2021 NFL Mock Draft: Bears, Falcons, 49ers all join QB rat race
OT. Los Angeles Chargers. Christian Darrisaw. 13. player. 13.
For the Los Angeles Chargers to fully capitalize on the talent that they have on the roster, they need to do two things. The first of those is to get the defense playing at a level that simply isn’t harmful to the game-by-game cause. Hiring former Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley should be a great start there as he has a breadth of talent at his disposal on that side of the ball to mold a quality unit.
The other thing the Bolts need is to provide quality protection for Justin Herbert and the offense. That’s why the selection of Christian Darrisaw is obvious. Tackle has been a problem spot for the past few years in Los Angeles but the Virginia Tech product helps immediately. He would be a day one starter for the Chargers and set Herbert up to further make strides after a strong rookie campaign in spite of some of his circumstances.
. IOL. Minnesota Vikings. Alijah Vera-Tucker. 14. player. 60
The Minnesota Vikings are the team I struggle with the most in terms of determining what they need to address in the 2021 NFL Draft. With the way the defense performed this past season, it’s hard not to think that they couldn’t use help on that side of the ball. Having said that, they also banked on a ton of young players to rebuild a unit that had a ton of turnover. With experience, the defense could potentially grow and improve next season.
Simultaneously, though, the Vikings continued to have issues with the interior of the offensive line. So they nab Alijah Vera-Tucker to hopefully improve things in that area. The USC product is another big riser in this draft class but it’s not hard to see why given his stellar performance for the Trojans. His blend of strength and athleticism make him the top interior lineman in the class and an option for Minnesota at No. 14.