Upcoming Vikings Season is a Crucial One for the 2021 Draft Class
K. Joudry
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As many Minnesota fans know, the Vikings have made it a top priority to bring in oodles of rookies to help balance the budget. High-priced vets have been gobbling up enormous amounts of cap room, so the depth positions have often been left to players on rookie deals. The 2021 draft class is one such example, for it was one where the Vikings brought in 11 players.
Just how well has that group of rookies performed?
A recent piece on PFF downgraded the Vikings’ 2021 draft class. Initially, PFF gave Minnesota a strong B+ grade. More recently, that grade has been switched to a B. They provide some of their rationale:
Christian Darrisaw was always what carried this class in our eyes, and that’s still the case a year later. He earned a 71.9 overall grade as a rookie at left tackle. No one else in this class played more than 211 snaps.
There can be little debate that Darrisaw is that main name from the Vikings’ 2021 draft class. He had a strong rookie season.
Where we might find a touch more optimism rests in the positives we saw from Nwangwu and Bynum. Admittedly, neither played a huge role during their rookie seasons. Nevertheless, both showed a ton of promise in their limited opportunity. The RB is a legit weapon on special teams and the safety may force his coaches to adopt a three-safety nickel package.
There are several other players with pretty substantial questions that need answering. Can Mond become a strong QB2? Will Davis ever develop into an impact iOL? Can either Jones or Robinson provide the Vikings with quality depth at edge rusher? The answers to these questions will help determine whether this was a successful draft.
The final chapter hasn’t been written for this group of players. In a perfect world, three or four turn into great starters. Snagging a few more depth contributors would turn this draft class into an A.
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