Vikings: Re-grading the 2021 NFL Draft
Since Let’s Talk Minnesota Sports wasn’t established at the time of the 2021 NFL Draft, we’re going to re-grade Bleacher Report’s analysis.
Round 1, No. 23: Christian Darrisaw, T
The Vikings needed to improve their offensive line, and they did so with Christian Darrisaw. Despite not getting playing time early in the season, he did turn things around by the end of it. Entering training camp and the preseason, he was dealing with an injury from his time at Virginia Tech.
Darrisaw treated his injury by having a minor procedure done on his groin/core area.
Unfortunately, he didn’t start until Week 6. I’m assuming that was because of conditioning and Mike Zimmer’s hesitation to play rookies. A lot of people were anxious for Darrisaw’s debut because of how poorly Rashod Hill was playing.
Darrisaw, albeit had a few hiccups, but did pretty good job in his first year.
His future is bright, and he’s athletic enough where he should be good in both pass and run situations. He finished with a Pro Football Focus grade of 71.8 (36th/85) – pass blocking: 63.2, run blocking: 77.2
Bleacher Report: A
Re-grade: B+
Round 3, No. 66: Kellen Mond, QB
Boy did this pick backfire on the Vikings.
I do believe Kellen Mond didn’t look good enough to be Kirk Cousins’s backup, but Zimmer didn’t help the situation at all.
When Cousins was out with COVID-19, Zimmer should have started Mond. He provides the most upside and you already knew what you had in Sean Mannion. That game was a shit show, and it’s just another reason why Zimmer was fired.
It’s hard to find the good in Mond when you really didn’t see much of him. He didn’t look good in his only drive this season against the Green Bay Packers. He went 2-of-3 for five yards, and the one incompletion was almost a pick-six.
Hopefully, this isn’t an indicator of how his career will go.
Bleacher Report: C
Re-grade: F
Round 3, No. 78: Chazz Surratt, LB
It’s hard to grade Chazz Surratt because he didn’t log a single defensive snap. He did get some playing time, but that was on special teams. However, he only played in half the games.
Zimmer doesn’t like playing rookies, but I bet he’s a special teams player moving forward
Bleacher Report: B
Re-grade: D
Round 3, No. 86: Wyatt Davis, G
I was really high on Wyatt Davis, and I wasn’t alone on that. He played three seasons at The Ohio State University and was awarded first-team All-Big Ten. He’s a talented player, and there’s still a lot of hope for him in the future, especially considering the Vikings’ depth on the offensive line.
Bleacher Report: A
Re-grade: C-
Round 3, No. 90: Patrick Jones II, DE
Patrick Jones II did get some playing time, but it was minimal. The former Pittsburg Panther recorded seven tackles in nine games (99 snaps). The Vikings dealt with COVID-19 down the stretch, which is why Jones II was on the field more. He played the bulk of his snaps in the final five weeks of the season.
In limited time, his PFF grade was 43.0
Bleacher Report: C
Re-grade: C-
Round 4, No. 119: Kene Nwangwu, RB
The Vikings nailed this pick. Kene Nwangwu may never make a name for himself as a running back, but his potential on special teams is through the roof.
Nwangwu is someone who has Cordarrelle Patterson potential on ST. He’s got blazing speed, and he returned two kicks this season. That number will only grow, and he will continue to give Minnesota good field position.
Bleacher Report: C
Re-grade: A+
Round 4, No. 125: Camryn Bynum, CB
Camryn Bynum deserved more playing time, but Zimmer didn’t have a clue as to what was going on. Instead of playing Bynum, who looked good in his two starts, Zimmer decided to bench him for Xavier Woods.
Bynum finished with a PFF grade of 78.3. However, he was exceptional against the Baltimore Ravens (90.0) and had another solid performance against the Los Angeles Chargers (77.4). He should have a bigger role next season if the Vikings don’t bring anyone in at safety.
Bleacher Report: C
Re-grade: A
Round 4, No. 134: Janarius Robinson, Edge
Janarius Robinson was placed on the injured reserve before the season started and didn’t record one snap.
Bleacher Report: C
Re-grade: Incomplete
Round 5, No. 157: Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR
There’s a lot to like about Ihmir Smith Marsette. He’s 6-foot-1,185 pounds and one hell of an athlete. If he can add some more muscle, there shouldn’t be any concern about his future moving forward.
He’s a great route runner, has a solid catch radius and good speed. If he’s given more time and snaps, he will have a very successful career. Hopefully, that’s as soon as next season. Smith-Marsette was targeted six times and caught five passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns. He did the majority of his work in the final week of the season with 103 yards and a touchdown.
Bleacher Report: B
Re-grade: A
Round 5, No. 168: Zach Davidson, TE
Zach Davidson gets an incomplete because he didn’t see any playing time.
Bleacher Report: C
Re-grade: Incomplete
Round 6, No. 199: Jaylen Twyman, DT
Jaylen Twyman’s career didn’t get off to a good start. He unfortunately, suffered gunshot wounds on a family visit in Washington D.C. He also gets an incomplete grade because he didn’t see any playing time.
