After the 2021 NFL draft, the Vikings were heralded by fans and analysts for several picks.
Minnesota traded back to get tackle Christian Darrisaw, which garnered praise. The move to get Chazz Surratt was also considered by some to be a pretty good choice.
Not everyone was a fan of Minnesota’s selections, though. NBC Sports Edge’s Thor Nystrom ranked the Vikings draft haul as the 16th best in the NFL. Here’s what he wrote about the team’s picks:
“Using a R3 pick on Kellen Mond was odd for a roster with so many needs. Mond projects as a solid backup. Surratt is athletic and vacuums up tackles, but he’s old for a prospect (24), only has two years’ experience at LB, is poor in coverage, and has T-rex arms and an unrefined approach that led to a bloated missed-tackle rate at UNC.”
Nystrom had some interesting things to say about the Vikings’ undrafted free agents, too. He wrote that Christian Elliss or Tuf Borland will likely be the team’s last linebacker for the roster. He also expects Riley Patterson to beat out Greg Joseph for the team’s starting kicker role.