The Vikings Best Value Selection from Draft Isn’t Who You’d Think

Rick Spielman

Most of the Minnesota Vikings draft aftermath has been focused on the admiration of general manager Rick Spielman’s 1st-Round trade.

The Vikings boss man traded out of the 14th spot in Round 1, sliding back nine spots to #23 while picking up two extra 3rd-Round selections — in exchange for the 14th and 143rd overall picks to the New York Jets. The Jets nabbed Alijah Vera-Tucker — an offensive lineman linked to Minnesota ad nauseam via mock drafts in March and April — and traded away the 143rd pick to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Spielman turned that act of barter into Christian Darrisaw, Kellen Mond, and Wyatt Davis. These were direct spoils from the trade, not backdoor or roundabout dealings. Because of the nifty trade, several analysts consider some combination of Mond-Davis the “steal” of the deal. Mond was the sexy commodity for virtually every team that has a good quarterback — but wants to move on to a younger option in the near future (think Pittsburgh Steelers or Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Davis was a 1st-Round talent before the 2020 NCAA season when things went a bit pear-shaped for the Ohio State guard.

Now, Mond and Davis are Vikings.

But according to the Bleacher Report, it’s not Mond or Davis that are the best value picks from the 2021 NFL Draft for Minnesota — it’s Chazz Surratt, a linebacker from the University of North Carolina. Bleacher Report authored an analysis on each team’s value picks. And for the Vikings, that is Surratt.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report said this about Minnesota’s new linebacker:

While the Minnesota Vikings went offense with their first two selections—offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw in Round 1 and quarterback Kellen Mond early in Round 3—they finally addressed their 29th-ranked scoring defense in the middle of the third round. With the 78th overall pick, the Vikings scooped up North Carolina linebacker Chazz Surratt, a prospect who easily could have gone a full round earlier. Surratt was the 48th-ranked prospect on B/R’s draft board. The former Tar Heels standout should instantly add some much-needed playmaking ability to Minnesota’s linebacking corps. A terrific all-around defender, he amassed 91 tackles, six sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, three passes defended and an interception last season.

Surratt will presumably battle free-agent signee Nick Vigil from the Los Angeles Chargers and Troy Dye, a 2020 rookie, for playing time in 2021. The Vikings current corps of linebackers aside from those three include the All-Pro Eric Kendricks and Pro Bowler Anthony Barr — who missed about 90% of the pandemic season due to a pectoral tear.

The non-retention of former linebacker Eric Wilson — he departed with safety Anthony Harris to the Philadelphia Eagles — forced Spielman’s hand a bit on the LB section of the depth chart. Wilson was a splashy-styled playmaker but struggled mightily with run-stopping.

Surratt, with head coach Mike Zimmer’s mentorship, should get a fair shake to complete the threesome in September. What’s more, Barr is only under contract through the end of 2021. The working theory is that the Vikings veteran may head elsewhere next offseason — like he nearly did in 2019 to the aforementioned Jets.

Pro Football Network wrote a scouting report on Surratt. The only real “knock” on Surratt is size — he is not a mammoth human. Outside of that, here is the synopsis on Surratt:

Underrated linebacker with a three-down game. Breaks down well, flows to the action and shows resilience. Uses his hands to protect himself, is fluid moving laterally, and possesses a closing burst to the play. Instinctive, quick to read and diagnose, and remains disciplined with assignments. Easily changes direction and immediately alters his angle of attack without losing momentum. Gets depth on pass drops and shows excellent range. Fast in pursuit and quickly gets out to the flanks defending the run. Patient, fires upfield and fills the correct gaps in run defense. Squares and wraps up tackling.

Of interesting note: Surratt began his collegiate career as a quarterback.

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