The Vikings finished up a draft in which they traded back in the first round, yet found a way to get a valuable player later on.
Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN likes what Minnesota did for the most part. Kiper gave the Vikings a B+ grade for their 11 draft picks. Here’s what he said:
“Quarterback Kellen Mond (66) won’t push Kirk Cousins immediately, but he has a tremendous skill set and was one of college football’s most productive quarterbacks over the past few seasons. He’s worth a shot in Round 3, particularly when Minnesota has extra picks. Chazz Surratt (78) is a converted quarterback with physical traits to play inside or outside linebacker. Wyatt Davis (86) is a bruising guard in the running game. Defensive end Patrick Jones II (90) can be a situational edge rusher. Mike Zimmer’s defense has produced some good ends who weren’t first-rounders.”
Kiper also liked the Vikings’ pick of Christian Darrisaw in the first round. The picks accumulated from trading back in the first, plus the possibility of Darrisaw starting in 2021, made it a great start to the draft.
“This is how good general managers play the draft.” Kiper wrote, in regards to the Vikings trading back.