With their first of two sixth-round picks, the Minnesota Vikings took their second offensive lineman of the draft, selecting guard Colby Gossett out of Appalachian State.
Gossett started 46 straight games for the Mountaineers, primarily at right guard, after cracking the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman.
Pro Football Focus considered Gossett the draft’s sixth-best guard. His player bio for Appalachian State says he made 21 pancake blocks his senior season, which helped earn him an invite to the Senior Bowl.
From Gossett’s NFL.com profile:
Gossett had trouble sustaining blocks against talented competition from Georgia and is unlikely to be ready to face off against NFL competitors. Gossett’s NFL-ready frame will appeal to power teams who may look to stash him on a practice squad early on while they work on his technique to unleash more power at the point of attack.
Pro Football Focus paints a more optimistic picture:
Gossett had an excellent career at Appalachian State, capping it off with a solid week at the Senior Bowl. His experience in a zone-blocking scheme should translate well at the next level, and his size, length and experience at right tackle give him some versatility. Gossett makes difficult run blocks look easy, but he must improve his consistency on the “easy” stuff in order to maximize his value. He’s worth a look in the middle of the draft.
With the Vikings losing right guard Joe Berger to retirement, Gossett becomes a depth option at a position where Minnesota will likely have a new starter, whether it’s Mike Remmers, Nick Easton, Danny Isidora or another challenger.
Gossett was ranked 170th on Arif Hasan’s consensus board.
Stay tuned for further analysis on Minnesota’s Day 3 picks.
