Somebody in pick 156 was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Vikings sat still while Ruke Orhorhoro, the No. 55 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium. The process wobbled, and the D- is where it lands.
The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close. They will regret leaving safety for another day if the season turns on it.
They will answer for taking OLB-EDGE early while safety and tight end went begging. They will need Gore Jr. to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it.
It is a win-now wager, and the future is the stake.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and safety is still a hole.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.3
· Pick 3
· Marvin Harrison Jr.
· WR
· rank 1
In the 3rd overall pick they get a No. 1 receiver. A clean fit for the roster.
R1.13
· Pick 13
· Dallas Turner
· LB-EDGE
· rank 14
In Round 1, Pick 13 they get a double-digit-sack hope at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
R2.10
· Pick 42
· Bo Nix
· QB
· rank 31
A tidy bit of business in slot 42, where Bo Nix graded well above the range. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R4.9
· Pick 109
· Kingsley Suamataia
· OT
· rank 58
The board fumbled Kingsley Suamataia all the way to the Round 4 slot, and they scooped it up. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R4.13
· Pick 113
· Javon Solomon
· OLB-EDGE
· rank 113
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went OLB-EDGE with Javon Solomon while clear needs at safety and tight end sat open.
R5.20
· Pick 156
· Ruke Orhorhoro
· DT
· rank 55
They barely believed it either: Ruke Orhorhoro still on the board at pick 156. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R5.30
· Pick 166
· Christian Mahogany
· OG
· rank 97
They will replay Christian Mahogany at pick No. 166 for years; that is how good the value is. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R6.3
· Pick 178
· Mason McCormick
· OT
· rank 159
Mason McCormick in No. 178 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R6.4
· Pick 179
· Cody Schrader
· RB
· rank 154
Cody Schrader in Round 6, Pick 4 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R6.15
· Pick 190
· M.J. Devonshire
· CB
· rank 182
The board had M.J. Devonshire higher than No. 190, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. A minor itch, scratched.
R6.35
· Pick 210
· Frank Gore Jr.
· RB
· rank 223
They jumped the gun on Frank Gore Jr., taking him earlier than his grade liked. It fills a real need, too.
R7.1
· Pick 221
· JD Bertrand
· LB
· rank 210
JD Bertrand at slot 221 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
R7.5
· Pick 225
· Tahj Washington
· WR
· rank 192
Taking Tahj Washington in the 225th pick is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. A need, and now a little less of one.
R7.7
· Pick 227
· Keith Randolph Jr.
· DL-EDGE
· rank 205
A edge rusher of that caliber at the 227th overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R7.9
· Pick 229
· Michael Barrett
· LB
· rank 217
Value with a capital V on Michael Barrett in the Round 7 slot, a genuine coup. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
