Day 3 of the NFL Draft will feature Rounds 4-7 and in typical Rick Spielman fashion, the Vikings have a boatload of picks, including three in the fourth round and one each in the fifth and sixth rounds.
The Vikings opened the final day of the draft by selecting Iowa State running back Kene Nwangwu with the 119th overall pick.
Nwangwu ran for just 744 yards in four seasons with the Cyclones but has an intriguing athletic profile. Nwangwu placed in the upper percentiles of most drills but his best asset is his speed, which ranked in the 98th percentile with a 4.32 second time in the 40-yard dash.
New #Vikings RB Kene Nwangwu has some elite athletic traits. The Iowa State running back ran a 4.32 40-yard dash, which is in the 98th percentile.
Pretty much all of his athletic metrics are in the top percentile. Check out the chart via MockDraftable. Electric kick returner. pic.twitter.com/PdP6LcrtLh
— Daniel House (@DanielHouseMN) May 1, 2021
With their next pick, the Vikings took California safety Camryn Bynum. A two-time All-Pac 12 selection, Bynum recorded six interceptions 28 pass breakups in four seasons with the Golden Bears. While Bynum spent most of his time at cornerback, he was announced as a safety, meaning he’ll provide depth behind Harrison Smith and Xavier Woods.
#Vikings GM Rick Spielman announced 4th round pick Camryn Bynum, pick No. 125, as a safety and that’s the plan, that was the chatter with him pre-draft. Can help on special teams instantly. pic.twitter.com/VbaGC2745f
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) May 1, 2021
Their final pick in the fourth round was Florida State edge rusher Janarius Robinson. Robinson had six total sacks over the past two seasons with the Seminoles but suffered a torn ACL in the 2019 Sun Bowl. However, his length and athleticism is a fit for what the Vikings look for on the edge.
Janarius Robinson is a long, powerful DE with great physical upside. Can he follow in the footsteps of past #Vikings fourth round picks like Everson Griffen, Brian Robison, and Ray Edwards? pic.twitter.com/E8JhPHyrJ5
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) May 1, 2021
In the fifth round, the Vikings took Iowa receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette with the 157th overall pick. Smith-Marsette’s best year came in 2019 when he posted 722 yards and five touchdowns but some including ESPN’s Louis Riddick believe he was underutilized.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR.
Great name.
Great speed.
Underutilized at Iowa. He should have had HUGE production. He was open over and over and they simply didn’t throw it to him. He goes to right situation in league, he will explode onto the scene. #NFLDraft— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) April 18, 2021
The Vikings went into D-II for their second fifth round pick, taking tight end Zach Davidson with the 168th overall pick. Not only was Davidson a First-Team All-American for Central Missouri in 2019, he served as the team’s punter averaging 40.3 yards per punt.
Vikings select TE(/P) Zach Davidson at #168.
He's raw as can be but is a good athlete and worth a dart throw, especially in this kind of draft.
He'll need a lot of time to develop at TE but the traits are there, and he actually has legit Punter versatility. https://t.co/B9wKUd0TEB pic.twitter.com/eu7l4IZ0xv
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) May 1, 2021
In the sixth round, the Vikings went back to Pittsburgh to select defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman. Twyman opted out of the 2020 season but led the Panthers with 12 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in 2019. The first defensive tackle to lead Pittsburgh in sacks since Aaron Donald, Twyman excels in rushing the passer but needs to be better stopping the run.
Vikings selections in the 2021 NFL Draft
Round 1, pick 23: Christian Darrisaw, LT, Virginia Tech
Round 3, pick 66: Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M
Round 3, pick 78: Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina
Round 3, pick 86: Wyatt Davis, OG, Ohio State
Round 3, pick 90: Patrick Jones II, DE, Pittsburgh
Round 4, pick 119: Kene Nwangwu, RB, Iowa State
Round 4, pick 125: Camryn Bynum, S, California
Round 4, pick 134: Janarius Robinson, DE, Florida State
Round 5, pick 157: Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa
Round 5, pick 168: Zach Davidson, TE, Central Missouri
Round 6, pick 199: Jaylen Twyman, DT, Pittsburgh
