If All Else Fails, There’s Optimism on the Vikings 1st-Round Draft Pick
Glimmers of optimism are slim for a team that’s 3-5, especially when that same bunch was supposed to have a winning record at this point of the season.
Alas, the Minnesota Vikings do not, and silver linings are on the agenda for analysis. Kirk Cousins is Pro Football Focus’ third highest-graded quarterback, Justin Jefferson is proving his rookie season was not a fluke, K.J. Osborn emerged as a bonafide WR3, and nose tackle Armon Watts showed up out of nowhere. Those are the sunshine and rainbows aspects of the 2021 Vikings.
And the team’s 1st-Round draft selection from April, Christian Darrisaw, looks impressive, too. It seemingly took forever for Darrisaw to see the field – he was dealing with a lingering offseason injury – but the man looks the part so far.
In Vikings circles, we type “so far” and “to date” about these matters because of the scars still remnant on our bodies from Matt Kalil’s career. He was a Vikings rookie left tackle who performed tremendously during his rookie campaign and then played imbecilic thereafter.
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The Vikings can only hope Darrisaw doesn’t follow that path. He likely will not dabble in Kalilism, chiefly because it is rare for a rookie to play that competently only to encounter sheer incompetence in subsequent seasons. All in all, Kalil is 32 years old and doesn’t play in the NFL anymore. If he worked out, he’d still be the Vikings franchise left tackle. No luck.
Like Kalil, early Darrisaw breadcrumbs indicate he was worth 1st-Round draft stock. Here’s a PFF fact laying credence to his performance:
This is particularly exciting because Minnesota’s pass-protecting woes are longstanding. Somehow, general manager Rick Spielman signed a tried-and-true pocket passer of the football in 2018 – Cousins – but surrounded him with paper mache for pass-protection. That policy has been in effect since 2018. It’s quite mind-boggling. The 2021 season isn’t a wrap yet, but here’s an example of the relentless pass-protection problems:
Well, a rip-roaring Darrisaw would help in fixing all of that skullduggery. His overall PFF grade through four career games is 65.3, a respectable mark for a rookie. The prospect of pairing Darrsiaw with Brian O’Neill (RT) is one of the most promising takeaways from the 2021 season – no matter what happens the rest of the way.
If the Vikings can protect the edges of the offensive line for Kirk Cousins, Kellen Mond, Carson Strong, or whoever may be on tap for the future, that man will be groomed for success. Right now, Cousins has endured hardships for quarterback pressure, and it’s caused many fans to sour on his talents.
The next questions for the Vikings offensive line are at center and right guard. Fellow 1st-Round pick from 2019, Garrett Bradbury, has not taken off and may not be a part of the long-term plan. If he’s a bust, Spielman will need a new center. Then, at right guard, Oli Udoh started 2021 with promise but returned to orbit around the time Darrisaw actually received playing time. Go figure. His PFF grade is 60.5. That’s pretty decent, so the Vikings will monitor how Udoh finishes 2021.
Darrisaw has his hands full this weekend when the Vikings travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers. He should match up against Joey Bosa. Yikes.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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