2021 NFL Draft: Exploring the Minnesota Vikings’ options with the 14th pick
By Efan Willis
Keep Kirk clean
Establishing the run has been a staple of the Mike Zimmer era in Minnesota, and Gary Kubiak’s offense in 2020 was no different. With an emphasis on running the ball now well and truly part of the Vikings’ culture, it’s no surprise to learn that, as a result, their passing volume has decreased accordingly.
Minnesota’s 516 total pass attempts ranked them 27th in the NFL for the 2020 season. Despite the limited opportunity to drop back, quarterback Kirk Cousins was still sacked a total of 39 times in 2020, a number only topped by five other quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Reference.
The Vikings offensive line struggled mightily with keeping their quarterback upright last season, and for that reason, I believe taking a versatile pass blocker would be a wise way to spend their first-round pick.
One prospect that fits the Vikings’ scheme like a glove is USC’s OT/OG Alijah Vera-Tucker. Despite primarily lining up for the Trojans as a left tackle for the 2020 season, I believe Vera-Tucker would be better utilized as a left guard at the NFL level. The interior offensive line is a position of need for the Minnesota Vikings, and the flexible lineman would likely be an immediate starter come next season.
USC ran the ball in a zone-blocking scheme, similar to the Vikings, and it was in his run blocking snaps that Vera-Tucker truly shined. He’s an agile lineman that is able to get to the second level with ease, which should serve to improve an already-explosive Minnesota running game.
There may even be a world in which the Vikings could trade down and still get their man; Vera-Tucker’s draft stock would suffer if teams started to see him primarily as a guard at the next level. Having a stalwart blindside tackle in the NFL is far more valuable than an interior lineman, and if the consensus on him shifts during the buildup to the draft, it could spell success for the Minnesota Vikings.
To select Alijah Vera-Tucker at No. 14 would be to protect a $66 million investment in Kirk Cousins, and simultaneously improve their rushing offense. Two birds with one stone.