Vikings move down to take Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw

Updated Apr. 30, 2021 12:40 a.m. ET

Associated Press

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings were rewarded for their calculated gamble Thursday night, landing offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw after a nine-spot slide down the NFL draft board.

Now they're banking on blocking for Kirk Cousins being a less risky proposition.

The Vikings

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“He's got really good strength. He's a good kid. He's a hard worker and really athletic,” coach Mike Zimmer said. “I don't know that there was a priority. It was find the guy who we thought would come in and fit the best.”

The Vikings had the No. 14 spot on the board, which would have been their highest in six years. They sent the pick to the New York Jets with one of their four choices in the fourth round (No. 143 overall) to settle at No. 23 — which originally came from Seattle in the deal for safety Jamal Adams — and add two third-round selections (No. 66 and No. 86).

“We were a little tight in the draft room,” general manager Rick Spielman said.

Quipped Zimmer: “I told him, ‘Don’t answer the phones anymore.’”

After

Bradbury, tackle Matt Kalil (No. 4 overall in 2012) and tackle Bryant McKinnie (No. 7 in 2002) are the only offensive linemen the Vikings have taken in the first round in the last 25 drafts.

With Darrisaw's arrival, O'Neill can stay at right tackle and Cleveland can remain at right guard. Darrisaw, a Maryland native who played three seasons for the Hokies, was the fourth offensive tackle taken this year.

“I’ve always been an underdog, and there’s always been questions about me. But I know the heart and belief I have in myself and the confidence,” Darrisaw said. “I feel like I’m able to accomplish anything if I put my mind to it.”

The Vikings prepared scenarios for one of the consensus top five quarterbacks falling to them. That’s exactly what happened with Alabama’s Mac Jones available, but with Cousins under contract for two more years at $66 million such a move would only have been for the future.

Though Spielman and Zimmer have contracts through 2023, the status of the two leaders is far from secure after a 7-9 finish in 2020. They have won only two playoff games since Zimmer was hired in 2014.

Thus, the need for an instant-impact player or two from this draft was as strong as ever for the Vikings, who have watched Green Bay win the last two NFC North titles while going 13-3 each time. The Vikings have also finished behind Chicago twice in the last three years.

The Vikings don't have a second-round selection, due to the ill-fated trade with Jacksonville for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, but they now have four picks in the third round. That includes choices No. 78 and No. 90, which came from Baltimore for Ngakoue.

They currently have three choices in the fourth round, two fifth-rounders and one sixth-rounder, a lineup that's sure to be shuffled more times over the weekend as Spielman tries to maximize the return on 2021 rookie investment.

Whichever prospect the Vikings picked, replicating

Because all their key evaluators have been vaccinated for COVID-19, the Vikings were allowed by the NFL to assemble them all in the same room this time at team headquarters.

“Just watching Dalvin Cook hit the hole and break for like 60 yards,” Darrisaw said, “you’re saying to yourself, ‘I’m going to be blocking for a guy like that.’”

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