Rashawn Slater Is the Best Pick for the Vikings – If He’s There
Dustin Baker
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The impending reality is that the Minnesota Vikings will likely trade back from their 14th overall pick during the 2021 NFL Draft, securing a 2nd-Round pick for a trade-back of unknown assets. General Manager Rick Spielman is not allowed to make any selections – for now – in the 2nd Round because he traded that commodity away to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Yannick Ngakoue.
It was an unwise decision in retrospect.
Ngakoue was sent to the Baltimore Ravens for a clawback draft pick after the season went pear-shaped. The Vikings held a 1-5 record and seemed cooked. But then they revitalized – a bounceback good enough to drag the team to a 7-9 end-of-season record.
Now, the success of 2021 probably hinges on how well Spielman finds players from this upcoming draft. Minnesota has needs on the defensive line and offensive line. Some mock-draft brains send EDGE rushers to the Vikings like Kwity Paye (Michigan), Gregory Rousseau (Miami), and Jaelan Phillips (Miami). Others pick Alijah Vera-Tucker (OL), Christian Darrisaw (OT), and Samuel Cosmi (OL) — all offensive linemen — to Minnesota.
But Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater is the smartest choice for the Vikings if the team remains at the 14th spot, and here’s why.
Positioning on the Draft Board
Entities concoct all sorts of “Top 100” draft boards around this time of the year. It’s what makes draft season fun – mock drafts, scouting reports, big boards, the whole shebang.
Rarely does Slater fall lower than the Vikings pick — #14. If he tumbles down to the Vikings, he is too irresistible for the team to avoid. Why? Because he plays left tackle, and Spielman just cut ties with his long-time left tackle, Riley Reiff, about five weeks ago.
Pro Football Focus ranks Slater as the draft’s 11th-best player. PFF’s Michael Renner briefly summarizes the offensive lineman:
“Slater is clean as can be on the field and only allowed five pressures in all of 2019 before opting out. His lack of length was an issue at times, though, which may result in some wanting to move him inside.”
The Sporting News isn’t far away from PFF pertaining to Slater’s draft candidacy. It calls him the 12th-most talented football player in this year’s class. And then The Draft Network mirrors PFF. TDN nominates Slater as the 11th-best player, too.
The Vikings need a left tackle. Slater is a left tackle. He aptly blends best-player-available and roster-need.
He just fits.
Like a Broken Record, Vikings Need Offensive Linemen
Annually, Vikings loyalists lurk on social media and at water coolers to announce that Minnesota must fix its offensive line. They aren’t wrong.
Minnesota has a nasty habit of piecemealing half-buttocks solutions for the efficacy of its offensive line. Some years, the run-blocking is somewhat decent. During most seasons, though, the pass-protecting is depressing. If the team does not score a free agent like Eric Fisher or it does not draft a player like Slater, this offseason is eerily tunneling the same trajectory.
It’s sad, redundant, and mind-boggling. With a selection of Slater, it would at least prove that team “cares” and recognizes the longstanding follies.
Right on the Fringe of Being Realistic
Here’s where stuff gets tricky.
At the moment, other teams’ writers are authoring similar articles calling for Slater to join their team. It’s no secret that Slater is a wonderful talent. He may not fall to #14. The draft prophecies are uncertain, but most folks surmise that the draft itself will not be predictable. All we think we know “for sure” is that five quarterbacks will soar off the board through ten picks.
For the Vikings, the more quarterbacks that are picked – the merrier. The QB-or-bust habit will leave better non-quarterbacks available for Spielman. Therefore, if five signal-callers indeed find homes through ten selections, that means the other five players will probably be Kyle Pitts (TE), Penei Sewell (OT), Ja’Marr Chase (WR), Patrick Surtain II (CB), and one of the other wide receivers (DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle).
Then, the Vikings are in a territory hoping Slater makes the full lurch down to #14. He’s just not acclaimed enough to be a bonafide Top 10 selection. Vikings fans should cherish that – because he might end up with white horns on his helmet.