B+
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings left with their quarterback, and a B+ to match.
by v2k0 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 9 steals
· 0 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. J.J. McCarthy is the Vikings' quarterback, full stop.
The Jackson value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. 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.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 18 they get a bendy edge with upside. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In No. 23 they get a long-term answer under center at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Kamari Lassiter in the 48th overall pick. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They let Kiran Amegadjie come to them and pounced at pick No. 77. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Nice patience on Matt Goncalves, who had no business lasting to the 124th pick. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A want over a need in slot 129: Josh Newton adds a cornerback while tight end and interior defensive lineman keeps waiting.
Jaylin Simpson at the Round 5 slot is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Kitan Oladapo at pick 167 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They robbed the room for Mason McCormick here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
The board fumbled Jha'Quan Jackson all the way to Round 6, Pick 37, and they scooped it up. It fills a real need, too.
Jase McClellan in the 230th overall pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Taking Myles Harden in slot 232 is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.