What we know about Kellen Mond and the rest of the Minnesota Vikings 2021 draft class after one preseason game

Which second-year starters have carved out roles for themselves and which will become casualties of a new regime?

The Minnesota Vikings’ 2021 draft class is in a precarious position.

Picked by a regime that has since been replaced, on a roster that has since changed schemes, there are no allegiances to these second-year players. No front office personnel needs to save face for a disappointing draft pick. No safety net needs to be extended for a floundering selection.

Then consider the situation they walked into last season. With job preservation on the mind of both Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer, developing a new group of rookies was not high on the priority list.

Only Christian Darrisaw was given significant playing time. And, probably unsurprisingly, Darrisaw is the only one with a clear role in Year 2 with the new regime. Everyone else is in prove-it mode, making this training camp and preseason all the more important.

So, let’s look at how each draft pick (in order of how they were drafted) did on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, where they currently stand and if they have a path forward in Minnesota.

Christian Darrisaw

Darrisaw and the entire first-team offensive line played just eight snaps against the Raiders as Kevin O’Connell allowed the starting group nothing more than the team’s first two series.

The uncertainty surrounding this draft class doesn’t include Darrisaw. His spot at left tackle is unquestioned this year and well into the future, although his case as the left tackle of the future isn’t bulletproof. Darrisaw struggled in pass-blocking situations in his rookie season, accumulating a below-average PFF grade and one of the worst pass-block win rates among all offensive tackles.

Still, there was enough to like from Darrisaw’s performance to feel good about his development and all signs point towards the former first-round pick improving in Year 2.

Here’s what Trench Warfare’s Brandon Thorn said on a recent episode of the Purple Insider podcast:

“As a rookie, I thought he played pretty well. Some of the pass protection issues that were a little bit there on tape showed up. He tends to be a little slow out of his stance at times, maybe kind of give up a short corner sometimes and let guys get to his edge a little sooner than you would like. That was something that was on tape throughout the year as a rookie, but he has the athletic ability to correct that, it’s more of a technique thing. As a run-blocker, to me when I did a couple film rooms on Vikings guys and watched him throughout the year, that’s what really jumped out to me and what stood out in college as well. He has the size and strength and power to really impose his will on guys and move guys in the run game.

“Even if we didn’t get rave reviews of him so far [in training camp] and it was just incremental improvements, I was still thinking the Vikings had one of the, definitely 10 best tackle pairings in the league, maybe even higher than that.”

The objective now will be to refine his technique and see how high he and Brian O’Neill can climb in the best offensive tackle rankings.

Kellen Mond

Mond did not start, replacing Sean Mannion after three drives in the first half. He ran the offense for three drives, all of which ended in scores. He showed flashes in moments and struggled at times. He finished 9-of-14 for 119 yards and 2 touchdown passes.

First, the good. The performance garnered him an 87.1 PFF passing grade, the second-highest of any quarterback in Week 1 of the preseason with at least 10 dropbacks. His average depth of target (aDOT) was 12.4 yards, the third-highest amongst quarterbacks with the same qualifier. He generated two big-time throws and zero turnover-worthy plays with a passer rating of 130.7.

Contrast that with Mannion’s numbers. A 52.9 PFF passing grade, 8-of-12 for 79 yards. No big-time throws, one turnover-worthy play. An aDOT of 4.7 yards.

Now, the bad. Remember those stats I just listed off? Those were against second- and third-team players. And while he generated big plays downfield, his indecisiveness was evident. His average time to throw was 3.54 seconds which was among the slowest of all QBs this preseason. If applied to the 2021 season, that would rank as the slowest among all starters with Jalen Hurts the next slowest at 3.20. Simply, that’s way too long for any quarterback to hold the ball, especially with questions along the offensive line and a lack of running ability to make up for it. Hurts had both of those things in 2021. Mond does not.

I highly recommend watching this clip (and full video) from JT O’Sullivan, which showcases Mond’s questionable vision.

Mond can be seen passing off a relatively open wide receiver and instead pushing the ball into a tight window and ultimately failing to complete the pass.

The takeaway?

Certainly, you want your QBs to perform well in the preseason and Mond has done that through one game. He’s taken a step forward compared to what he showed in the preseason last year, but let it just be that. A step. If he takes several more throughout the preseason, could he be the backup? Yes. 

Mond is the quintessential young and inexperienced quarterback, so it will come down to what Minnesota wants from its backup. The Vikings stayed committed to an equal reps competition between the two. But the job is there for Mond to take.

Chazz Surratt

Surratt’s chances of making the Week 1 roster are fading based on his usage. Surratt was drafted as an athletic freak with high upside. The new regime went out and got one of their own just like him in Brian Asamoah, only better. Asamoah got reps before Surratt and played much better in the role.

Surratt was the Vikings' worst-performing defender according to PFF. He finished with a 29.5 overall grade. Is there a chance Surratt lands on the practice squad or potentially grabs one of the last roster spots? Maybe, but he didn’t do himself any favors on Sunday.

Wyatt Davis

Davis ran with the third-team offensive line on Sunday. It was him, Vederian Lowe, Kyle Hinton, Josh Sokol and Timon Parris. Not exactly the company you want to keep if you’re in serious consideration to make the active roster.

In a similar situation as Surratt, Davis had his replacement drafted in Ed Ingram. Ingram has already surpassed Davis on the depth chart and will likely keep him from making the roster.

Patrick Jones

Jones, on the other hand, was inserted into a much larger role and looks to be a bigger piece of the Vikings' puzzle moving forward. With Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter sitting out, Jones ran with the first-team defense opposite DJ Wonnum. In 16 pass rush snaps, he generated four pressures, most on the team.

Without much depth along the defensive line and an interior that struggles to generate a pass rush, having rotational EDGE rushers who can do that effectively will be important and Jones has appeared to be the front runner among the inexperienced group to get that chance. Adding four pressures in limited action should only solidify that. At the beginning of training camp, he was considered a roster bubble guy. Through one preseason game, he’s clearly going to be on the roster in Week 1 and likely contributing immediately.

Kene Nwangwu

Nwangwu replaced Mattison after the first-team offense left the game and immediately showed the explosiveness that we saw in spurts in 2021. He ran for 41 yards on seven carries. Yet, he wasn’t the running back everyone was talking about. That was rookie Ty Chandler. The fifth-rounder led the team with 50 rushing yards on five carries.

While Nwangwu’s draft situation aligns with the likes of Chazz Surratt and Wyatt Davis, who saw new rookies come in to fill very similar positions, Nwangwu has distinguished himself from the other two. His athleticism is evident and it has kept him ahead of Chandler despite the new regime inheriting Nwangwu.

It’s put the Vikings at an interesting position where they’ll likely need to keep four running backs because Nwangwu and Chandler may not make it to the practice squad. However, with Nwangwu still higher in the pecking order, if there was to be a roster cut, it would almost assuredly be Chandler.

Camryn Bynum

With Harrison Smith out, Bynum and Lewis Cine shared the field with the first-team defense. Bynum has continued to get more first-team reps in practice and came out earlier in Sunday’s game, showing signs that he remains ahead of Cine for now. Neither player made many noteworthy plays. Bynum was targeted once. Cine was targeted twice.

But just like Nwangwu, Bynum has a rookie breathing down his neck. It’s safe to assume Cine as a first-round pick will eventually replace Bynum as the safety opposite Smith. But everything we’ve seen so far points to Bynum being an important piece whether he’s the starting safety or not. Sunday only reaffirmed that.

Janarius Robinson

Robinson was a trendy pick to make the leap that it appears Patrick Jones has made. But it hasn’t materialized yet for Robinson. He came in on a few snaps in the first half down in the red zone and right before halftime, but was clearly behind Jones and Wonnum. He played a majority of the second half once those players were removed and he didn’t have as much success. He generated one pressure on 16 pass rush snaps.

He still has an opportunity to make the depth chart, but even if he does, it appears it will be only as a reserve depth piece.

Ihmir Smith-Marsette

Smith-Marsette garnered a team-high five targets in the opener, although he was slotted into that fifth wide receiver role. Bisi Johnson was the one that got the majority of the first-team reps in game action. Whether he’s the No. 4 or 5 on this team, Smith-Marsette’s Week 18 performance last year along with his start to the preseason has locked up his spot on the team.

Now the question is, can he be consistent enough to earn the No. 4 duties over Johnson?

Zach Davidson

Davidson caught one pass for 12 yards. But Irv Smith’s injury and a lack of any wow plays from Johnny Mundt, Ben Ellefson or Nick Muse keeps the door open.

Jaylen Twyman

Twyman has been an intriguing story thus far in camp, but it appears that’s all it is so far. His 16 snaps were third-lowest among non-starter defensive linemen. Only Tyarise Stevenson and T.Y. McGill had fewer. Despite his inspiring story, Twyman looks destined for the practice squad. Nothing about his performance or role said otherwise on Sunday. 

Related: What do rookies mean to the Vikings? After one game it's still unclear

Related: Lewis Cine is learning from his rookie moments