Vikings: 3 cap casualties that could alter 2021 NFL Draft plans
By Darral Nail
1. Shemar Stephen, Defensive Tackle
A longtime Viking who has spent all but one season of his seven-year NFL career in Minnesota, the Vikings summoned Stephen home for the 2019 season after his year-long cameo as a Seattle Seahawk to add needed depth along the team’s line.
However, Stephen seemed fated to be the team’s starting nose tackle. He reclaimed his old job in 2019 upon the departure of Linval Joseph and would assume the position again in 2020 upon the decision of former Baltimore Raven Michael Pierce, a key signing in the Vikes’ 2020 free agent class, to opt-out of what would have been his first season with the club.
A physical presence on the defensive front, Stephen is a menacing run stuffer from either the nose tackle or 3-technique position, but his contribution as a pass rusher borders on non-existent. Logging a sack per season over the last two campaigns, he averages 2.5 QB hits over the same period.
Given the performance of Mike Zimmer’s defense in the previous season, the defensive-minded head coach figures to be looking for upgrades in talent at each level of his team’s unit heading into 2021.
If Zimmer and General Manager Rick Spielman should see fit to add an interior defender in next month’s draft, they could feasibly target the position as soon as the third round. The team could be in line to land a former top defensive prospect in Florida State’s Marvin Wilson, who many in draft media are now projecting to be available at pick 84 after a less-than-stellar senior season for the Noles. Likewise, Minnesota could target defensive tackle prospects such as Osa Odighizuwa of UCLA or Tommy Togiai of Clemson with their lone day 2 selection. Moving into the later rounds, Minnesota could try their hand in unearthing a potential sleeper at the position such as Louisiana Tech’s Milton Williams.
Whomever the potential replacement, Minnesota will almost certainly be evaluating their options on the defensive interior given the $3.75 million that the team could wrest free of their 2021 salary cap obligations by releasing Shamar from his contract.