Vikings draft offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw 23rd overall in NFL Draft

The Vikings drafted Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw with the 23rd overall pick in the NFL Draft.

They made the pick later in the first round Thursday after trading back in a swap with the New York Jets, exchanging their 14th overall pick and the 143rd (late fourth round) for the 23rd overall, 66th overall (second pick of round 3) and 86th overall (third round pick).

Click the video box on this page to watch full post-draft press conferences with 1st-round pick Christian Darrisaw, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer

Darrisaw was projected to be a potential pick for the Vikings at No. 14 and remained on the board to their revised slot at No. 23.

Darrisaw is a late-blooming, athletic blocker at 6 feet, 5 inches and 322 pounds. He was a second-team All-American in 2020 who can fill a significant need at left tackle after Riley Reiff was released.

This is the fourth straight year the Vikings have drafted an offensive lineman in either the first or second round (2020: Ezra Cleveland, Rd. 2; 2019: Garrett Bradbury, Rd 1; 2018: Brian O’Neill, Rd. 2).

Content from the Associated Press was used in this report