Wyatt Davis
When offensive guard Wyatt Davis was selected in the 3rd Round of the 2021 NFL Draft, he was considered a steal for the Minnesota Vikings.
In a couple of years’ worth of lead-up to the draft, Davis was theorized as a 1st-Round talent, only falling in the 2020 season as his performance wasn’t as grand as the 2019 edition. Regardless, for a period of time, Davis was classified as the most NFL-game-ready guard in America.
Naturally, he’d fit somewhere along the Vikings offensive line, right? Nope.
Even with Minnesota’s pass-protection floundering for about a decade, Davis was not perceived as a playable asset in 2021 by the Mike Zimmer regime. They flat-out wouldn’t put him into games, insinuating he wasn’t ready for the regular season. Similarly, the coaching staff echoed homogenous sentiments regarding Kellen Mond. And Zimmer blatantly didn’t care for Mond’s toolset, at least not as a rookie.
Zimmer had a long history of making rookies “prove it” before experiencing playing time. Davis in 2021 was the quintessential example.
Of course, Zimmer and his coaching staff could be right, and maybe Davis is horrible. We shall see.
Yet, it didn’t feel like Davis would ever get a fair shake with Zimmer in charge. Now, Davis doesn’t have to worry about that anymore as Zimmer was fired on January 10th.
Unsurprisingly, Davis likes the move. He recently affirmed his commitment to change with the Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson:
Davis went on to say, “I’m just doing everything I can to put me in a position to help my team win. Once that opportunity comes, I’m going to take it and never look back. So I’m just trying to do everything in my power right now to put me in a spot to do so.”
Both of those musings from Davis are those of a man who has no cares whatsoever that Zimmer left the building. Davis gets a fresh start – so does the rest on the team.
Gone are the days of shooing rookies into the wait-and-see doghouse – or the bizarre doghouse inhabited by cornerback Cameron Dantzler. Zimmer was an old-school, Parcellsian reincarnation, evidenced by his personality, coaching style, facial expressions, and words. The new coach, Kevin O’Connell, is young, offensive-minded, and Unparcellsian.
Football will be different in September as the team will likely exchange some of its defensive stalwart personality for innovation and offensive creativity.
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With any luck, Davis might just get a chance to prove himself in the summer for a shot at the starting right guard spot. Between Oli Udoh in 2021 or Dakota Dozier in 2020, the RG position is not a tough one to win.
If Davis is not the guy, the Vikings will need a right guard from free agency or the draft. Add it to the list. Or they could extend Mason Cole, who played decent last season.
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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