly have to take it from Chad Beebe. With Beebe on a cheap deal, nothing is keeping Minnesota from moving on if they find a better option.
Smith-Marsette would also be a strong candidate to be a return man, but the addition of Nwangwu likely takes away that necessity, which can allow him to focus solely on making the team primarily as a wide receiver. He is a superb athlete with deep-threat potential in an offense that needs someone to take the top off of defenses.
The Vikings do not need Smith-Marsette to be a high-volume option in the passing game, but rather a third receiver in the slot that can make plays with his speed both vertically and horizontally.
He is a much better athlete than any receiver currently in the hunt to be Minnesota’s third receiver and that should help him make the roster. Expect Smith-Marsette to be part of the final 2021 roster and have an impact in the passing game once he settles into the speed of the NFL.
If the Vikings do want to throw him out there as a punt returner, that should not be a problem. He was a kick returner at Iowa with no punt return experience, but he was explosive in the kicking game, so there’s something to work with. Admittedly, he needs to get reps in camp and work on fair catches, something that has harmed Minnesota far too often lately.