Friday, March 29, 2024
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Examining why none of the Vikings’ 11 draft picks played on offense or defense in Week 2 vs. Cardinals

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The Minnesota Vikings fell to 0-2 this past Sunday, as Greg Joseph failed to convert on what would have been a game-winning field goal against the Arizona Cardinals. Joseph isn’t the only one in the organization who misfired Sunday, as the front office saw zero of its 11 draft picks record a snap on offense or defense, according to Mike Renner of PFF.

Left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who the Vikings selected with the No. 23 overall pick, has been dealing with a groin injury that has sidelined him for the first two games of the season. He is expected to be an immediate-impact guy when he’s finally healthy, and his NFL debut could come this Sunday after he was a limited participant in practice all last week. 

But what about the rest of Minnesota’s draft class? Its next two draft picks were inactive Sunday as well, as quarterback Kellen Mond and linebacker Chazz Surratt did not dress. Fellow third-round picks offensive guard Wyatt Davis and defensive end Patrick Jones II were active, but only Davis played some special teams snaps. 

The Vikings drafted three players in the fourth round: running back Kene Nwangwu and defensive end Janarius Robinson are on IR, while safety Camryn Bynum played only on special teams. Fifth-round pick wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned one kick but didn’t play on offense, and then the final two draft picks, tight end Zach Davidson and defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman, were inactive. 

So, big deal or little deal? You could make the argument this doesn’t mean anything since injuries affected a handful of guys. Still, having just three of 11 draft picks play is wild, and Darrisaw is the only player who has a clear path to starter status moving forward. Some of these players could move up the depth chart due to injuries as the season progresses, so it’s too early to make a determination on this Vikings’ draft class just yet.

It’s time for the Vikings to make their move in the NFC North. Can Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson get the job done? Download the CBS Sports app to get the latest headlines from our team of NFL experts. If you’ve already downloaded the CBS Sports app, favorite the Vikings right now to get all the top headlines out of Minnesota.

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