Vikings Rookie Report Card: Preseason Week One

May 26, 2021; Eagan, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kellen Mond (11) hands the ball off to running back Alexander Mattison (25) in drills at OTA at TCO Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings’ first preseason game has now come and gone. All the reactions are now out there, whether it be over the top or rational. One thing that is yet to grace the headlines at PurpleTerritory Media is a discussion based on how the rookies performed. Today, we take care of that with a grade for each rookie that took the field for their first professional football game.

QB Kellen Mond

Grade: C+

Kellen Mond didn’t play great in his first preseason game. Kellen Mond will still be a good quarterback in the future. Both statements can be true for the rookie QB. Mond seemed a little rushed during a lot of his snaps on Saturday, and he made a few inaccurate throws. His footwork and timing were a bit off, and it just looked like he hadn’t been on the field very much.

And you know what? That’s okay because he, well, hasn’t been on the field very much. Mond spent a large chunk of training camp in COVID protocols after a positive test that took out the entirety of the QB room except Jake Browning. Going into this game, it was unexpected that he’d get a ton of playing time, and then at the last minute we found out he’d play an entire half or more.

It shouldn’t be that much of a shock that he wasn’t great under these circumstances. At the end of the day, he made some decent throws and showed off his running ability. This one game in which much of the roster made glaring errors should not shake any faith that Vikings fans invested in Mond.

RB Kene Nwangwu

Grade: I

For all the responsible folks that never saw this letter on their report card, Nwangwu’s grade is “incomplete”. The running back was set to handle the majority of Minnesota’s return duties; however, a knee injury following the opening kickoff wiped those plans off the board. It’s tough to judge a player based on a single 18-yard kick return, so let’s just leave it alone and hope he recovers in time to show something meaningful.

WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Grade: D

It was a rough day for the Vikings fifth-round selection. Smith-Marsette went into the day hoping to compete for the WR3 spot, but overall was unable to generate much separation on his routes. The few times he was able to open up space were on slant routes, but both of his drops came on these plays.

Meanwhile, K.J. Osborn emerged as someone to keep an eye on in this race. With Dede Westbrook and Chad Beebe sitting this game out, Smith-Marsette may be now be on the outside looking in on this position battle. That said, there is still plenty of time for him to impress. He was a very productive receiver at Iowa, and drops weren’t a major concern going into the draft, so like Mond, this performance may just be a result of pressing too much.

TE Zach Davidson

Grade: B-

Unfortunately for Zach Davidson, he was unable to haul in a pass that would have been a touchdown from Jake Browning. Otherwise, the rookie tight end had a solid day. He was effective as a run blocker and ran a few clean routes. If he was able to bring that pass in, he may have earned the top grade of the day.

G Wyatt Davis

Grade: C

Wyatt Davis’ first series went like this: allowed sack, ceding ground to a DT, watching a pick-six. Not the best start to a game for a player trying to prove he belongs as a starting guard. The former Buckeye star had an inconsistent game, and much of it had to do with the fact that he wasn’t getting low enough on blocks. He began settling in during the second half though and showed some promise as a run blocker.

Overall, this game definitely isn’t enough to usurp Oli Udoh, but there is no question that Davis has the talent to be a guard in the NFL. He needs to work on his technique more, but that is true of many rookie o-linemen. At Ohio State, he could rely on his strength to overpower opposing defenses. That is not how it works in the NFL.

DE Patrick Jones II

Grade: B+

Patrick Jones II played a key role in what was ultimately the best play from the defensive front on Saturday. On a First and Goal situation, Jones burst through the Broncos offensive line, got his hand on the Denver RB, and Josh Metellus finished up the play to record the TFL.

Jones was a bit raw out there, but he showed great speed and athleticism, culminating with that play. The RDE position battle is wide open, and the former Pittsburgh star has firmly planted himself in the middle of it.

DE Janarius Robinson

Grade: B

Like Jones, Janarius Robinson wasn’t quite as technically sound as you’d like. However, the speed and length are extremely intriguing from the fourth-round pick. He didn’t quite have the big play that Jones did, hence the lower grade, but he still made his presence felt against the run a couple times. He might not be part of the discussion for this year’s rotation, but in coming years, he could emerge.

LB Chazz Surratt

Grade: B

There were a couple instances on Saturday where Chazz Surratt got burned in pass coverage. One such play led to a 22-yard gain on a dump-off pass from Teddy Bridgewater to Eric Saubert. He has shown his abilities during camp to cover the pass though, so a couple miscues are something to live with in his first game. He showed a great prowess against the run though, totaling five tackles on the day. If this skill continues to develop, Surratt will be a valuable player behind Anthony Barr.

S Camryn Bynum

Grade: D

To say the least, the safety play for the Vikings was not great against Denver. Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater outclassed the Vikings safeties all afternoon. The most egregious play was a blown help coverage by Bynum that led to an 80-yard touchdown pass from Lock to K.J. Hamler. The Vikings have very quality starters in Harrison Smith and Xavier Woods, but behind these two, the depth does not appear to be great right now.

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