David Yankey goes to Minnesota Vikings
David Yankey (54) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Stanford defeated Arizona State 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings decided to add some offensive line help in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, and they made a really nice value pick by snagging Stanford Cardinal product David Yankey with the fifth selection in the fifth round. Yankey went as high as the first round in some mock drafts, but some people were so low on him that they actually believed he should go undrafted. Yankey didn’t even go in the first two days of the draft, but there was just no way a player as steady as him in college would go without being picked up by someone.
Although the Vikings don’t need help on the offensive line, drafting Yankey was nice “BPA” pick, and he has a very good chance of beating veteran Charlie Johnson for the starting left guard job. I view Johnson as a significant liability, whereas Yankey could immediately be a solid starter in this league. He lacks upside due to his lack of top physical tools, but he’s a consistent player who won’t embarrass himself in pass protection and can provide some solid run blocking.
Brandon Fusco is currently locked in as the Vikings starting right guard, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Fusco had a new partner at the other guard spot. Yankey earned plenty of awards in college, but there are still some doubts that he can overcome his lack of athleticism.