2021 NFL Mock Draft: Bears trade into top 10, Washington Football Team goes offense
60. . Offensive Tackle. Minnesota Vikings. Alijah Vera-Tucker. 14. player
The Vikings are another team that is desperate for offensive line help. So far this offseason, they parted ways with Riley Reiff and traded for former Cardinals third-round pick Mason Cole.
If anything, those two moves have kept the line stuck in neutral. At worst, they have downgraded it by losing Reiff.
Currently, the team’s starters on the left side are expected to be some combination of Ezra Cleveland, Rashod Hill, and Dakota Dozier. Cleveland has some upside but the other two aren’t exactly awe-inspiring. That’s why adding Vera-Tucker to the mix would make sense for the Vikings.
Related Story. Washington would be interested in Alijah Vera-Tucker -- if available. light
Vera-Tucker has a 6-foot-4, 315-pound frame, the same as Slater, and was a good starter at left tackle for USC. Vera-Tucker is truly a 50/50 proposition to find success at tackle for the next level, but even if he’s more of a guard, the Vikings could still use him. He and Cleveland would pair with center Garrett Bradbury and right tackle Brian O’Neill to make one of the more athletic offensive lines in the league.
If the Vikings want more of a sure thing at tackle or don’t believe that Cleveland can play outside, then Christian Darrisaw may make more sense overall. But for now, Vera-Tucker is a slightly better and more polished player than Darrisaw, so he’ll get the nod.
In truth though, it could go either way. And like the Chargers, the Vikings will almost certainly go offensive line here unless they absolutely fall in love with an edge rusher. But given that this isn’t a very strong defensive line class, that seems unlikely.