Wyatt Davis, Chazz Surratt Cuts Finish Demolition of Vikings' 2021 Draft Class
The Vikings have reportedly waived Chazz Surratt and Wyatt Davis, who join Kellen Mond and Janarius Robinson as middle-round picks from the 2021 draft to get cut on Tuesday. All of Minnesota's up-to-the-minute roster moves can be tracked here.
It's been a complete demolition of the 2021 class by a new regime with no ties to any of those players.
On the surface, it's pretty wild. The Vikings have waived three third-round picks and a fourth-rounder just 16 months after they were selected. That's extremely rare.
However, looking at each move individually, none are particularly surprising. Mond, Surratt, Davis, and Robinson were all on the outside of the roster bubble looking in after doing nothing during their rookie seasons and being buried on the depth chart this offseason. None did anything during the preseason to take a step forward.
If GM Rick Spielman was still around, this probably wouldn't be happening. But new GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell weren't here when those players were drafted. There's no reason for them to be patient and see if they can develop to justify the players as draft picks.
Here's a full look at the Vikings' 2021 draft class.
- Round 1, Pick 23: LT Christian Darrisaw
- Round 3, Pick 66: QB Kellen Mond (CUT)
- Round 3, Pick 78: LB Chazz Surratt (CUT)
- Round 3, Pick 86: G Wyatt Davis (CUT)
- Round 3, Pick 90: EDGE Patrick Jones II
- Round 4, Pick 119: RB Kene Nwangwu
- Round 4, Pick 125: S Camryn Bynum
- Round 4, Pick 134: EDGE Janarius Robinson (CUT)
- Round 5, Pick 157: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
- Round 5, Pick 168: TE Zach Davidson (CUT)
- Round 6, Pick 199: DT Jaylen Twyman (CUT)
In Spielman's defense, Darrisaw looks like a potential future star, Bynum is currently a starter, and Nwangwu led the NFL in kick return touchdowns as a rookie. Jones and Smith-Marsette are intriguing young pieces, too. If Darrisaw reaches his potential, that alone is enough to make this a solid class.
Still, to have four third-round picks and whiff spectacularly on three of them is a tough pill to swallow. The Mond and Surratt picks were iffy at the time, and there have been rumors that Spielman went against the consensus of his scouting staff when taking Davis.
Now all three have been cut before their second seasons. They could stick around on the practice squad, but it's still a remarkable thing to see.
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