Vikings LT for 2021 Probably Isn’t on the Roster, According to Paul Allen

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Apr 5, 2021
Image Courtesy of marshallindependent.com

If the NFL season started in April — before the draft — the Minnesota Vikings starting left tackle would either be Rashod Hill or Ezra Cleveland. That’s about as deep as it gets for head coach Mike Zimmer’s team gets at the left tackle spot in early April. Why? Because Riley Reiff was a 2021 cap casualty and took his talents to Cincinnati.

Rashod Hill is a lifelong Viking so far. He joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and has since played in 57 games while starting 29% of those contests. On 121 snaps played in 2020, Hill notched a 72.4 Pro Football Focus grade. And that is rather commendable albeit for a small sample size. In the last half-decade, though, Minnesota has struggled immensely with pass protection, so anointing Hill as the 2021 solution seems a bit piecemealed.

The Vikings also employ Ezra Cleveland, a second-year tackle-turned-guard from Boise State. Cleveland played on 57% of all offensive snaps during the pandemic season. Therefore, he registered some decent experience during his maiden voyage. Cleveland tallied a 66.2 PFF score at right guard — an astute, stepping-stone rookie season. Should the Vikings not consider Hill their 2021 starting left tackle and opt not to draft a starting left tackle in the upcoming draft, then perhaps Cleveland moves back to his organic position.

On this topic, Minnesota’s popular play-by-play voice, Paul Allen of KFAN, does not believe the starting left tackle for the franchise is currently on the roster. Allen said so in a Vikings-themed video segment.

“Julie from Hudson” asked if Allen thought the starting left tackle was on the present roster, and Allen basically said no. Indeed, this is not edict or gospel that the Vikings are guaranteed to have a new man residing in the spot on the depth chart, but Allen does know the team and its leaders pretty damn well.

If Allen is correct, there are three ways to actioinize his hypothesis.

Foremost, general manager Rick Spielman could trade for a left tackle. The rumors of Orlando Brown Jr. to the other purple team, the Vikings, in 2021 will not die. It was mentioned again on Easter.

Regrettably, Spielman would likely have to dump a 1st-Round pick for Brown. But, hey, it could happen.

Next — free agency. The festivities of free agency began three weeks ago, and the Vikings still don’t have a starting left tackle or guards. Spielman traded for Mason Cole from the Arizona Cardinals, but nobody knows if Cole is a starter — or a reservist personality like Brett Jones of yesterday.

The Vikings have north of $7 million to spend in free agency — and even more if the team finally extends the contracts of Harrison Smith and Danielle Hunter. Then, Spielman could theoretically explore these available LT names on the open market: Russell Okung, Eric Fisher, or Alejandro Villanueva.

The last-ditch effort to tap a left tackle for 2021 is the draft. The Vikings are actually in a prime spot to snag a terrific left tackle at the #14 slot. Penei Sewell — long thought to be a Top 3 pick — is watching his stock tumble. He won’t fall all the way to #14, but the Vikings could trade up a bit to land him. He’s one of the most sure-thing left tackles the pre-draft process has seen in a while.

If not Sewell, offensive linemen like Rashawn Slater from Nortwestern or Christrian Darrisaw from Virginia Tech should be in the mix for the Vikings at their spot — maybe.

After those three names, it’s players like Dillon Radunz from North Dakota State, Walker Little from Stanford, and Teven Jenkins from Oklahoma State that fill the next prospect tier —  if the Vikings want a new left tackle.

And Paull Allen thinks they do.

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