NFL Draft 2021: 3 best scenarios for Minnesota Vikings in Round 1

1. Draft USC OL Alijah Vera-Tucker to fortify the offense

There’s only one player Minnesota should consider drafting offensively on Thursday night. Vera-Tucker might be an interior player when talking to scouts, but the former Trojan is so much more than that when looking at his film and production.

Vera-Tucker isn’t just an offensive tackle that could fall inside due to his size. He’s already found immense success when playing both left to right guard in Clay Helton’s system. As the replacement for Austin Jackson in 2020, AVT allowed four sacks on the outside.

The two years prior as a guard? One sack and six pressures combined.

As one of the most well-rounded offensive linemen in the class, AVT should be a plug-and-play guard for Minnesota’s front line. The hope would be then that Ezra Cleveland, the second-year tackle prospect, would be able to move outside.

If Minnesota has faith that their draft board will fall in their favor, solidifying the line for both Cousins and Cook is a smart ploy. There’s little downside with AVT, so making sure this offense will finish top-five is something Spielman must consider.