2021 NFL Mock Draft: Eagles target DeVonta Smith, Bears settle on Mac Jones

This past season, the Minnesota Vikings defense took a step backward which makes it feel as though they should go with someone to help that unit. However, head coach Mike Zimmer understands how to get the most out of his defenders and he also knows they had a lot of younger players who might need time to grow.

On offense, they had some explosion for Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson but there were far too many times the offensive line let them down. For that reason, they use their first pick on Alijah Vera-Tucker out of USC.

Vera-Tucker played left tackle for the Trojans but is expected to move inside at the next level. Having said that, Drae Harris from The Draft Network thinks his ability to play on the outside in a pinch is just one of the many intriguing things about this young man.

"“He is an easy mover who demonstrates his athleticism in the passing game, particularly in his kick slide. He plays with very good competitiveness when he is bull rushed. In the run game, he comes off the ball hard to strike and he excels by getting his body in favorable positions. He’s played this year at left tackle, affording him much more value due to his ability to play that position in a pinch at the next level.” — Harris, The Draft Network"

This is a big season coming up for the Vikings considering how poorly things went in 2020. They need to prove that campaign was a fluke or else some seats could start to get a little warm.