It’s a No-Brainer for the Minnesota Vikings
We are officially two days away from the end of all mock drafts. That’s right. No more daily mocks on your Twitter timeline, and the armchair GM’s can no longer predict that they knew it all along.
Instead, Courtney Cronin, the Vikings’ very own NFL Nation reporter and one of the best in the business, took a stab at it in their annual NFL Nation mock draft.
The NFL Nation reporters joined arms and executed a one-round mock draft, which indeed bought into the smoke around recent fires.
For example, 49ers fans most likely will go ballistic if Nick Wagoner and recent rumors are correct and San Francisco selects Mac Jones.
The Falcons then turned around and chose Kyle Pitts, perhaps to prepare for the eventual departure of Julio Jones.
As expected, five QB’s were taken, and the first defensive player was off the board at number eight.
Here’s where the goofiness began—the Broncos at number nine elected to draft Trey Lance with Fields on the board.
But wait, that’s not all.
Not only did Fields slide past the Broncos, but he also fell to No. 15, where the New England Patriots are slated to pick.
Which, as you and I both know, is one pick after the Vikings. With Fields still on the board, Courtney Cronin selected Christian Darrisaw, OT, out of Virginia Tech. Her rationale is as follows:
If one of the top three offensive tackles are available here, this pick is a no-brainer. Minnesota has needs on both the offensive and defensive lines but can find better value for a pass-rusher later. Darrisaw is the type of prospect who could start at left tackle from Day 1 and know you’re potentially set at the position for years, which is the type of long-term stability this offensive line has long desired. This would allow the Vikings to have four of the five spots on the O-line set before training camp begins. The Virginia Tech standout is a zone scheme fit who excels in pass protection — two attractive qualities for a unit that needs to shore up its ability to protect quarterback Kirk Cousins.
If you are unfamiliar with Darrisaw’s work, his scouting report via the Draft Network says this:
Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw earned the opportunity to start for the Hokies as a true freshman and did nothing but improve for three seasons, developing into a dominant blocker in 2020. From a size, length, and mobility standpoint, Darrisaw firmly checks the boxes and should immediately become an asset to an NFL franchise in pass protection, outside zone runs, and utilizing his exceptional ability to pull and connect with moving targets in space. Like most young offensive linemen, Darrisaw has room to add functional strength to improve his overall power at the point of attack, but it’s far from a deficiency that is of major concern. The amount of technical growth Darrisaw has demonstrated throughout the course of his career is exciting when considering his starting point for the next level and how he peaked at the perfect time. It shouldn’t take long for Darrisaw to earn a starting role in the NFL and he has the upside to become a standout, franchise left tackle.
Cronin is correct here, Darrisaw is a top three OT in the draft, and with Sewell and Slater off the board, this is probably a no-brainer.
But is it really?
With Fields still on the board, the idea of passing up on the QB of the future may be too good to pass up. Although he may not need it, Fields could greatly benefit from a redshirt year to continue to learn the nuances of the position.
A highly-touted QB, who some said was the only thing close to competing with T-Law for the top spot, would be in an ideal position to sit behind current QB Kirk Cousins and learn from one of the best pure passers in the league.
Cousins would undoubtedly toss the ol’ pigskin around in 2021, but the team could very well trade him in 2022 if Fields is ready to take the throne. Ultimately setting the stage for Justin Fields to be the face of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
Boy, what a rush that could be on draft night and for the foreseeable future, for that matter.