Every NFL Draft is hit and miss, but it’s pretty evident that the new Minnesota Vikings regime isn’t very impressed with the bulk of the picks Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer made during their final year leading the franchise.
Christian Darrisaw was a home-run pick by Spielman and Zimmer in the first round of 2021. He looks like a perennial stud at left tackle, but he’s one of only five members of Minnesota’s 2021 draft class that wasn’t cut by the new regime before Tuesday’s 3 p.m. deadline.
Kellen Mond, Chazz Surratt and Wyatt Davis were all cut after being taken in the third round. The fourth and final third-rounder taken by Spielman/Zimmer was edge rusher Patrick Jones II, who will make the team under new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell.
To their credit, Spielman and Zimmer did OK in the fourth round by snagging running back Kene Nwangwu and safety Cam Bynum. Bynum is going to start at safety in his second season (ahead of rookie first-round pick Lewis Cine) and Nwangwu will surely be a weapon in O’Connell’s offense and as a kick returner.
Janarius Robinson, a fourth-round pick, has battled injuries and was cut Tuesday.
In round five, the new regime appears to like wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, though they dumped tight end Zach Davidson. Maybe Davidson winds up on the practice squad?
Round 6? Jalen Twyman, the defensive tackle who missed last year after being shot four times in Washington, D.C. His story is inspiring but he too was a Tuesday pink slip.
It’s possible that some of the 2021 picks who were cut Tuesday just weren’t scheme fits. But it’s also possible that they just weren’t good enough.
The 2020 draft under Spielman and Zimmer was a lot better. They landed Justin Jefferson, Ezra Cleveland, D.J. Wonnum, Cameron Dantzler and KJ Osborn, all of whom with the exception of Wonnum will start this season.
How about the 2019 draft? Well, Garrett Bradbury is starting at center but he’s had two pretty rough years to start his career. Irv Smith Jr. has promise but hasn’t been healthy. Alexander Mattison is a good backup running back and is reportedly drawing trade interest. They also nailed defensive tackle Armon Watts in the sixth round, and tabbed Bisi Johnson as a good prospect in the seventh round, though Johnson has torn his ACL in back-to-back preseasons.
Related: Here’s who the Vikings have cut ahead of Tuesday’s deadline
Related: The top storylines of all of the Vikings’ 2022 opponents
