The Rookie Silver Lining to the Vikings Poor Preseason Showing
Disregard the player on the right side of the photo for the time being. His performance versus the Denver Broncos in the first preseason game of the year was lackluster.
Instead, note Wyatt Davis on the left.
Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman drafted Davis from Ohio State after a trade in the 2021 NFL Draft that also netted left tackle Christian Darrisaw and quarterback Kellen Mond. At the time, the trade and subsequent draft haul were considered wonderful, but all men have been beset by injury or virus this summer. The enthusiasm on Davis, Darrisaw, and Mond — at least for a while — is dampened a bit.
Because Davis was forecasted as a 1st-Round talent at this time last year, Minnesota unearthing him from the 3rd Round was classified as a steal by many pundits. Too, the Vikings offensive line has struggled for the better part of a decade, so Davis starting at right guard immediately was a real theory.
But the former Buckeye did not see much action with first-team players in training camp, causing the Vikings to pivot toward Oli Udoh for possible starting RG responsibilities. And for now, betting money suggests Udoh will indeed be the starting right guard when the team travels to the Cincinnati Bengals in a month for Week 1.
Davis, though, upped his stock on Saturday during a preseason game that was otherwise dastardly for the Vikings. All facets of the game for Minnesota were tumultuous — from quarterbacking, defense, to special teams, the Broncos outplayed the Vikings.
Head coach Mike Zimmer rested 30 starters, enabling 60 other players — most of whom will not make the final roster — to see quasi-meaningful time. Davis will make the team, and he was quite good against Denver’s backup personnel.
Most of the #Vikings' backup OL played well yesterday, per PFF.
– Mason Cole: 85.0 grade on 52 snaps
– Wyatt Davis: 78.9 on 49
– Blake Brandel: 70.9 on 66Dru Samia struggled as a run blocker but had an 85.2 pass blocking grade. No pressures allowed for Cole, Brandel, or Samia.
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 15, 2021
On an afternoon that was grotesque for the team, Davis wanted no part of the unsavory dealings. So, he did his thing — an encouraging sight for folks that foresee him as the right guard of the future. He even improved after an early mistake:
Davis is going to have a very good Monday dear god. Rough start with the sack and then absolutely housing people https://t.co/SfYy6x7an0
— Luke Braun (@LukeBraunNFL) August 14, 2021
Under Zimmer, the Vikings have preferred a lean-bodied offensive line approach whereas other NFL teams fancy the big-bodied, bruising men as a company philosophy. But with the 2021 NFL Draft, the Vikings changed course. Darrisaw and Davis are larger men than the “power forward types” Minnesota sought in the last five or so years. Because the offensive line has not been productive from a pass-protecting perspective, the shift to bigger dudes is auspicious for followers of the team.
In fairness, the same argument used to downplay the Vikings performance against the Broncos — “it’s only preseason with no starters” — should be called out for Davis’ prosperity on Saturday. He could encounter struggles against the Colts next weekend. However, for a rookie, this is how it goes. Davis got off to a good start when the rest of the team faceplanted. Minnesota might thrive in the second preseason game while Davis fails to impress.
In any event, the Davis optimism was one of the few non-cringeworthy events from the 33-6 loss to the Broncos. He will eventually get a look as RG1 — and his first action in an organized game was commendable on an otherwise lousy day for the team.