2021 Draft Talk

[RpMc]

Draft Network Mock with Trades

- Trade #14 to to PIT for #28, #60, and a 2022 2nd (get us a 2nd this year, and some ammo to move around next year - just call me Ricky)
- Trade #60, #89, #192 to CIN for #37 (utilize some of our extra ammo this year to move up for a top player at a need position)

#28 - Wyatt Davis [G, Ohio State] - Plug and play starter on the interior of the offensive line.  Whether on the right or the left depends on what's done with Ezra Cleveland or Riley Reiff
#37 - Jay Tufele [DT, USC] - will get every chance to start at the 3T spot next to Michael Pierce and I would expect him to
#78 - Trevon Moehrig [S, TCU] - versatile back end defender who should challenge to start next to Harrison Smith as a rookie, familiar with pattern match concepts
#115 - Jordan Smith [EDGE, UAB] - long edge player that needs technical refinement (sound familiar?)
#121 - Tyler Vrabel [OL, Boston College] - developmental player who might be best on the inside, If Cleveland moves to LT, Vrabel might get a shot to start at LG against a vet
#131 - Dante Stills [DL, West Virginia] - undersized 3T that projects as a subpackage interior rusher in our scheme.  Chance to impact the team in that role as a rookie
#139 - Ambry Thomas [CB, Michigan] - developmental corner with good size and speed. very willing tackler
#154 - Ihmir Smith-Marsette [WR, Iowa] - smooth mover with some developmental traits to work on at the next level, core special teamer for Iowa
#166 - Palaie Gaoteote IV [LB, USC] - good mover at the LB position, has been effective as an inside and outside rusher as well, adds much needed depth to the position
#217 - Ian Book [QB, Notre Dame] - athletic improviser at the QB position, limited size that could be helped by the roll outs of our offense
#235 - Luke Farrell [TE, Ohio State] - nasty blocker who enjoys the dirty parts of the game, has spent time all over the formation at OSU, but needs to develop more as a pass catcher

----------

I personally don't expect Davis to have to wait that long to hear his name called, but for this mock I was able to grab him (had the choice of a few other lineman as well). The Draft Network has a lot of underclassmen on their board, so this draft definitely skews young at points, but given we've taken some of the youngest players in the draft before, it's not an unreasonable thing for us to do.

 

[CriminalMind]

30 minutes ago, Cearbhall said:

Sorry about that. I can say that while I hated that trade from the moment it was announced, I was not thinking at the time that the Vikings were costing themselves a franchise QB. That part is hindsight. I disliked the trade on the merits at the time alone. Knowing that we could have had Mahomes if not for that trade is pure hindsight that doesn't take into account how everything else may have changed if the Vikings would have been playing that season with Hill/Heinicke/free agent veteran.

Perhaps the Vikings would have lost to the Panthers putting both the Vikings and Panthers at 7-9 and changing the course of the draft such that the Panthers missed out on Christian McCaffrey and the Bills would have then picked McCaffrey instead of trading that pick to KC to be used on Mahomes. One could speculate anything they want, but I see the decision to trade for Sam Bradford as a bad decision even independent of all that speculation. The Vikings were trading for a QB that already two other teams decided wasn't worth keeping. When is such a QB worth a first round pick? 

I agree was a terrible trade from the start.
Generally franchise QBs are drafted, not traded for.
I'm hoping we can draft a franchise QB this year, even if we dont use the #14 pick on the position.

[swede700]

2 hours ago, CriminalMind said:

I'm hoping we can draft a franchise QB this year, even if we dont use the #14 pick on the position.

While I don't expect them to go that route, it'd be interesting to see what they do if Lance is still on the board at #14.  

[CWood21]

8 hours ago, SteelKing728 said:

I'd like us to move back if possible to recoup a 2nd round pick. You think anyone would be willing to make that move with us at #14?

Probably just depends on who is available.  It's probably safe to assume that the top 3 QBs won't be, but beyond that it's anyone's guess.  And it's gonna depend on how far back the Vikings are willing to move.  In 2019, the Steelers moved up from 20 to 10 in order to select Devin Bush giving up their SRP (#52) and a '20 3rd round pick.

[SteelKing728]

7 hours ago, swede700 said:

Derek Barnett hasn't been great, so I don't know that that helped them win anything and it's not like we missed out on anyone...still likely wouldn't have gotten Watson or Mahomes and most taken after them haven't made gigantic impacts.

With Shaun Hill starting, we probably only win around 4 games I think (Titans, Jaguars, Texans and the Giants)

[VikeManDan]

2 hours ago, RpMc said:

#235 - Luke Farrell [TE, Ohio State] - nasty blocker who enjoys the dirty parts of the game, has spent time all over the formation at OSU, but needs to develop more as a pass catcher

Where do you see the other OSU TE (Jeremy Ruckert) going? He really popped for me while watching the OSU/Clemson game.

With that being said, I feel comfortable and confident with Irv and Conklin manning the TE1 and TE2 spots heading into next season.

[RpMc]

1 minute ago, VikeManDan said:

Where do you see the other OSU TE (Jeremy Ruckert) going? He really popped for me while watching the OSU/Clemson game.

With that being said, I feel comfortable and confident with Irv and Conklin manning the TE1 and TE2 spots heading into next season.

Being the more utilized pass catching option, I wouldn't be surprised to see him going in the middle rounds of the draft.  Depends on how well he tests, but he's similar to Jeff Heuerman who went in the third round, might be a better receiver than him.

[SteelKing728]

4 hours ago, Cearbhall said:

You can't go into a season with Hill as the guy the team was planning on being the starter, sure. But the team was planning on Hill being their backup. It was only because of an injury that the team would have had to rely on their backup. That isn't great, but the rest of the roster would understand the situation. That is what backups are for. Many backups on the roster like to think that they get an opportunity to start when the starter is down. Panic trading for a starter isn't a great message to send to those guys.

Besides, what else would the roster have been expecting the team to do? Nobody on the roster knew that a Bradford trade was even a possibility that the team could have considered. Maybe the roster would have pushed for signing a guy that was one on the street and maybe the team should have signed one of those guys to have something behind Hill for the roster to put hope in when/if Hill showed that he couldn't handle the job.

Fwiw, the record shows that Hill was 1-0 in the games he started that year. 

We should have either outbid the Chiefs for Nick Foles or gave Tarvaris Jackson a second chance haha

only slightly kidding

[VikeManDan]

1 minute ago, RpMc said:

Being the more utilized pass catching option, I wouldn't be surprised to see him going in the middle rounds of the draft.  Depends on how well he tests, but he's similar to Jeff Heuerman who went in the third round, might be a better receiver than him.

Right on. I'll have to try to remember to keep an eye on his blocking during the championship game. However, not sure a mid-round pick is best utilized on a TE3 with TE2 potential.

[RpMc]

13 minutes ago, VikeManDan said:

Right on. I'll have to try to remember to keep an eye on his blocking during the championship game. However, not sure a mid-round pick is best utilized on a TE3 with TE2 potential.

We do have a lot of mid-round picks currently, and Conklin will be in the final year of his deal.

[VikeManDan]

2 minutes ago, RpMc said:

We do have a lot of mid-round picks currently, and Conklin will be in the final year of his deal.

True, I couldn't remember if he had one or two years left.

[Ozzy]

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15) Trevor Lawrence Clemson QB

2. New York Jets (2-14) Justin Fields Ohio State QB

3. Miami Dolphins (10-6; from 4-12 HOU) Penei Sewell Oregon OT

4. Atlanta Falcons (4-12) Micah Parsons Penn State LB

5. Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1) Kyle Pitts Florida TE  

6. Philadelphia Eagles (4-11-1) DeVonta Smith Alabama WR

7. Detroit Lions (5-11) Zach Wilson BYU QB

8. Carolina Panthers (5-11) Trey Lance North Dakota State QB

9. Denver Broncos (5-11) Patrick Surtain Jr. Alabama CB

10. Dallas Cowboys (6-10) Alex Leatherwood Alabama SR OG/OT

11. New York Giants (6-10) Ja'Marr Chase LSU JR WR  

12. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) Jaylen Waddle Alabama JR WR

13. Los Angeles Chargers (7-9) Azeez Ojulari Georgia OLB/DE

14. Minnesota Vikings (7-9) Wyatt Davis Ohio State OG 

15. New England Patriots (7-9) Mac Jones Alabama QB

16. Arizona Cardinals (8-8) Najee Harris Alabama RB

17. Las Vegas Raiders (8-8) Jaylen Twyman Pitt DT  

18. Miami Dolphins (10-6) Rashod Bateman Minnesota WR

 

 

Current draft order, would be very hard to pass on Gregory Rousseau though but not very likely that Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers are not just sitting there when the Vikings pick.  Doubt the Giants, 49ers or Chargers or interior OL on their picks with big time receivers just sitting there.  Leatherwood could be sitting there as well if Dallas goes Rousseau so that would be a hard choice because he can play OG or OT.  

 

Not great how it falls, Shaun Wade could be around but with his struggles not sure he gets picked over Surtain Jr.  LeCounte has been hurt recently but he can ball and Twyman has not played this year and Holland has not played either.  Owusu-Koramoah is good but not sure he goes that high, same with Freiermuth.  Would be interesting if Waddle or Chase fall to the Vikings, of even DeVonta Smith for that matter.   Could be absolutely dumb to not pick one of those guys if they are there, Bisi is not a legit 3rd option at all, and Waddle would love him as a return man.  Say the board fell like that, yeah can Wyatt Davis and take one of those big time receivers.  It would benefit the Vikings a lot if Lance and Zach Wilson go high, Carolina I could see it, Detroit not sure but Denver possibly and same with Dallas if they do not want Dak long term, same with the 49ers as well who might want a QB.  

 

Edited January 5, 2021 by Ozzy
added to pick 18

[SemperFeist]

Greg Rousseau would look darn good in Vikings purple.

[TENINCH]

12 minutes ago, SemperFeist said:

Greg Rousseau would look darn good in Vikings purple.

I agree. I'd prefer him over an offensive lineman. I think Zimmer with as poorly as the defense performed will be pushing for a defensive player.

[Ozzy]

3 minutes ago, SemperFeist said:

Greg Rousseau would look darn good in Vikings purple.

I agree I would like him as well if he is there.  Really depends on how he works out if he falls or not.  There is a chance at it unless the Lions want to get some DL help which is a need.   He could be gone to them unless they got WR or QB.  Good that Azeez came out because doubt the Chargers would take Rousseau over Azeez who is a better fit in a 3/4 and is a possible replacement for Ingram.  He could go to the Cowboys also, not sure they are sold long term with Gregory and Aldon Smith and need some help with the pass rush, so he could go there also, depends on how much they liked or disliked all the young guys who played OL this year.  Falcons are another option for DL but not sure he should be picked 4th overall.

 

Would love to keep Odenigbo but he did not really show out when he was the only guy out there with Hunter out Ngakoue traded.  Not sure he earned a big contract after this year so that other DE spot could be open, Wonnum might take it but he was up and down and not 100% sold on that yet as a full time starter but did have a fine rookie year.  

 

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is an option as well if they do not resign Eric Wilson.  Wilson without quality LBs around him kind of struggled I thought to end the season, was great to start but man that LB core got rocked the last few games.  Owusu-Koramoah is more of a coverage linebacker who can still get after the passer and make plays, he could be a good play as well.

 

Something clearly has to give with the free agents below and whatever does will be the position of need.

 

Dozier OG
Harris S
Odenigbo DE
Wilson LB

 

Whichever guy walks becomes a massive hole for the roster.  There are no good backups to any of those positions outside of DE with Wonnum.   LB might be the least need because they do at least have some guys who can play but then again maybe not with Gedeon a FA as well.  Wish Ryan Connelly could have played a little more this year to see what he had.  Hardy Nickerson and Blake Lynch did not show much honestly when they were out there, I could see the Vikings getting rid of Eric Wilson in hopes Lynch takes his place which I doubt.