Minnesota Vikings Draft Grades

How did the Vikings do in the 2021 NFL Draft? We give the Minnesota Vikings draft grades for every pick they made.

Round 1, Pick No. 23: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

An amazing pick, Darrisaw should have gone 10 picks earlier. The Vikings traded down and still ended up with the best player available at a position of desperate need for them. As a result, Darrisaw is the new starting Vikings left tackle from day 1. We are very high on Darrisaw here. Grade: A+

Round 3, Pick No. 66: Kellen Mond, QB, Texas Tech

I love this pick. Kirk Cousins’ contract means he’s going to be around for two years, so why not have a high ceiling QB develop for two years as the heir apparent? If it doesn’t work out, oh well. So at worst, Mond is at least a cheap backup, but we think he’s much more. Grade: A-

Round 3, pick No. 78: Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina

Surratt is a fantastic athlete at the linebacker position. He is a former quarterback, which is good since linebackers are the quarterbacks of the defense. Anthony Barr is gone after this year, and the Vikings could use someone to replace the departing Eric Wilson and push Troy Dye. Therefore, Surratt could contribute heavily in his rookie season. Grade: A

Round 3, Pick No. 86: Wyatt Davis, OG, Ohio State

Absolutely amazing pick. Wyatt Davis will take a starting role over literally the worst guard in the NFL Dakota Dozier. Davis was the number one guard on most boards, and this is just an amazing value at a position where the Vikings had to upgrade. So, Davis should start immediately. Grade: A+

Round 3, Pick No. 90: Patrick Jones II, EDGE, Pitt

Patrick Jones II has been a sack machine the past two years. He put up 11.5 sacks in 2019 and 12.5 sacks in 2020. He also has some very nice pass rush moves which allow him to penetrate the backfield. Finally, Jones II is extremely quick off the snap, he gets moving immediately. However, there were a couple edges we liked more, but Jones II should be a good fit in Minnesota.  Grade: B+

Round 4, Pick No. 119: Kene Nwangwu, RB, Iowa State

This pick has been referred to as the Vikings worst pick by many. Those people obviously didn’t watch the Vikings try to play special teams last year. It is a little early to be taking a punt returner, but the Vikings were atrocious last year on punt returns. Nwangwu can also come in and be a nice change of pace as a 3rd running back. His athleticism and speed are top notch. As a result, he should fit in well in Minnesota. Grade: B

Round 4, Pick No. 125: Camryn Bynum, CB, California

Bynum put together three solid years at Cal playing corner. I have heard the Vikings plan to use him at safety, which was a position of need. Bynum fits best in a zone coverage system, which is what the Vikings run most of the time. I liked other safeties and corners better than Bynum, but he should be interesting to watch. Grade: B-

Round 4, Pick No. 134: Janarius Robinson, DE, Florida State

Big, fast, long arms, explosive athlete, that’s Janarius Robinson. He’s very physically gifted, but this diamond needs to be polished. Vikings defensive line coach Andre Patterson is one of the best in the league. Consequently, it’s exciting to see what he’s able to do with Robinson. Grade: B+

Round 5, Pick No. 157: Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa

Ihmir Smith-Marsette is an explosive playmaker, it was just rare that Iowa ran plays where they were trying to be explosive. I expect Smith-Marsette to be the Vikings 3rd wide receiver as well as their kick returner. In short, he will contribute immediately on special teams and offense.

Grade: B+

Round 5, Pick No. 168: Zach Davidson, TE, Central Missouri

A huge, dominant athlete from a tiny school. Fun fact, this is actually where my wife went to school and trust me, it’s small. Davidson will try and break the curse of big, athletic, raw tight ends taken later by the Vikings as multiple have been taken the past few years, but none have made an impact. The good news for this former Mule is that the Vikings have a need at the number two or three tight end spot with Kyle Rudolph’s departure and Irv Smith Jr.’s promotion. Hopefully, he makes the main roster. Grade: B

Round 6, Pick No. 199: Jaylen Twyman, DT, Pittsburgh

Come on, you know what we’re going to say here. What a pick! Twyman should not have lasted past Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft. He’s baby AD, that’s Aaron Donald not All Day. He put up 40 reps on the bench press and was the first Pitt defensive tackle to lead the team in sacks since Aaron Donald. He also works out and trains with Donald. In other words, we expect a lot out of Twyman. We are high man on Twyman. Grade: A+

Analyst- Jonah Anderson

Overall Grade: A