There is Optimism Surrounding the Rookie Campaign of Chazz Surratt

Chazz Surratt
Mar 5, 2021; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels linebacker Chazz Surratt runs a 40-yard dash at the House of Athlete Scouting Combine for athletes preparing to enter the 2021 NFL draft at Inter Miami Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Most of the major headlines from the Minnesota Vikings draft derived from the long-awaited solidification of the team’s offensive line and the selection of an heir apparent to quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Kellen Mond, a mobile quarterback from Texas A&M, will wait in the wings while Cousins’ contract plays out through 2021 and 2022. The offensive line welcomes two new faces in Christian Darrisaw and Wyatt Davis, outfitting the offensive trenches with its first non-hodgepodge solution in years.

But other names were discovered in the draft, too. Patrick Jones II from the University of Pittsburgh will embark on a quest to start at right defensive end, a spot currently inhabited by Stephen Weatherly and D.J. Wonnum. Some believe a wide receiver named Ihmir Smith-Marsette is the solution at WR3 after the University of Iowa alumnus was scooped out of the 5th Round of the draft — the same round that ex-Viking Stefon Diggs was unearthed. For now, Smith-Marsette at WR3 is a longshot, but stranger things have happened.

Seemingly under the radar, general manager Rick Spielman drafted linebacker Chazz Surratt from North Carolina with the 78th overall pick. His addition to the franchise was jumbled in the pizzazz surrounding Darrisaw, Mond, and Davis. This offseason, Eric Wilson departed the organization for the quasi-rival Philadelphia Eagles, widening a hole on the Vikings depth chart at linebacker. To combat Wilson’s exodus, Spielman signed Nick Vigil from the Los Angeles Chargers. Before joining the Chargers in 2020, Vigil tallied 111 tackles in 2019 with the Cincinnati Bengals while playing 92% of all defensive snaps that year.

If Vigil somehow does not win the other LB job (next to Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr) and Troy Dye (a slender second-year LB from Oregon) does not rapidly ascend the ranks, Surratt could see meaningful time as a rookie. Third-round draft stock is not generally the type of player that gets stashed on the bench for too long.

Bleacher Report is high on Surratt. BR‘s Kristopher Knox detailed each team’s “surprise rookie gem” on Monday. For the Vikings, that’s allegedly Surratt. Knox wrote:

Despite ranking 27th in total defense and 29th in points allowed last season, the Minnesota Vikings waited until Round 3 to address their defense. There, they took North Carolina linebacker Chazz Surratt, a former quarterback still learning to play the position. While Surratt is still relatively new to playing defense at a high level, his athletic upside could allow him to thrive as a rookie. Despite only making the position switch two years ago, Surratt was highly productive this past season. In 2020, Surratt finished with 91 total tackles, three passes defended, six sacks and an interception. He’ll likely be a rotational player early on, given his lack of positional polish. However, Surratt has a knack for finding the football that should present itself early and often in 2021.

Indeed, the Vikings did not emphasize defense early in the draft because Spielman took care of that in free agency — Minnesota signed Patrick Peterson (CB), Dalvin Tomlinson (DT), Mackensie Alexander (CB), Stephen Weatherly (DE), Xavier Woods (S), and the aforementioned Vigil at linebacker.

North Carolina linebackers have a reasonable track record in the NFL. Lawrence Taylor and Chris Hanburger both came from UNC, eventually reaching the Hall of Fame.

Surratt was the only defensive player from North Carolina selected in the 2021 NFL Draft. Javonte Williams, Dynami Brown, Michael Carter, and Dazz Newsome all got the phone call on draft night(s) — for WR and RB duties.

Share: