4 Vikings rookies who need to shine most at 2021 minicamp

Jaylen Twyman – DT

Considering the level of havoc Jaylen Twyman caused in 2019 at Pittsburgh, it sees unfathomable the Minnesota Vikings were able to select him with their final pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. The defensive tackle’s decision to opt-out of the 2020 campaign hurt his stock more than most, and there is also a report that he weighed in much heavier than his playing weight to consider regarding his drop.

This might be the perfect situation for Twyman. There won’t be any immediate pressure on the interior lineman to step in and become an immediate starter thanks to the presence of Dalvin Tomlinson and Michael Pierce, so developing his skills in a rotational role could make all the difference in his pursuit of forging a successful career at the next level.

One area where Twyman thrives is getting after the quarterback. This resulted in 10.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss in his last taste of competitive action almost two years ago on his way to a dominant campaign that had him projected as a second-round pick by most analysts at the time.

Expecting this sort of production with so much inactivity is unrealistic, at least initially. However, Twyman is coming to the next level with the biggest chip on his shoulder after being written off by most teams, and this added motivation is nothing but good news for the Vikings moving forward.