05-03-2021, 01:15 PM
Best pick: Wyatt Davis, guard, third round
There are some scouts who thought Davis had a chance at being a first-round pick had he declared for the draft a year ago. But Davis returned to Ohio State, and while his 2020 season wasn’t quite as dominant as his incredible 2019 campaign, he played through an injury and still performed well. Coaches and teammates rave about Davis and he’s believed to be ready to compete for an NFL starting job from the get-go. Better yet, the Vikings didn’t have to trade up to get him. Davis was the best player available according to the consensus board when the Vikings were on the clock and he perfectly fits their need at guard. He hasn’t put on pads yet and he’s already the presumptive favorite to win one of the starting guard jobs. Not bad for a third-round pick.
Biggest surprise: Kellen Mond, quarterback, third round
There were some rumblings leading to the draft that for the first time, the Vikings were doing their homework on quarterbacks with the idea that they’d put a plan in place in case Kirk Cousins struggles the next two years. But to nab Mond with the second pick in the third round, making him just the second quarterback taken on Day 2, showed how serious the Vikings are about trying to build that succession plan. Before they addressed guard or defensive end, they went out and took the Day 2 quarterback they think has the best chance to develop into a starter. Mond is far from ready to compete for a starting job. But he’s big, fast and has a massive arm, traits the Vikings think they can build upon.
There are some scouts who thought Davis had a chance at being a first-round pick had he declared for the draft a year ago. But Davis returned to Ohio State, and while his 2020 season wasn’t quite as dominant as his incredible 2019 campaign, he played through an injury and still performed well. Coaches and teammates rave about Davis and he’s believed to be ready to compete for an NFL starting job from the get-go. Better yet, the Vikings didn’t have to trade up to get him. Davis was the best player available according to the consensus board when the Vikings were on the clock and he perfectly fits their need at guard. He hasn’t put on pads yet and he’s already the presumptive favorite to win one of the starting guard jobs. Not bad for a third-round pick.
Biggest surprise: Kellen Mond, quarterback, third round
There were some rumblings leading to the draft that for the first time, the Vikings were doing their homework on quarterbacks with the idea that they’d put a plan in place in case Kirk Cousins struggles the next two years. But to nab Mond with the second pick in the third round, making him just the second quarterback taken on Day 2, showed how serious the Vikings are about trying to build that succession plan. Before they addressed guard or defensive end, they went out and took the Day 2 quarterback they think has the best chance to develop into a starter. Mond is far from ready to compete for a starting job. But he’s big, fast and has a massive arm, traits the Vikings think they can build upon.
