The Minnesota Vikings are coming off another draft where they led the league with the most selections made. Over the last two seasons the team has totaled 26 draft picks creating room for a much younger roster.

There were rookies that got thrown into situations they weren’t ready for in 2020 due to an injury plagued season, but the depth is looking much stronger after another solid class in 2021. The team has a long way to go before making decisions on the 53-man roster, but the evaluations are set to begin this coming weekend with rookie minicamp kicking off May 14.

With so much young talent on the roster, the Vikings are set up to have roster battles at several key positions. Here are five young players that are worth keeping an eye on throughout minicamps, training camp and the preseason.

Kellen Mond

The Vikings have needed to address the backup quarterback role since Kirk Cousins arrived in 2018. That changed in the 2021 NFL Draft, as the Sean Mannion era is over, and the Kellen Mond era begins.

Mond had a prolific career at Texas A&M where he threw for 9,661 yards and 71 touchdowns, both of which are Aggie records. He plays with good arm strength, a quick release and shows flashes of great accuracy. He’s capable at escaping the pocket and extending plays but could use some work on his decision making at times.

It’s clear that the keys are still in the hands of Cousins for the 2021 season, but Mond will be developing in the shadows if something goes south. At the very least he provides upside at the backup position and has the talent to potentially develop into something more down the road.

If Mond has a good preseason we could witness the Kyle Sloter effect throughout the Vikings fanbase. It’s important to understand that Mond has a lot of potential, but Cousins gives the Vikings the best chance at winning in 2021.

Chazz Surratt

The more this pick starts to settle in the more I start to see the idea of Chazz Surratt making an immediate impact in his rookie campaign. I wasn’t super high on the idea of going linebacker with this pick, but it’s important to remember that Anthony Barr has one-year left on his deal.

There will likely be an open competition for the Will linebacker role between Nick Vigil, Troy Dye and Surratt. While Vigil and Dye have the most experience playing the position, they lack the excitement level that Surratt shows on tape. Take this with a grain of salt, as there’s certainly some negatives on his tape as well.

Surratt has only played two seasons at linebacker after originally going to North Carolina to play quarterback. In his first season at the position he was named First-Team All-ACC and the runner up for ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Mel Kiper believes that he has the potential to start early for the Vikings and called this one of his favorite picks for the purple. Surratt has a good blend of athleticism and physicality in his game, but it’s clear at times that he’s new to the position.

At the very least Surratt will be an instant special teams contributor, but there’s a chance he’s a base package linebacker if he impresses enough over the summer months.

Janarius Robinson

Perhaps my favorite mid-round pick for the Vikings in the last two draft classes, Janarius Robinson is the type of player that was needed in Andre Patterson’s toolbox. The team spent a third and fourth round pick on pass rushers, so it’s clear they felt a need to find someone opposite of Danielle Hunter.

In terms of physical traits, Robinson is an absolute freak and built to play the position. Although he wasn’t the most productive player throughout his career at Florida State, he should still be looked at as a potential steal in the fourth round.

Robinson is good in the run game and has some solid pass rushing maneuvers. Pairing his traits with a coach that has a proven track record at developing pass rushers should only help him as he begins his NFL career.

The starting defensive end opposite of Hunter is going to be a big storyline throughout the summer. Unless the team makes another free agency addition, it will end up coming down to D.J. Wonnum, Stephen Weatherly, Patrick Jones II and Robinson. However, it’s likely there will be an ongoing rotation throughout the regular season.

Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Speaking of value and underwhelming collegiate careers, the Vikings found another player that likely shouldn’t have fallen to the position in which he was drafted.

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