Three Vikings Third Rounders That Underwhelmed in 2021
Josh Frey
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Today, we continue our journey through reviewing the 2021 season for each of the Minnesota Vikings rookies. We’ve already gone through the ups and downs of Christian Darrisaw’s inaugural season in Minnesota as well as the unexpected controversy with Kellen Mond. This time we close out the third round of the draft and clump together three prospects that didn’t really see much of the field in 2021: Chazz Surratt, Wyatt Davis, and Patrick Jones.
The Mysterious Disappearance of Wyatt Davis
Let’s start with the guy that saw zero playing time on offense during the 2021 regular season. That is of course former Ohio State guard, Wyatt Davis. When the Vikings got both Christian Darrisaw and Davis in the first two days of the 2021 draft, it seemed like their offensive line problems had been solved. That was probably the last moment Vikings fans were sure confident in that during 2021.
Part of the disappearing act performed by Davis likely has to do with the fact that he was still recovering from a knee injury when the Vikings drafted him. A lot of people forget that he was hampered by his knee through much of his final season at Ohio State, and then it culminated in a brutal hit to that knee in the National Championship Game against Alabama. He wouldn’t return to the game, and he was seen on the sidelines with crutches. He did go through his Pro Day and said he was “perfectly fine”, but I mean, what else was he going to say?
Then ahead of training camp, he suffered an ankle injury that had him listed on the injury report all the way up until December. He played through the injury in some preseason snaps but was less than impressive. With the emergence of Oli Udoh, this really limited his chances going into the regular season. He was limited to snaps on the special teams throughout the regular season, so we are yet to see his true skill set. However, this is still a guy who was projected as a first or second round pick. There’s a talented guard in there somewhere, and maybe 2022 will be the year we get to see it.
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Chazz Surratt Needs More Time
When the Vikings took Chazz Surratt at No. 78, they got one of the more interesting linebackers in the 2021 NFL Draft. He was initially a quarterback when he showed to UNC and eventually transferred over to the LB position. This lack of experience definitely made Surratt a project as he entered the NFL. The 24-year-old showed how raw he really was in the 2021 season.
He struggled in his preseason snaps at the actual linebacker position, missing a few tackles as well as his assignments in pass coverage. However, he did show some great signs as a gunner in return coverage, and he was certainly a contributor to a much-improved 2021 special teams unit.
The abilities Surratt showed in just two years at the LB position with the Tar Heels was remarkable, and he is obviously a talented athlete. The Vikings saw something in him last spring, and with a year of practices and NFL experience under his belt, we may see an expanded version of him in 2022.
Patrick Jones Breaks into the Defensive Lineup
Of all the Vikings third rounders mentioned today, Patrick Jones is the only one that saw snaps outside of the special teams unit. The pass-rusher out of Pittsburgh didn’t earn any starts in 2021, but he did appear in each of the final nine games for the Vikings. There weren’t any flashy stat lines in these games, but he did show promise with his strength and ability to shed blocks.
There were some very positive signs from the preseason though, and if Jones can bring any of that production into the 2022 season along with further development of his pass-rush moves, it could be a great sophomore year for him as well.
Overall, 2021 was not very kind to the Vikings third rounders, but it is far too early to call any of them busts. First of all, it’s worth noting that the Vikings essentially got both Kellen Mond and Wyatt Davis for free in the Jets trade. Secondly, each of these Vikings third rounders have intriguing talents and showed great flashes throughout the preseason. Obviously, preseason is against lesser competition, but it still shows promising signs of what may come in the future.