B
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings found their guy under center in McCarthy: B.
by Bull ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. J.J. McCarthy is the Vikings' quarterback, full stop. More right than wrong, and a B to match.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. The tight end spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. The cost of the McCarthy reach is exactly the players who went right after him.
However the rest shakes out, Simpson at that price is a win they earned.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a passer to set the clock by, a steep price for the projection. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Xavier Legette in Round 2, Pick 3. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jonah Elliss at pick No. 42 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Payton Wilson at No. 71 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A minor itch, scratched.
They took Leonard Taylor III at par in slot 108, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Beaux Limmer in pick 130 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
By-the-book stuff, Braelon Allen at the 148th pick squarely in line with his ranking. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Jaylin Simpson slid further than he should have, and the 160th overall pick is lovely value for the cornerback. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Jordan Jefferson at slot 166 is a conviction pick that outran the value. A need, and now a little less of one.
A straight-up fair deal on Aki Ogunbiyi at Round 6, Pick 4, value and slot in agreement. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Josh Proctor in No. 188 lands just on the right side of the ledger. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A reach for Xavier Thomas in the Round 7 slot; a little patience would have been rewarded. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.