PFF Names Favorite Vikings Draft Pick
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah entered the draft with four picks and turned those into six players. He acquired five players in the draft and landed backup quarterback Sam Howell via trade. The class has drawn some criticism, primarily because of the low number of draft picks rather than the choice of players.
PFF Names Favorite Vikings Draft Pick
First-rounder Donovan Jackson should have a role early on in his career. He is an experienced left guard who was good enough to be a first-round pick. Behind him, the Vikings selected some developmental players who could need some time to grow.
One of those is fifth-rounder Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. The defender has some phenomenal athletic tools. PFF’s Trevor Sikkema crowned him as his favorite Vikings pick.
“I would have preferred the Vikings to trade back from No. 24, but Donovan Jackson gives them an ideal starting five, so I get it,” Sikkema wrote. “I did not love the Tai Felton pick, but Ingram-Dawkins is a good bet. He is a high-scoring athlete (weight-adjusted) who can play anywhere from 3-technique to 5-technique.”
He’s not alone in his trade-back thinking, but Jackson likely would’ve been gone within the next few picks, perhaps even with the 25th when Ed Ingram’s Texans were on the clock. With him, the Vikings have a completely overhauled interior offensive line and a blocking unit that could be one of the best in the business.
Back to Ingram-Dawkins. Some listed him as an edge rusher, but he is more of an undersized interior lineman who can win with quickness. The Vikings list him as a defensive lineman, not an outside linebacker.
The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler noted, “Vikings potentially got a steal in Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. This kid can flat out PLAY. Elite athletic profile that only improved as the year went on for Georgia. All the tools to become a high impact player with plus bend and explosiveness. Still learning to put it all together, but if the lightbulb clicks, he’ll outplay his draft slot quickly.”
Ingram-Dawkins didn’t have much production, but that’s how it goes at Georgia, in a rotation with a bunch of five-star recruits and first-round talents.
In 37 career games, Ingram-Dawkins recorded 39 tackles and four sacks. But that’s not why the Vikings drafted him; it’s his physical upside.
His quickness and speed are absurd for an interior lineman. The Vikings allowed Jihad Ward to leave, an outside linebacker on paper but really an interior rusher with about 200 snaps on obvious passing downs. Ingram-Dawkins seems to be the obvious replacement.
When he addressed the media, Adofo-Mensah said about his new defender:
“Versatility is something that we crave for our defense, and he stuck out as somebody who’s able to do that label, to kind of set the edge working outside in, and then in the rush game, has some ability to win over the guard with a unique skill set. It’s not refined yet, but there’s some stuff in there that’s pretty unique. We think that he’s an incredibly intelligent player, and his best football is in front of him, and we think he’s going to achieve that best football in this building.”
Ingram-Dawkins is excited to play under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who probably had a big say in the decision to draft him:
“What excites me the most is I watched the league, and I watch Coach Flo, and I see how he uses his defense. I see how he uses his front, and I feel like the way that he uses his front fits right into my game and where I’m trying to take my game. I’m excited to get up there and work with them,” he added. “I actually did a [Top] 30 visit to Minnesota. Fell in love with it. Fell in love with the facilities, the coaching staff, and just the style of play, you know. So all in all, I’m very excited to get up to Minnesota and get in that Brian Flores defense.”
The sky is the limit for the 21-year-old. It’s now on the coaching staff to get the most out of the fifth-rounder.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference CFB helped with this article.