NFL Offseason Workout Program Dates

The draft is done, the rosters are full, or close to full, it’s time for the offseason workouts. Maybe. The league announced the dates of each team’s offseason workouts. The voluntary nine-week offseason program is conducted in three phases. 

from NFL.com:

Phase One (April 19-May 14) has been extended from its customary two-week period to four weeks, with activities limited to strength and conditioning, virtual meetings, and physical rehabilitation only.

Phase Two (May 17-21) has been shortened from three weeks to one week. On-field workouts may include individual player instruction and drills, "perfect play" drills, drills and plays conducted with offensive players lining up across from offensive players and defensive players lining up across from defensive players, with each group permitted to align eleven or fewer players across from eleven or fewer players.

Phase Three (May 24-June 18) remains its customary four weeks in length. Beginning in Phase Three, clubs may conduct in-person meetings and classroom instruction subject to COVID-19 testing cadence, tracking, facility access and other protocols. During Phase Three, teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activity, or "OTAs". No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement allows for each team to hold one mandatory minicamp for veteran players. This minicamp must tale place during Phase Three. 

Each team may hold a rookie development program for a period of seven weeks. That program may begin on May 17. No activities may be held on weekends, with the exception of a single post-draft minicamp. That minicamp may be conducted on either the first or second weekend following the draft. 

A lot of rules. 

The NFLPA has taken the stance that these voluntary workouts should be avoided. Veteran players for several teams have already stated that they won’t be attending. NFLPA leadership has propped up last year’s lack of offseason workouts as the reason for a supposed decrease in injuries. That supposed injury decrease last year is their reason for not having offseason workouts this year. The lack of preseason games probably had more to do with the supposed drop in league-wide injuries than the lack of an offseason workouts. Personally, I didn’t see any drop in injuries. I watched the Minnesota Vikings last season get dismantled on a weekly basis by injuries. Anyway, the player attendance at these workouts across the league will be interesting to watch. 

NFL Offseason Workout Program Dates

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-26, June 1-3, June 8-11

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

ARIZONA CARDINALS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 2-4, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

ATLANTA FALCONS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 2-4, June 14-17

Mandatory Minicamp: June 8-10

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

BALTIMORE RAVENS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 2-4, June 7-8, June 10-11

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

BUFFALO BILLS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 1-2, June 4, June 7-8, June 10-11

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

CAROLINA PANTHERS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 1-3, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

CHICAGO BEARS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27. June 1-3, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

CINCINNATI BENGALS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-26, June 1-3, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

CLEVELAND BROWNS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 1-3, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

DALLAS COWBOYS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 1, June 3-4

Mandatory Minicamp: June 8-1

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

DENVER BRONCOS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 1-2, June 4, June 7-8, June 10-11

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

DETROIT LIONS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 2-4, June 14-17

Mandatory Minicamp: June 8-10

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

GREEN BAY PACKERS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 1-2, June 4, June 7-8, June 10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-15

HOUSTON TEXANS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24, May 26-27, June 1, June 3-4, June 7-8, June 10-11

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 2-4, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 7-9

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24, May 26-27, June 1, June 3-4, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 1-3, June 8-11

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 1-3, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 7-9

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 2-4, June 7-8, June 10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-16

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

LOS ANGELES RAMS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 1-3, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

MIAMI DOLPHINS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-26, June 1-3, June 7-8, June 10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 1, June 3-4, June 7-8, June 10-11

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 1-3, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

NEW YORK GIANTS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 2-4, June 14-15

Mandatory Minicamp: June 8-10

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

NEW YORK JETS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24, May 26-27, June 1, June 3-4, June 7-8, June 10-11

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 7-9

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 2-4, June 14-17

Mandatory Minicamp: June 8-10

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 1-3, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 1-2, June 4, June 7-8, June 10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24, May 26-27, June 1, June 3-4, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 1-3, June 14-17

Mandatory Minicamp: June 7-9

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

TENNESSEE TITANS

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 24-25, May 27, June 1, June 3-4, June 7-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 1-3, June 8-10

Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17

Rookie Minicamp: May 14-15

Favorite AFC Draft Picks

Here are my favorite draft picks of the AFC teams.

Baltimore Ravens

Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

The Vikings weren’t going to pick a receiver in the first round but it sure would’ve been nice to keep Rashod Bateman in Minnesota.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

When he was coming out of high school I hoped that Najee Harris would stay near home and play at Cal. He might’ve considered it for about a second. He’s outstanding on and off the field. It’s easy to be a fan of Harris. 

Cleveland Browns

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

I still can’t believe that the Browns were able to select Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in the second round. He’s a top half of the first round talent. 

Cincinnati Bengals

Everson McPherson, K, Florida

It’s gotta be the kicker. Actually, my favorite Bengals pick was Texas edge Joseph Ossai.

New England Patriots

Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama

Before the Vikings signed Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency, Christian Barmore was one of my draft favorites. 

Buffalo Bills

Carlos Basham Jr., Edge, Wake Forest

I’m a fan of any football player nicknamed Boogie. 

New York Jets

Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC

As the draft neared, Alijah Vera-Tucker became my favorite pick for the Vikings. It’s fitting that the Jets selected him with the pick obtained from the Vikings.

Miami Dolphins

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

Miami could be a fun team moving forward. Jaylen Wadddle is a major reason for that. 

Indianapolis Colts

Kwity Paye, Edge, Michigan

If the Vikings didn’t go offensive line in the first round, and I’m damn glad that they did, Kwity Paye was the pick for me.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse

Trevor who? 

Houston Texans

Garrett Wallow, LB, TCU

It’s easy to be a fan of Garrett Wallow.

Tennessee Titans

Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State

I like the big guy from the little school.

Kansas City Chiefs 

Trey Smith, OG, Tennessee

It was tough to watch Trey Smith tumble down the draft due to medical issues that probably won’t impact his career. The Chiefs added a very talented offensive lineman late in the draft.  

Denver Broncos

Quinn Meinerz, IOL, Wisconsin-Whitewater

Like Dillon Radunz, another big guy from a little school. 

Los Angeles Chargers

Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern 

Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater were my dream picks for the Vikings. The Chargers “stole” Slater at #13. That probably triggered the Vikings trade down from #14.

Las Vegas Raiders

Divine Deablo, S, Virginia Tech

Great name!

Favorite NFC Draft Picks

 Here are my favorite draft picks of the NFC teams.

Minnesota Vikings

Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

It’s gotta be the new left tackle. Christian Darrisaw. The pick was made even better when the Vikings were able to grab him after trading down nine spots. The trade brought Darrisaw, Kellon Mond, and Wyatt Davis to Minnesota. Offensive line has been a problem in Minnesota for too damn long. Darrisaw and Davis should be part of a young, promising, and talented starting five. It was refreshing to see the Vikings make strong draft moves in an effort to finally bury this offensive line problem.

Green Bay Packers

Amari Rodgers, WR, Clemson

The Packers finally draft a receiver for their quarterback.

Chicago Bears

Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

The Bears move from #20 to #11 to select Justin Fields was the strongest draft day move of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Detroit Lions

Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

I never thought that there was a realistic chance of Penei Sewell landing in Minnesota but the dream was there. 

New York Giants

Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

Kadarius Toney is a highlight waiting to happen. If the Giants had draft day hopes of landing one of the “Big 3” receivers, Toney is fine consolation. The trade back with the Bears also brought them a #1 next year.

Washington Football Team

Benjamin St-Juste, CB, Minnesota

Jamin Davis is a favorite but I can’t pick only first round guys. I was hoping that Benjamin St-Juste might stay in Minnesota.

Philadelphia Eagles

Landon Dickerson, IOL, Alabama

It’s impossible not to be a fan of Landon Dickerson.

Dallas Cowboys

Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

Micah Parsons is a beast. 

New Orleans Saints

Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford

It feels weird to favor a Stanford football player but I like Paulson Adebo.

Carolina Panthers

Brady Christensen, OT, BYU

If the Vikings hadn’t found their left tackle in the first round, Brady Christensen was a Day 2 favorite for the job.

Atlanta Falcons

Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

Kyle Pitts is going to be fun. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas

Tom Brady needed another weapon. 

San Francisco 49ers

Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

Mac who? I still can’t believe people believed that the 49ers traded to #3 for Mac Jones.

Arizona Cardinals

Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

The Cardinals offense is going to be fun.

Los Angeles Rams

Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville

It’s gotta be Tutu. I’m a fan of the little guy in the NFL.

Seattle Seahawks

D’Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan

There were so many smallish, exciting receivers in this draft. D’Wayne Eskridge was one of my favorites. 

Fifth-Year Option Tracker

The deadline for NFL teams to exercise the fifth-year options on their 2018 first-round picks was yesterday. 

1.   Cleveland Browns-Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma-Picked Up
2.   New York Giants-Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State-Picked Up
3.   New York Jets-Sam Darnold, QB, USC-Traded to Panthers and Picked Up
4.   Cleveland Browns-Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State-Picked Up
5.   Denver Broncos-Bradley Chubb, DE, North Carolina State-Picked Up
6.   Indianapolis Colts-Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame-Picked Up
7.   Buffalo Bills (from Bucs)-Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming-Picked Up
8.   Chicago Bears-Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia-Picked Up
9.   San Francisco 49ers-Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame-Picked Up
10. Arizona Cardinals (from Raiders)-Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA-Traded and Waived
11. Miami Dolphins-Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama-Picked Up
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Vita Vea, DT, Washington-Picked Up
13. Washington Redskins-Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama-Picked Up
14. New Orleans Saints (from Packers)-Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA-Picked Up
15. Oakland Raiders-Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA-Signed to 3-year extension
16. Buffalo Bills (from Ravens)-Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech-Picked Up
17. Los Angeles Chargers-Derwin James, S, Florida State-Picked Up
18. Green Bay Packers (from Seahawks)-Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville-Picked Up
19. Dallas Cowboys-Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State-Declined
20. Detroit Lions-Frank Ragnow, C/G, Arkansas-Picked Up
21. Cincinnati Bengals-Billy Price, G, Ohio State-Declined
22. Tennessee Titans(from Ravens)-Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama-Declined
23. New England Patriots-Isaiah Wynn, G/T, Georgia-Picked Up
24. Carolina Panthers-DJ Moore, WR, Maryland-Picked Up
25. Baltimore Ravens-Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina-Traded to Falcons and Declined
26. Atlanta Falcons-Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama-Picked Up
27. Seattle Seahawks-Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State-Declined
28. Pittsburgh Steelers-Terrell Edmonds, S, Virginia Tech-Declined
29. Jacksonville Jaguars-Taven Bryan, DT, Florida-Declined
30. Minnesota Vikings-Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida-Declined
31. New England Patriots-Sony Michel, RB, Georgia-Declined
32. Baltimore Ravens (from Eagles)-Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville-Picked Up

***

21 teams picked up the fifth-year options of their 2018 first-round draft picks.

One team (Raiders) has already signed their 2018 first-round draft pick (Kolton Miller) to an extension.

Of the remaining 10 2018 first-round draft picks, nine had their fifth-year options declined. Then there’s Josh Rosen. 

Josh Rosen has had quite the NFL ride. The Cardinals selected him with the 10th pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. Using a top-10 pick on a quarterback usually means something. It usually means that the quarterback has a real shot being a team’s long-term answer at the position. It didn’t mean a thing for Rosen. A year after being the 10th pick in his draft, he was traded to the Dolphins after the Cardinals drafted Kyler Murray first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. A year after that, he was the odd quarterback out in Miami when the Dolphins selected Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. Rosen was released following training camp. The Buccaneers signed him to their practice squad in September. The 49ers signed him to their active roster in December. Now, he’s on a team that selected Trey Lance with the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Since Rosen was released by the Dolphins, there was no fifth-round option for the 49ers to consider. 

For the players that had their fifth-round options declined, it only means that they hit free agency after four years rather than five. 

Minnesota Vikings Undrafted Free Agents

Without a seventh-round pick, the Minnesota Vikings completed their participation in the 2021 NFL Draft more than a round early. They were then able to turn their focus on the college football prospects that weren’t drafted. 

Blake Proehl, WR, East Carolina

A.J. Rose, RB, Kentucky

Myron Mitchell, WR, Alabama-Birmingham

Riley Patterson, K, Memphis

Whop Philyor, WR, Indiana

Tuf Borland, LB, Ohio State

Zeandae Johnson, DL, Cal

Christian Elliss, Edge, Idaho

Turner Bernard, LS, San Diego State

Jordon Scott, DT, Oregon

Whop and Tuf? That sounds like a 1970s era Hasbro game.

With little reason for thinking so, I think that the following have the best chances of making the Vikings 53-man roster. 

Riley Patterson

Turner Bernard

Whop Philyor

Nearly every aspect of the Vikings kick units sucked last year. For that reason alone, I’d probably put Riley Patterson and Turner Bernard on equal footing with their competition. Greg Joseph is the only other kicker currently on the Vikings roster. He’s kicked 17 field goals and 34 extra points in his career and spent the entirety of the 2020 season as the emergency kicker of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. About all that one can really say about his NFL career is that he’s had one. The Joseph-Patterson kicking competition is an important one, an interesting one, and most definitely an open one. The same can be said of the long snapper competition between incumbent Andrew DePaola and Turner Bernard.

There’s just something about Whop. The Vikings need some receiver depth. They drafted one in the fifth round. Why not Whop?

One of the curiosities of this year’s draft prospects was the number of them with an NFL legacy. Patrick Surtain II, Jaycee Horn, and Asante Samuel Jr received most of the father-son attention. The Vikings undrafted free agent list includes a couple more

Blake Proehl

Christian Elliss

Proehl is the son of 17-year NFL receiver Ricky Proehl.

Elliss is the son of former Detroit Lions defensive lineman Luther Elliss.

It would benefit the Vikings greatly if both went on to NFL careers similar to their fathers. 

 

Minnesota Vikings 2021 Draft Picks

The 2021 NFL Draft is in the books. It was a productive three days for the Minnesota Vikings. 

Minnesota Vikings 2021 Draft Picks

1(23) Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

3(66) Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M

3(78) Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina

3(86) Wyatt Davis, OG, Ohio State

3(90) Patrick Jones II, Edge, Pittsburgh

4(119) Kene Nwangwu, RB, Iowa State

4(125) Camryn Bynum, S, Cal

4(134) Janarius Robinson, Edge, Florida State

5(157) Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa

5(168) Zach Davidson, TE, Central Missouri 

6(199) Jaylen Twyman, DT, Pittsburgh

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the Vikings draft was that Rick Spielman made a single trade. One trade! Seven rounds of drafting action and Spielman made one trade. No Day 2 trade. No Day 3 trade. The one trade that Spielman made came on the first night of the draft. The Vikings turned the 14th pick into Christian Darrisaw, Kellen Mond, and Wyatt Davis. 

The Vikings collected an 11-member draft class despite making selections in only five of the seven rounds. 

Improving the offensive line has been a Vikings need since Steve Hutchinson left. That was in 2011. A ten-year need! This was a productive draft in that two immediate starters might’ve been added to the offensive line in Christian Darrisaw and Wyatt Davis. Mike Zimmer wanted some size, strength, and power added to the offensive line. Darrisaw and Davis provide that. It’s only early May but I expect the Vikings offensive line to look something like this.

LT  Christian Darrisaw 

LG Wyatt Davis

 C   Garrett Bradbury

RG Ezra Cleveland

RT  Brian O’Neill

Perhaps the guards are flipped but I expect the above to be the starting five. Is it risky to start two rookies? I’d rather see two rookies starting than another season of veterans the likes of Dakota Dozier or Tom Compton. I see starting two rookies the likes of Darrisaw and Davis as more progress than risk. For the first time in a decade I actually feel good about the potential of the Vikings offensive line. 

If only Darrisaw and Davis were added, I’d be feeling pretty good about this draft. The Vikings did more than that. 

A quarterback doesn’t have to be selected in the first round to get most of the attention. It’s all about the quarterback. The Vikings grabbed Texas A&M’s Kellon Mond with the second pick of the third round and some talking heads assume that Kirk Cousins’ job is in jeopardy. The Vikings QB1 job isn’t open this season. It likely isn’t open next season. If the Mond pick does anything, it might put an end date on Cousins’ Minnesota quarterbacking days. Selecting a possible 2023 starter in the 2021 NFL Draft probably shouldn’t dominate draft day headlines. But it’s a quarterback. It’s always about the quarterback. 

I think that North Carolina linebacker Chazz Surratt might be the surprise pick of the Vikings 2021 Draft Class. There’s just something about this kid. He enters college as a quarterback and leaves it as a linebacker. He should be an immediate hit on special teams. He’ll compete with free agent addition Nick Vigil, Troy Dye, and Cameron Smith for defensive snaps. 

Defensive end was probably the most significant defensive need. The Vikings need to develop a pass rush presence opposite Danielle Hunter. They brought back Stephen Weatherly after a 2020 sabbatical in Carolina. D.J. Wonnum showed promise as a rookie last year. I really like the addition of 3rd-round pick Patrick Jones II and 4th-round pick Janarius Robinson to that competition. There’s a lot of young passing rushing talent for Andre Patterson to mold. 

From Percy Harvin to Cordarrelle Patterson to Marcus Sherels the Vikings can boast a strong recent kick return tradition. The last couple seasons haven’t come close to that tradition. Kene Nwangwu and Ihmir Smith-Marsette will look to return to that tradition. Smith-Marsette could challenge for the third receiver role. 

As a Cal alum, I’m always excited when the Vikings add a Golden Bear. Camryn Bynum has been one of my recent favorites. I was thrilled when he was the Vikings pick at #125. He was a terrific corner at Cal so I was a bit surprised when he was selected as a safety. The more I thought about his college corner play the more I could see it translating to NFL safety play. I like it. I like it a lot. 

The Vikings found a potential punter in tight end Zach Robinson. His college punting gig is probably just a positional curiosity but he does give the Vikings a backup punter. The versatile fifth-rounder is an intriguing, tall, tight end talent. If the Vikings were to select a tight end in this draft, I expected him to be a strong blocker. That presently isn’t Robinson’s strength. But that 6’7” height is sure intriguing. 

Jaylen Twyman became a draft crush early in the evaluation process. Most of my mock exercises included him as a Vikings FOURTH round selection. Right or wrong, I would’ve been happy if the Vikings grabbed him then. I was thrilled with his selection at 199. 

As an eternal optimist, every Vikings draft rocks the day after. This draft feels like a very productive one. Offensive line, left tackle in particular, and edge rushers were the biggest needs. Those needs, especially the offensive line needs, were well filled. For me, Christian Darrisaw and Wyatt Davis are the highlight of this draft. I sure hope that I’m thinking the same five years from now. Kellon Mond and Chazz Surratt were the picks that most surprised me but I’m fan of both. Then there are sentimental favorites Camryn Bynum and Jaylen Twyman. I like this draft. The Vikings 2021 Draft was a productive draft. 

One question. Is it an NFL mandate that NFL Network goes to commercial when the Vikings are on the clock? 

Minnesota Vikings Draft Day 2

Thanks to a Day 1 trade that brought two third-round picks, the Minnesota Vikings came to Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft loaded with picks. Four picks. All in the third round. They had no second-round picks. It was assumed that Rick Spielman would use a couple of the four third- and three fourth-round picks to move into the second-round. The Vikings couldn’t possibly sit out the entirety of the second round. They did sit out the entirety of the second round. They did use all four of those third-round picks. No trades. Seeing Spielman not trading on Day 2 was a remarkable a thing. The Vikings added four new players to their roster on Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft. 

Minnesota Vikings Draft Day 3 Selections

3(66) Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M

3(78) Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina

3(86) Wyatt Davis, OG, Ohio State

3(90) Patrick Jones II, Edge, Pittsburgh

In the lead up to the draft I suppose I thought once or twice about the Vikings selecting a quarterback earlier than the seventh round. When I thought about that quarterback he was usually Kellen Mond or Stanford’s Davis Mills. Kirk Cousins is only 32, turning 33 in August. More significantly, Cousins is getting very expensive very quickly. The Vikings needed to add a quarterback more promising than a seventh-round flier. They needed a quarterback option before Cousins needed a new contract. Mond looks to be that quarterback. He isn’t ready for the NFL but he might be when the Vikings need him to be. The curious situation with Mond is that he’s a quarterback that requires some refinement. He comes to a team that has an offensive coordinator in his first year (Klint Kubiak) and a quarterback coach (Andrew Janocko) in his first year. Everyone is new to their job. Not only that, getting Mond ready for the NFL isn’t the present primary focus of Kubiak or Janocko. It’s going to be fun. By fun, I mean annoying. Come training camp, Kirk Cousins might be the second most talked about Vikings quarterback. Everyone loves a new quarterback. A question now is if Kellen Mond, and not a slightly more pricey veteran, is the backup to Kirk Cousins. The Vikings can’t stash their rookie quarterback on the practice squad. Unless he’s injured, Mond’s on the roster. If he’s not the backup, the Vikings are carrying three quarterback. 

A criticism of Kellen Mond is that he has the robotic stiffness often found in Jimbo Fisher-coached quarterbacks. The same criticism was planted on every quarterback that Jeff Tedford sent to the NFL. It can be argued that a reason Aaron Rodgers dropped to the Green Bay Packers in the 2005 NFL Draft is Akili Smith and Joey Harrington. Did Kellen Mond drop to the top of the third round because of Christian Ponder and E.J. Manuel? Who knows? I don’t. I do know that I’ve never been surprised by Rodgers’ success in the NFL. I expected it. He was one of the best college quarterbacks I’ve ever seen. NFL teams should realize that they are drafting a football player and not necessarily the player created by their college coaches. Aaron Rodgers wasn’t solely a Jeff Tedford and Kellen Mond isn’t solely a Jimbo Fisher creation. Both are simply quarterbacks that were given an NFL opportunity.

Enough about the quarterback. The Vikings selected three more players in the third round. 

Chazz Surratt has been a draft evaluation curiosity for me. He went to North Carolina as a quarterback and started his career there as a quarterback. He switched to linebacker after a couple years and quickly took to the position. He took to the position quick enough that he was drafted with the 15th pick of the third round. His best linebacker days are clearly in front of him. Until then, I expect Surratt to be dynamite on special teams. 

I’m penciling Wyatt Davis in as one of the starting guards. The Vikings not only needed to improve the talent on the offensive line. They needed to add some size, strength, and power to the offensive line. I really like first round pick Christian Darrisaw and Davis joining Brian O’Neill, Garrett Bradbury, and Ezra Cleveland on the offensive line. I like the potential of that offensive line. I finally see promise in the Vikings offensive line. 

My curiosity of Wyatt Davis reached another level when I learned that he’s the grandson of Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame defensive end Willie Davis. I wish that grandpa was around to see grandson head to Minnesota. 

The Vikings need a passing rushing threat opposite Danielle Hunter. I was thinking Oklahoma’s Ronnie Perkins or UAB’s Jordan Smith with the 90th pick of the draft. The Vikings went with Patrick Jones II. I’m a Jones fan now. He’ll compete with Stephen Weatherly, D.J. Wonnum, Jalyn Holmes, Kenny Willekes and others for snaps. With the exceptional defensive line teachings of Andre Patterson, I can’t help but imagine raw talented pass rushers like Wonnum and Jones turning into another Danielle Hunter. 

It was an interesting Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft. A quarterback, a linebacker that was once a quarterback, a guard, and a defensive end. The latter two weren’t surprising. The first two were a little surprising. Wyatt Davis is the standout pick of Day 2. I expect that he’ll be a Day 1 starter. Mond is intriguing in the long run. I wouldn’t be surprised if Surratt ends up being the surprise of this draft. There’s something about that kid. Jones is a raw, talented pass rusher. The Vikings have a strong track record of making those players better. 

The Vikings have the following picks today:

4(119)

4(125)

4(134)

5(157)

5(168)

6(199)

Receiver? Safety? Cornerback? Defensive tackle? Kicker!