D
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings finally solved quarterback, and it carried them to a D.
by TraderRicksrevenge ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 15 picks
· 7 steals
· 0 reaches
The Vikings lost the trade war and it was not close, handing partners the better end again and again. A D that will need time and luck to look better.
Whatever J.J. McCarthy becomes, the front office has tied its fortunes to the answer. The Vikings indulged a want in Newton while a need in tight end and interior defensive lineman stayed open. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped tight end, which is a strange place to end up.
That is a safety worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.
Bottom line, they will be counting on several picks to beat their grades.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 3 they get a home-run threat at receiver. A clean fit for the roster.
In pick No. 23 they get a passer to set the clock by at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
Darius Robinson in the Round 2 slot is fair value, right on his grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A slide stopped in slot 103, with Khyree Jackson worth more than the price. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They did well to land Zak Zinter in the 108th overall pick, just ahead of his grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went cornerback with Josh Newton while clear needs at tight end and interior defensive lineman sat open.
Taking Blake Fisher in the 137th pick is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
The board had Tommy Eichenberg higher than Round 5, Pick 21, and the linebacker fell to them anyway. A minor itch, scratched.
Somehow Luke McCaffrey was still sitting there in pick 167, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Layden Robinson at slot 177 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Cody Schrader at No. 180 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Malik Mustapha at the 193rd pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A straight-up fair deal on Nathan Thomas at pick No. 230, value and slot in agreement. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They let Jordan Magee come to them and pounced at Round 7, Pick 11. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
By-the-book stuff, Dominique Hampton at the 232nd overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.