D
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings left with their quarterback, and a D to match.
by Molds ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 2 steals
· 5 reaches
They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: Silas Bolden, 80 picks early at Round 7, Pick 20. The board pushed back all weekend, and the D is the result.
The whole projection now runs through Bo Nix; hit there and everything else looks smarter. Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere.
The Vikings clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before.
It is a steep hill from here, and the grade knows it.
Pick-by-Pick
A tidy little value on Jared Verse in Round 1, Pick 19, a step better than break-even. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
In pick 22 they get the arm they will build around at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
A premium they did not need to pay, Jackson Powers-Johnson a notch or two before his time. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
The board had cheaper options than T'Vondre Sweat at slot 45, and it noticed. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
No drama and no debate, James Williams went about where he belonged in the 129th overall pick. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Value with a capital V on Kris Abrams-Draine in pick No. 130, a genuine coup. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Keith Randolph Jr. in pick No. 145 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They paid sticker price for Jaylin Simpson in Round 5, Pick 12, and that is fine. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
A reach on Joe Milton III in the 151st pick; the board had better options right there. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They paid up for Frank Gore Jr. at No. 155 when waiting would have done the job. A need, and now a little less of one.
Justin Rogers at the 160th overall pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
By-the-book stuff, Nathan Thomas at slot 165 squarely in line with his ranking. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They took Isaiah Davis at par in the Round 5 slot, which is nothing to complain about. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Ethan Driskell at pick 179 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Christian Jones at No. 195 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Erick All in the Round 6 slot. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing BJ Mayes in pick 230. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Silas Bolden this early at Round 7, Pick 20. It fills a real need, too.