Vikings end-of-season 2021 mock draft roundup

Now that the Minnesota Vikings’ disappointing 2020 campaign has ended, it’s time to move on to the 2021 NFL draft.

Minnesota owns the No. 14 overall pick.

It’s the highest draft choice for the Vikings since they selected cornerback Trae Waynes at No. 11 overall in 2015. The last offensive player to be drafted by the Vikings in the top 15 picks was Matt Kalil at 4th overall in 2012.

Heading into the offseason, the Vikings have a laundry list of needs — offensive line, defensive line, cornerback, safety, maybe even quarterback. Which position will they address in the first round?

Here’s our first mock draft roundup of the 2021 offseason:

Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News: Wyatt Davis, OG, Ohio State. “The Vikings have been hurting at guard next to first-round center Garrett Bradbury. Davis can be an elite NFL interior blocker and already has showed plenty in the way of paving the way for the Buckeyes’ prolific rushing attack before deciding to opt in back into the season.”

Ryan Wilson of CBSSports.com: Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern. “The Vikings have needs along the interior offensive line and Slater, who was dominant at left tackle during the 2019 season — and he played right tackle the two seasons before that — has the versatility to line up anywhere. In fact, his future may be inside at guard or even center.”

Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com: Jaelan Phillips, DL, Miami. “Phillips is fluid athlete with jolting hands and plays with a non-stop motor. Mike Zimmer will love him.”

Josh Edwards of CBSSports.com: Gregory Rousseau, OLB/Edge, Miami. “Everson Griffen is gone. The Yannick Ngakoue experiment went awry. Minnesota adds some pass rushing juice off the edge in the form of Gregory Rousseau. He is a raw but really talented player that has been working on his craft since opting out prior to the college football season.”

Jarrett Bailey of Pro Football Network: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama. “To put it simply, the Vikings need to fix their secondary. They gave up the second-most passes of 20 or more yards (63), and they lack any sort of elite talent at cornerback. Patrick Surtain would be an immediate upgrade and one of the most impactful picks of my 2021 NFL mock draft.”

Nick Farabaugh of Pro Football Network (4 rounds): Round 1 — Azeez Ojulari, OLB/Edge, Georgia. “Ojulari exhibits great explosiveness and bend out there. His hands are continuously improving to soften that arc off his rip-dip move. Immediately, Ojulari is an impact run defender who is strong at the point of attack and heavily aware. With more development, Ojulari can become a terrorizing force as a pass rusher, too.”; Round 3a – Kary Vincent, CB, LSU; Round 3b – Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington; Round 4a – Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC; Round 4b – Nico Collins, WR, Michigan; Round 4c – Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame.

Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus: Gregory Rousseau, OLB/Edge, Miami. “Rousseau is basically the dream prospect for what the Vikings have coveted at the defensive end position. He has uncoachable tools for days, but due to his opt-out, we didn’t get to see him take his dominance to the next level in 2020 like some others. That may make him underrated come draft time.”

Bryan Fischer of Athlon Sports: Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas. “It’s no secret that Kirk Cousins had a hand in his face just about every drop back this past season despite having one of the more productive run games to lean on. Riley Reiff could be on the way out the door so Cosmi could slide in right away and provide for a cheaper replacement that could be a better long-term fit.”

James Dator of SB Nation: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama. “Goodness, where do we begin on this one? The Vikings need a lot of help on defense. In fact, they need a lot of help everywhere — but with questionable options on the OL I have them addressing the mammoth problems with the secondary. Minnesota gutted its secondary for seemingly no reason, allowing talented players to walk and hurting the team in the process. Patrick Surtain II has the pedigree, and the talent to start fixing those issues.”

Brad Crawford of 247 Sports: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State.

Newday’s Nick Klopsis: Kwity Page, OLB/Edge, Michigan: “Mike Zimmer called his defense ‘the worst one I’ve ever had,’ so look for the Vikings to add massive reinforcements on that side of the ball, starting with a pass rush that only mustered 23 sacks. Kwity Paye has the physical tools, explosiveness and motor to get to the quarterback, and he’s an ideal fit for the 4-3 scheme that Zimmer loves to use.”

Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com (3 rounds): Round 1 — Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama. “The Vikings need as much defensive help as possible. They have to bolster their defensive line to replace some recent departures. Christian Barmore has nice length, quickness and athleticism.”; Round 3a – Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M; Round 3b – Tylan Wallace, WR, Tulane.

Joe Marino of the Draft Network: Gregory Rousseau, OLB/Edge, Miami. “The Vikings are a team in transition after saying goodbye to some key veterans in recent years and restocking the roster through the draft. Minnesota is loaded with draft capital once again in 2021 and it’s important for the early picks to be used on high-upside prospects at premium positions. While Rousseau has plenty of room to improve technically to take advantage of his physical gifts, he’s a high-ceiling defensive lineman that has the potential to become a difference-maker in the NFL if everything comes together.”; Round 2 —

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report: Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa.

Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC. “Vera-Tucker can start at either guard spot and might even have a shot to play tackle. No matter where he plays, Minnesota can feel confident in him.”

Joe DiTullio of GameHaus: Kwity Paye, OLB/Edge, Michigan.

Ian Wharton of Complex.com: Patrick Jones II, OLB/Edge, Pittsburgh. “He is a speedy presence who is dominated his competition this year. He has one of the fastest get-offs in the class and that could lead to an early impact on a team that has snaps to give on passing downs.”

MyNFLDraft.com: Wyatt Davis, OL, Ohio State.

Tankathon: Kwity Paye, OLB/Edge, Michigan.

Jason McIntyre of FOX Sports: Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami. “Mike Zimmer called the 2020 Vikings the ‘worst defense he’s ever had.’”

Glynn Morgan of NBC Sports: Kwity Paye, OLB/Edge, Michigan. “Much like Atlanta, Minnesota needs to draft a quality edge rusher, and Kwity Paye (much like my pairing of Rousseau to the Falcons) seems to be a great fit for the Vikings. Paye is an athletic power rusher whose bendable flexibility and powerful lower torso make him effective defending the run, as equally well as he rushes the passer. Since Yannick Ngakoue’s in-season trade to Baltimore, the Vikings as a team only produced 18 sacks during the 2020 campaign. Paye could provide the spark Minnesota needs when pressuring quarterbacks.”

Eddie Brown of the San Diego Union-Tribune: Daviyon Nixon, DL, Iowa. “Coach Mike Zimmer didn’t hold back when he called his defense the “worst one I’ve ever had.” Nixon, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, was recently named a consensus All-American. He’d pair nicely with Danielle Hunter to revitalize a once fearsome pass rush.”

ROUNDUP BY POSITION

Linebacker/Edge: 12

Offensive line: 8

Defensive line: 2

Cornerback: 2

MOST COMMON PLAYERS

Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami: 4

Kwity Paye, OLB/Edge, Michigan: 3