Everyone in NFL Media agrees it’s now or never for the Vikings O-Line
Joe Johnson
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Four Mocks. Four O-Lineman.
If there’s one name in the NFL Draft game that carries more weight than any other it’s definitely ESPN’s Draft Expert and Christian Bale stand-in on ‘American Psycho’, Mel
Kiper Jr. Kiper Jr, or MKJ as no one is calling him. MKJ has had the draft locked down since the dial-up internet days, so whenever he releases a mock draft this time of year people pay attention (and money, as his mocks falls behind ESPN’s Paywall).
So far this draft season MKJ has released four mocks. I covered the one in which he speculated that the Vikings would trade up to the ninth spot from 14, and snag Oregon left tackle Penei Sewell the week before last:
Let’s take a look at his most recent mock, as you’ll notice a theme:
“That’s four mock drafts for the 2021 class for me, and four offensive linemen to Minnesota in the first round. It’s a glaring hole on this roster. Darrisaw was outstanding at left tackle for the Hokies last season; our Stats & Info team tracked him at 264 total pass-block plays, and he allowed just three pressures and one sack. Put him at left tackle on day one for the Vikings.”
Yes.
Please.
The disaster that is and has been the Vikings offensive line is becoming more and more inescapable zeitgeist topic both locally and nationally. While I like to take credit for being the first person in Vikings media to scream at my own friends on post 2017 NFCCG podcast after podcast, there are writers and site that are much more respected than me now essentially beating everyone over the head with rankings and videos of statisticians holding a mirror up to their webcam.
Case in point? Pro Football Focus just ranked the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line as the worst unit on the team.
Gasp sound.
When it comes to Derrisaw himself, I would rank him as the 2B to Rashawn Slater’s 2A. If you’re familiar with me as a concept you’ll know how I feel about Big Ten players in the NFL generally, but especially offensive lineman.
I brought that concept, speaking of concepts, on the latest edition of our KDLM Sports Detroit Lakes radio show:
… And so it isn’t a surprise that I’m a big fan of Slater. That having been said, though?
This paragraph from PFF’s 2021 Tackle ratings says it all about Derrisaw:
2021 NFL Draft offensive tackle rankings | NFL Draft | PFF
“It’s a big reason why he utterly dominated in a conference with some legit edge talent. His 95.6 overall grade this past season is the second-highest we’ve ever seen from a Power Five tackle, behind Penei Sewell’s 2019 campaign. He allowed zero sacks, zero hits and only six hurries all season.”
When you combine the fact the some mocks, including those by MKJ, essentially say that the non-QB Draft could start at the fourth-or-fifth pick with the fact that there are three plug-and-play STUD left tackles in this draft?
The Vikings should be able to snag one, which is what makes the following article by DailyNorseman’s wludford all the more terrifying and enraging (with a touch of sadness):
https://www.dailynorseman.com/2021/4/12/22368849/vikings-looking-to-draft-a-guard-not-a-tackle
That could mean that the team is sold on second-year former left tackle Ezra Cleveland moving back to his natural position. That’s all well and good but it does raise the specter of the Vikings needing to draft two guards while having a complete unknown commodity starting at left tackle. With Garrett Bradbury hovering just above the ‘Bust’ label? You’ll see why people like me have gone from frustrated to absolutely panicked.
The Vikings are not only not solving the guard issue that has plagued them since the start of the 2017 Playoffs, they’re regressing year-to-year and in worse shape now than Andre Smith in June.
Anyone who has paid attention to the Zimmer-era Vikings’ history of drafting guards who have, I don’t know, actually played guard before will know that the odds that the Vikings draft two serviceable guards in this draft is about the same as the odds of Zimmer seeing you if you don’t move.
Since hiring Zimmer in 2014, the Vikings have spent five picks on guards who have played guard.
Those guards?
David Yankey – 5th round (2014)
Danny Isidora – 5th round (2017)
Colby Gossett- 6th round (2018)
Dru Samia- 4th round (2019)
Kyle Hinton- 7th round (2020)
How did they fare?
Yankey? Was put on the Vikings’ practice squad in 2015 and sniped by the Panthers. He hasn’t been in the league since before the 2017 season.
Isidora? Traded to the Dolphins for a 7th-rounder and is currently a free agent after being cut by the ‘Phins, Chiefs and Steelers.
Gossett? Was sniped from the 2018 practice squad by the Arizona Cardinals, then the Patriots, then the Browns. He opted out of the 2020 season for COVID reasons.
Dru Samia? Is somehow still signed to the Vikings despite his disastrous play at right guard last season garnered him a PFF pass-blocking rating of 17 and the fact that the Vikings consider interior offensive line depth to be like beating a black cat to death with a mirror underneath a ladder for spilling salt. Bad luck, I mean. Or rather… Bad lick?!! Get it?!?
I apologize for that one.
Speaking of the word “one” and apologies (that, my friends, is what we in the industry call a segue!)? We almost forgot Kyle Hinton!
Hinton was on the practice squad last year. Is it a bad thing to then consider the player taken one spot before Mister Irrelevant (Mister…32 picks per round, seven rounds, carry the 2… Mister 0.4% more relevant) to be the success story here?
So, forgive me if I’m a bit skeptical that the Vikings will invest the capital needed (or identify the right players in the first place) to solidify the interior of the O-Line (or at least the part on either side of Garrett “That’s an entirely different conversation” Bradbury) come the end of the month.
It’s not even that I’m afraid they won’t use an early pick. As discussed last night? They have… On centers and tackles:
But they clearly are missing a key component (or four) as to what constitutes a professional lineman, zone blocking or otherwise.
But at least Mel Kiper is leading the charge on the national front. Hopefully that’ll resonate with the powers that be in Eagan since all of my efforts have been met with the same reaction Will Smith’s character in ‘Concussion’ dealt with… Confused indifference. Will Smith? Trying an accent? Someone give ME CTE so I can forget I watched that movie.
Otherwise?
We’ll be covering Kiper’s Mock this time next year with the Vikings rocking a top-five pick and new general manager and head coach.
You may think that as also the de facto ‘The Vikings can’t win with Zimmer’ media member I’d be gleeful about that. But, I’m really not. The frustrating part of this is that these Vikings are and have been seemingly just a mediocre-to-slightly-subpar pass blocking unit away from having one of the best offenses in the entire NFL.
Instead, as we saw with literally every free agent signing recently, Zimmer is like a kid in a candy store if that candy store sold meth and the kid was from Florida. I’m not sure if he just can’t help himself or if he’s really that stubborn, but if Mel “I know my last 25 predictions were wrong but next time I’ll… Best 27-outta-28!’ Kiper Jr. is this adamant about the O-Line situation in Minnesota you know it’s gone from bad to embarrassing.