5 bold predictions for the rest of the Vikings 2021 offseason
By Chris Schad
It won’t take long for Darrisaw and Davis to start
One of the most troubling developments in minicamp was the status of Christian Darrisaw and Wyatt Davis. While the Vikings used a first and third-round selection to bolster their offensive line, neither rookie took reps with the starters during minicamp.
Seeing Rashod Hill and Dakota Dozier in the starting lineup is enough to give Minnesota fans PTSD, but it’s a temporary issue.
Darrisaw came into minicamp limited after suffering a groin injury in the weeks after the draft. Although he worked behind Hill, there’s no reason the Vikings would use the 23rd overall pick in the draft to select Darrisaw if they didn’t think he’d play right away. Darrisaw didn’t allow a sack during his final season at Virginia Tech, so it’s a safe bet he’ll be the starting left tackle in Week 1.
The same goes for Davis, who was selected 86th overall in April’s draft. While his bar is lower trying to overtake Dozier, it could be a situation where head coach Mike Zimmer wants to stick with what he’s familiar with (for now).
With the way Zimmer has talked about his offense this offseason, there could be very little reason to change things up in his eyes. Remember that Zimmer tried to go with young players on defense last season and it wound up producing the worst defense he’s ever had.
In a worst-case scenario, Darrisaw and Davis wouldn’t crack the starting lineup until late in the preseason, but it’s going to happen. With everything on the line this season, Zimmer can’t afford to get in his own way.