T.J. Clemmings a great gamble for Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings had an excellent draft last year, as Anthony Barr was one of the best outside linebackers in the league last season and looked way less raw than I thought in his first season. Mike Zimmer, Rick Spielman, and the Vikes have been at it again this year, snagging the likes of Trae Waynes and Eric Kendricks before stealing away the fallen T.J. Clemmings with their fourth-round pick today.

Clemmings was once seen as a first-round prospect, but severe concerns regarding his foot injury (he has a stress fracture) caused him to plummet all the way into the third day. Coming into Day 3, Clemmings was viewed by most draft experts as the best player available, though I had him behind Clemson’s underrated Grady Jarrett.

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In any case, Clemmings is a steal for the Vikings, especially since they needed to add some offensive line help. There’s a lot of hope that Matt Kalil can turn it around after once looking like one of the best left tackles in the league, but if he can’t, then Clemmings could be the Vikings long-term replacement at one tackle spot.

Although his biggest concern is his foot injury, Clemmings is also an extremely raw pass protector who will likely be a liability in that regard as a tackle when he starts off. It’s possible that the Vikings could kick him inside to guard, as that’s a much bigger position of need for them. Brandon Fusco has quietly become a very solid starter and an integral part of their line, but David Yankey is an unknown commodity as a once-touted prospect who fell in last year’s draft.

Clemmings has as much upside as any offensive line prospect in this year’s draft, and he can immediately be a quality contributor in the running game. He has the length and size to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber tackle, but “upside” is a dangerous buzzword and didn’t prevent him from going before the third day of the draft.

His agent has been quick to downplay the potential long-term effect of Clemmings’s stress fracture, but it’s clear that he’s a risky pick even if he’s a great value in the fourth round. This is a guy who could end up becoming a non-factor or having a short career, especially since he’ll likely need time to develop.

That said, I’m a huge fan of what the Minnesota Vikings have done in this draft class, and this is another good pick for them. They needed line help, as we clearly saw last season, and T.J. Clemmings is a talented, high-upside player who has plenty of fans. I like him more than Antonio Richardson, and it’s hard to ignore his athleticism. The Vikings coaching staff has plenty to work with here, and it will be interesting to see how Clemmings develops over the next couple of seasons as a member of their organization.

It’s early, but the Vikings look like big winners in this year’s draft, which isn’t a surprise considering they were big winners in last year’s draft, too. Zimmer knows what he’s doing out there for sure, and they knew they had to prevent Clemmings’s slide. There are plenty of question marks here, but it was worth the selection, especially since we’re in another run on offensive linemen with Arie Kouandjio and Tre’ Jackson off the board.

Next: Analysis on Kendricks Selection

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