Mel Kiper Jr. Mocks Alijah Vera-Tucker to the Vikings Again

In his second 2021 NFL Mock Draft, ESPN's draft guru has the Vikings taking the USC lineman.

ESPN guru Mel Kiper Jr. released his second 2021 mock draft of the year on Thursday. And just like in his first mock, Kiper has the Vikings taking USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker with the 14th overall pick.

I'll stick with Vera-Tucker here because of his versatility. He played guard before moving to left tackle for USC last season. He impressed there and rocketed up draft boards. I think he'll probably stick at tackle in the NFL. We know coach Mike Zimmer will always push for the Vikings to draft a defender, and this could also be a spot for a pass-rusher or defensive back.

First, here's who was off the board already: The top five quarterbacks, the top three wide receivers, Kyle Pitts, Penei Sewell, Patrick Surtain II, Micah Parsons, and Rashawn Slater. That leaves the Vikings with several options. They could have their pick of any defensive lineman in the class or take an OL like Vera-Tucker or Christian Darrisaw. Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley, who is frequently the first CB off the board, is also still available.

I'll say this: I'm a big fan of Vera-Tucker. He was a great guard at USC and impressively showed that he could thrive at left tackle last season. He'd be an immediately plug-and-play left guard for the Vikings who would have a chance to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber player. Vera-Tucker has been described as one of the safest players in the class; his consistency, awareness, and technique are all excellent.

But in this spot, if the board fell the way Kiper projects, I'd rather do one of two things: take Farley or look to trade back. Farley is a potentially special corner prospect who I'm sure Mike Zimmer would love to coach. As I mentioned when discussing FA William Jackson III, corner is an underrated need for the Vikings.

If the Vikings found a trade-back partner in this spot — perhaps a team with an even bigger CB need who covets Farley — they could pick up additional draft capital while still having a chance to land a great player. Vera-Tucker could easily fall to the late teens or 20s. One of Christian Barmore, Kwity Paye, or Gregory Rousseau would probably be there as well, along with other DL prospects. Maybe a safety like Trevon Moehrig is the pick. Regardless, there would be plenty of options.

I like Vera-Tucker a lot and think he'd be a great fit for the Vikings, but No. 14 feels a bit high for a guard.

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