Grading the Minnesota Vikings 2021 rookie class after year one

Wyatt Davis – OG

Grade: F

This is the biggest head-scratcher of the entire Vikings’ draft class. Many fans cheered when the Vikings landed Wyatt Davis in the third round. Early in the 2021 draft season he was seen as a surefire first-round pick and was even in the top ten in early mocks.

He did suffer a late-season injury in college, but this was one pick many Vikings fans figured would be a day one starter, having such a solid college career and coming from NFL bloodlines.

The reason remains foggy, but Davis never played one offensive snap as a rookie. It’s a shock because Oli Udoh, who was the starter, was absolutely horrible the entire season.

Instead of turning to the rookie, the Vikings stuck with the struggling Udoh, and then had a tackle in Blake Brandel be his backup.

Maybe Davis was hurt, or maybe he just wasn’t very good, whatever the reason, he only played some special teams and never saw any action at guard.

This kid is still loaded with potential and maybe the new coaching staff will be able to get more out of him or run a blocking scheme that suits his strengths. Whether you like Davis or not, there’s no way to sugar coat it, year one for him was a major disappointment.

Patrick Jones – DE

Grade: D

The Vikings landed the depth at defensive end they were looking for in the third round with Pittsburgh’s Patrick Jones. He was a player who ran hot and cold in college but had the tools to develop into a starter and worst-case, situational pass rusher.

With the Vikings’ depth at defensive line, it was assumed Jones would be worked in sparingly. However, injuries forced him onto the field by midseason and he ended up playing in nine games.

He proved to be a better run defender than pass rusher and finished with seven tackles on the season. That isn’t great value for a third-rounder, but he does possess some upside and now has some experience to go along with that.