- Associated Press
Browning 'taking charge' of Vikings, with other QBs absent
Jake Browning left Washington with more wins than any player in Pac-12 history, a four-year starter whose productive career put him in the company of a long line of standout Huskies quarterbacks. Browning's first two years as a pro were exclusively behind-the-scenes work on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad, as he took the unglamorous steps toward trying to climb up the depth chart and get a foothold in a league that annually chews up and spits out another slate of prospects. “Basically finding any possible way that I can get better without actually taking a ton of reps," said Browning, who suddenly found himself in heavy duty this week when starter Kirk Cousins and backups Kellen Mond and Nate Stanley were sidelined by COVID-19 protocols.
Minnesota Draft Picks
Christian
Darrisaw
1
Rnd
23
Pk
OT
Position
- Draft Grade: B+
- Pre-Draft Rank: 21
- School: Virginia Tech
- Height: 6' 5"
- Weight: 322
Eric Edholm's Commentary
It’s back to back Hokies as the Vikings slide down and grab a player who routinely was mocked in the teens. GM Rick Spielman typically lands good value, and this fits the bill. We weren’t quite as enamored with Darrisaw’s upside as others, but he's a very nice player with the athletic traits to be a Day 1 starter at left tackle.
Kellen
Mond
3
Rnd
2
Pk
QB
Position
- Draft Grade: B-
- School: Texas A&M
- Height: 6' 3"
- Weight: 211
Eric Edholm's Commentary
An interesting dart throw here, as Mond brings experience (44 college starts), athleticism and a strong arm. The problem? He rarely showed much consistency or improvement since 2018. But perhaps a change of scenery will help take his game to the next level. This Colin Kaepernick-ish talent is a sneaky option to steal Kirk Cousins’ job one day.
Chazz
Surratt
3
Rnd
15
Pk
LB
Position
- Draft Grade: B-
- Pre-Draft Rank: 48
- School: N. Carolina
- Height: 6' 2"
- Weight: 229
Eric Edholm's Commentary
A converted QB (who started seven games there as a freshman for the Tar Heels), Surratt made the highly unusual QB-to-LB change and acquitted himself really well for the most part. Missed tackles remain a bugaboo, and he’s still learning the trade of his new role. But Surratt is a terrific athlete with hair-on-fire intensity and great traits who should at the very least be a star on special teams and likely will carve out a role on defense.
Wyatt
Davis
3
Rnd
23
Pk
OG
Position
- Draft Grade: B
- Pre-Draft Rank: 66
- School: Ohio St.
- Height: 6' 4"
- Weight: 315
Eric Edholm's Commentary
The Vikings are good at the draft. Davis is the son of the actor who played Alvin Mack in “The Program” and a gritty performer with some real strength in his play. Although he’s likely a guard only, Minnesota found itself a strong-handed blocker who blocks out pain and plays hurt. He’s not special athletically and didn’t dominate in 2020 like he did in 2019, but Davis has a lot of admirable traits to carve out a nice career.
Patrick
Jones II
3
Rnd
27
Pk
EDGE
Position
- Draft Grade: C
- School: Pittsburgh
- Height: 6' 4"
- Weight: 261
Eric Edholm's Commentary
Going before his Panthers teammate Rashad Weaver surprises us a bit, but Jones does have some solid virtues. He plays hard, has some good linear burst and brings some leadership qualities to his new team. But there is a blind-dog-in-a-meathouse quality to his game. With better recognition and savvy in his play, Jones could be a nice rotational rusher.
Kene
Nwangwu
4
Rnd
14
Pk
RB
Position
- School: Iowa St.
- Height: 6' 1"
- Weight: 210
Camryn
Bynum
4
Rnd
20
Pk
CB
Position
- School: California
- Height: 6' 0"
- Weight: 196
Janarius
Robinson
4
Rnd
29
Pk
EDGE
Position
- School: Florida St.
- Height: 6' 5"
- Weight: 263
Ihmir
Smith-Marsette
5
Rnd
13
Pk
WR
Position
- School: Iowa
- Height: 6' 1"
- Weight: 181
Zach
Davidson
5
Rnd
24
Pk
TE
Position
- School: Cent. Missouri St.
- Height: 6' 7"
- Weight: 245
Jaylen
Twyman
6
Rnd
15
Pk
DT
Position
- School: Pittsburgh
- Height: 6' 2"
- Weight: 301
