This is why the Vikings wanted him....

He's been really good this year and it's noticeable. Outside of the LAC game I have been happy with Darrisaw

@"StickyBun" said: https://twitter.com/TaylorBisciotti/status/1461402083785986049

I think I was probably the biggest Darrisaw advocate pre draft.  I had him ranked only slightly behind Slater while others saw more of a gap.  Don't get me wrong, I would have drafted Slater at 14 if available but I was not willing to trade up for him and thought Darrisaw would be a fine pick at 14 with Slater gone which was in about 100% of the drafts I saw.  Slater is a stud lets hope Darrisaw continues to play well and gets better and solidifies our LT position then we would have Darrisaw, Mond and Davis vs Slater?  Makes it a little closer if Darrisaw becomes a stud and then you add if Mond or Davis turn into starters then I would think we might have the edge.  But at the end of the day I think Spelly saw the LT position clearly - favored Slater but unable to move up for much capital and then willing to risk a fall for Darrisaw.

(this is also not revisionists on my part - I really wanted Darrisaw and Guard coming out of this draft - the only other scenario I wanted that would have changed that was for Spelly to move up into the 9/10/11 range for Fields.  I would not have had a problem with that at all as I mentioned during the draft.  But when we didn't move up for Fields and we dropped down and still got Darrisaw I was thrilled.  Spelly obviously did not grade Mac Jones that high either.   

This makes me think about how the Vikings playing to win (by not starting backups) in week 17 last year still pisses me off.

@"VikingOracle" said: This makes me think about how the Vikings playing to win (by not starting backups) in week 17 last year still pisses me off.

Darrisaw has fine upside and doing well considering his injury and how long it kept him out of so many reps. But he's not the talent that Slater is JUST ONE PICK BEFORE MINNESOTA.  :#

@"StickyBun" said: Darrisaw has fine upside and doing well considering his injury and how long it kept him out of so many reps. But he's not the talent that Slater is JUST ONE PICK BEFORE MINNESOTA.  :#

@"StickyBun" said: Darrisaw has fine upside and doing well considering his injury and how long it kept him out of so many reps. But he's not the talent that Slater is JUST ONE PICK BEFORE MINNESOTA.  :#

PFF has Darrisaw with 316 snaps, 1 penalty and 1 sack

PFF Slater with 612 snaps, 3 penalties and 2 sacks

The biggest regret is from this draft is more likely about not taking Mac Jones who was just sitting there than not trading up for a LT when we got a pretty good one and still traded down. 

Jones would likely bust behind the Vikings O-line. Vikings need a guy that can move his feet and make plays off script. That is why Keenum was so successful. He doesn't have much of an arm, but he is like Houdini when under pressure and can make something happen after the play breaks down.
Darrisaw is going to be that guy they have been looking for. Hopefully they can get a solid interior line and a mobile QB next time, unless you think Mond will be the guy. Odds are against it though.

@"VikingOracle" said: This makes me think about how the Vikings playing to win (by not starting backups) in week 17 last year still pisses me off.

If not Slater, we also could have wound up with Justin Fields instead of the Bears.  Think he might look a little better sitting for a year and then throwing to JJ, AT and KJ than whoever the Bears are throwing out there?

@"JR44" said: The biggest regret is from this draft is more likely about not taking Mac Jones who was just sitting there than not trading up for a LT when we got a pretty good one and still traded down. 

@"JR44" said: The biggest regret is from this draft is more likely about not taking Mac Jones who was just sitting there than not trading up for a LT when we got a pretty good one and still traded down. 

If you're going to crown Mac Jones, then bag on the teams that took a QB ahead of him. Cousins has 18 TDs and 2 INTs. 36 passes of 20+ yards or more. #1 rated QB in the red zone. 

@"StickyBun" said:

@"JR44" said: The biggest regret is from this draft is more likely about not taking Mac Jones who was just sitting there than not trading up for a LT when we got a pretty good one and still traded down. 

We can play this game all day long, every team in the NFL: Draft Hindsight 101. Minnesota DESPERATELY needed a LT and got what appears to be a pretty decent one. QB is not why Minnesota has lost games. And Mond, whether you agree with the pick or not is a more raw prospect and will need time. Everyone understands that. He's not going to play in front of Cousins....and neither would Mac Jones have. No idea if Mond is going to pan out, honestly the odds are probably against that. 

If you're going to crown Mac Jones, then bag on the teams that took a QB ahead of him. Cousins has 18 TDs and 2 INTs. 36 passes of 20+ yards or more. #1 rated QB in the red zone. 

The draft is nothing more than a crapshoot...example, Vince Young to the Raiders or Matt Lienhart to the Cardinals...The players themselves decide how they approach the NFL, by working harder and dedicating themselves to get better and better.  Some take that next step, some don't.

@"JR44" said: The biggest regret is from this draft is more likely about not taking Mac Jones who was just sitting there than not trading up for a LT when we got a pretty good one and still traded down. 

The rookie QBs are doing exactly what they were expected to do. But they'll even out over time. 

@"minny65" said:

@"StickyBun" said: Darrisaw has fine upside and doing well considering his injury and how long it kept him out of so many reps. But he's not the talent that Slater is JUST ONE PICK BEFORE MINNESOTA.  :#

IMO - Darrisaw has every bit the talent that Slater has now let's coach him up and see if he can continue to get better.  Yea we did not get the lucky break like when the Eagles took Reagor over Jefferson.  But I think we got very lucky with that the Raiders picked Alex Leatherwood ahead of Darrisaw.  The vast majority of analysis had Leatherwood as a 2 or 3rd talent and the Raiders took him at 17.  It was one of the early surprises of the draft that Mayock/Gruden are known for.  Leatherwood has been bad...started at Tackle and moved to Guard and has struggled there as well.  

PFF has Darrisaw with 316 snaps, 1 penalty and 1 sack

PFF Slater with 612 snaps, 3 penalties and 2 sacks

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"JR44" said: The biggest regret is from this draft is more likely about not taking Mac Jones who was just sitting there than not trading up for a LT when we got a pretty good one and still traded down. 

Let's give Mac Jones another year or two before we crown him the next Brady. Don't forget Mark Sanchez was being called "The Sanchize" in New York his rookie year. RGIII, Sam Bradford and Vince Young--all rookies of the year. Trubisky, Goff, Wentz, Winston, Mariota--all very promising rookie seasons. 

The rookie QBs are doing exactly what they were expected to do. But they'll even out over time. 

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"JR44" said: The biggest regret is from this draft is more likely about not taking Mac Jones who was just sitting there than not trading up for a LT when we got a pretty good one and still traded down. 

Let's give Mac Jones another year or two before we crown him the next Brady. Don't forget Mark Sanchez was being called "The Sanchize" in New York his rookie year. RGIII, Sam Bradford and Vince Young--all rookies of the year. Trubisky, Goff, Wentz, Winston, Mariota--all very promising rookie seasons. 

The rookie QBs are doing exactly what they were expected to do. But they'll even out over time. 

David Carr, remember the freaking out how the Vikings took the wrong QB when they took Teddy over Carr,  after their first year or so?  Average career,  but definitely not worth the angst it caused some at the time.

I disagree with the idea that QB is not why we lost
games.  I think that comes from a mindset
of needing to have (some)one to blame and the need to rank people.  Football is a team game, and for many of our
close losses you could probably make the argument that if any handful of
players had made 1-2 plays a little better we would have won, and it’s really easy
to hone in on the guy who missed a kick or the guy who fumbled.  It’s a lot harder to hone in on the guy who
threw the 6 yard pass short of the sticks rather than the 12 yard completion he
could have had that would have kept the drive going.  I think it’s hard to argue that in a lot of
our losses Cousins goes missing for large chunks of the game.  QB is the single biggest reason for winning
or losing any given football game.

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"JR44" said: The biggest regret is from this draft is more likely about not taking Mac Jones who was just sitting there than not trading up for a LT when we got a pretty good one and still traded down. 

Let's give Mac Jones another year or two before we crown him the next Brady. Don't forget Mark Sanchez was being called "The Sanchize" in New York his rookie year. RGIII, Sam Bradford and Vince Young--all rookies of the year. Trubisky, Goff, Wentz, Winston, Mariota--all very promising rookie seasons. 

The rookie QBs are doing exactly what they were expected to do. But they'll even out over time. 

David Carr, remember the freaking out how the Vikings took the wrong QB when they took Teddy over Carr,  after their first year or so?  Average career,  but definitely not worth the angst it caused some at the time.

I think you mean his brother Derek, but yeah. Funny, that draft. First two QB, Bortles and Manziel, out of the NFL. The next three, Teddy, Carr and Jimmy G, still starting.