Minnesota Vikings Select (LT) Christian Darrisaw With #23 Overall Pick
After trading back earlier in the night, the Minnesota Vikings have officially made their first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. With the #23 overall pick, they’ve selected (LT) Christian Darrisaw of Virginia Tech. Most people expected Darrisaw to go in the top-15 and Spielman got him at #23, after adding two 3rd-rounders. I’d have to call that a victory.
With the No. 23 overall pick in the 2021 @NFLDraft, the @Vikings select OL Christian Darrisaw!
— NFL (@NFL) April 30, 2021
????: 2021 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/hTSSK8qtpD
With the No. 23 pick, the Vikings selected offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw, per a source.
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) April 30, 2021
Solid night for Minnesota considering many thought Darrisaw was worth the No. 14 pick and instead the Vikings added an early third while still getting Darrisaw.
Athletically gifted left tackle prospect with the natural talent to be as good as he wants to be. Darrisaw plays with plus body control. He has the initial quickness and smooth agility to get to any and all blocks in the run game. The tape shows a player who’s able to make jaw-dropping cutoffs on the backside but who gives half-hearted effort securing down blocks and squeezing down to help protect the B-gap. He’s flexible and loose in pass pro, with the foot quickness and hand strength to punch and close up shop on would-be edge rushers. His mirror can get a little lazy at times, and he will definitely need to do a better job of finishing his blocks. The low-burn field demeanor leads to inconsistencies in play, but the athletic traits and talent as a true left tackle should create first-round demand as a higher-ceiling, lower-floor prospect.
NFL.com
Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan
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