Five Offensive Linemen the Vikings Could Target on Each Day of the 2021 NFL Draft

The Vikings will have options all throughout the draft to add talent to their offensive line.

It's no secret that the Vikings' biggest weakness, bar none, is their offensive line.

It was among the NFL's worst in 2020, which is an all-too-frequent occurrence for this franchise. The O-line has been a perpetual problem in Minnesota for years and years, and even after investing a draft pick in the first two rounds on a lineman in each of the past three years, it hasn't been fixed.

Free agency only made it an even more pressing need. The Vikings released veteran Riley Reiff for salary cap purposes, meaning they've lost one of the two best players from their 2020 O-line. They made no major additions to help replace Reiff, with their only moves being to trade for Mason Cole and to re-sign Rashod Hill and Dakota Dozier.

Luckily for the Vikings, this year's draft is LOADED with intriguing offensive linemen. If they can find a good rookie or two to join Brian O'Neill, Garrett Bradbury, and Ezra Cleveland, Minnesota could be pretty close to having a competent unit up front. (There are still free agent options out there, too). What's nice about this year's OL class is that there is plenty of depth, so even if the Vikings go in a different direction in the first round, they'll still be able to add talent at tackle and/or guard later on.

With that in mind, here are five offensive linemen the Vikings could target on each of the draft's three days.

Day 1 (Round 1)

• Northwestern OT/G Rashawn Slater
• Virginia Tech OT Christian Darrisaw
• USC OT/G Alijah Vera-Tucker
• Oklahoma State OT Teven Jenkins
• Texas OT Samuel Cosmi

Current Vikings pick(s): No. 14

The only first-round offensive lineman the Vikings have no shot at landing without trading up is Oregon tackle Penei Sewell. Slater is also unlikely to make it to 14, but if that happens, it should be an absolute no-brainer for Rick Spielman and company. For the record, I'm on board with the idea of trading up for Sewell or Slater if they fall further than anticipated, although it's worth remembering that the Vikings haven't traded up within the first round since 1987.

If the Vikings stay put at 14, the next two offensive linemen who would make the most sense there are Darrisaw and Vera-Tucker. Darrisaw is a very interesting tackle prospect who had a dominant 2020 season for the Hokies. Vera-Tucker is probably the safest OL prospect in the class outside of Sewell and Slater; his athleticism and technique give him a high floor and he's got the versatility to play tackle or guard, which could appeal to the Vikings.

Two other names to know, particularly if the Vikings wind up trading down, are Jenkins and Cosmi. Jenkins is an absolute mauler of a right tackle, while Cosmi is an elite athlete with a very similar profile to that of O'Neill and Cleveland. He fits the mold of what we know the Vikings like in offensive linemen, so don't be surprised if they find a way to get him in purple.

Day 2 (Rounds 2 and 3)

• NDSU OT Dillon Radunz
• Wisconsin-Whitewater C/G Quinn Meinerz
• Ohio State G Wyatt Davis
• Northern Iowa OT Spencer Brown
• BYU OT Brady Christensen

Current Vikings pick(s): No. 78 (third round), No. 90 (third round)

Day 2 of this year's draft is extremely deep when it comes to offensive linemen. If the Vikings draft, say, an edge rusher or wide receiver in the first round, they might still be able to land a first-round caliber lineman in the second (if they acquire a second-rounder somehow) or third round. And if they go OL in the first, there's an argument to be made that they should just double down on that unit with one of their next picks, too.

This is where you're going to see some of the big-time small-school OL prospects go off the board. Radunz is a fantastic athlete who held down Trey Lance's blind side for the Bison over the past couple years. He's unlikely to make it out of the second round. Meinerz was one of the biggest stories coming out of this year's Senior Bowl and has as much upside as any pure interior OL not named Landon Dickerson or Creed Humphrey. Brown is another incredible athlete who could make a lot of sense for the Vikings in the third round.

There are plenty of Power 5 linemen expected to be taken in this range, as well. Davis projects as an instant impact starter at guard after a great career for the Buckeyes. Christensen didn't attend a Power 5 school, but he's rising up draft boards after an impressive workout at BYU's pro day. Other big-school linemen to keep in mind on Day 2 include Liam Eichenberg (Notre Dame), Jalen Mayfield (Michigan), Alex Leatherwood (Alabama) and Jackson Carman (Clemson). There should be some very talented linemen available in the third round if the Vikings want to take advantage.

Day 3 (Rounds 4 through 7):

• Stanford OT Walker Little
• Illinois G Kendrick Green
• Notre Dame OT Robert Hainsey
• Florida OT Stone Forsythe
• South Carolina G Sadarius Hutcherson

Current Vikings pick(s): No. 119 (fourth round), No. 125 (fourth round), No. 134 (fourth round), No. 143 (fourth round), No. 157 (fifth round), No. 168 (fifth round), No. 199 (sixth round)

I would be very surprised if the Vikings don't select at least one offensive lineman during the draft's first two days. But with only three picks in the first three rounds (for now), they might address other needs early or take the best player available, regardless of position. If they only have one OL heading into Day 3, they'll presumably want to use some of their seven picks in rounds four through six to take shots on linemen.

The Vikings' history of Day 3 OL since Spielman became GM — Jeff Baca, Travis Bond, David Yankey, T.J. Clemmings, Tyrus Thompson, B.J. Dubose, Willie Beavers, Danny Isidora, Colby Gossett, Dru Samia, Oli Udoh, Blake Brandel, and Kyle Hinton — is ugly, to say the least. But maybe this could be the year that changes?

Little is a guy who might have first-round talent. But he effectively hasn't played since 2018 because of a torn ACL in 2019 and an opt-out last year. If he slips into the fourth round as some are projecting, the Vikings should take a chance on his upside. He might be a Day 2 guy, though.

Green is one of my favorite guard prospects to keep an eye on in the fourth, along with Ben Cleveland and Trey Smith (if they make it that far). The Illinois product is an explosive athlete who would fit perfectly in the Vikings' zone blocking scheme. If you're looking for a dynamic athlete at guard in the fifth or sixth round, Hutcherson might be your guy. Lastly, Hainsey and Forsythe are a couple tackles to keep in mind on Day 3.

History suggests that the Vikings can't expect to find an immediate starting option on Day 3, but they can fill out their depth and add players who they think might have the upside to develop into starting-caliber players in their second or third season.

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