B-
Minnesota Vikings
Penix Jr. is the Vikings' new face under center. Grade: B-.
by westo ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
Call it belief, call it a gut call, but Taulia Tagovailoa at Round 6, Pick 13 is 88 spots clear of consensus, and that is the headline.
They have staked the next five years on Michael Penix Jr., which is the only story that really matters here. The Hart value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. The safety hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 11 they get a long-term answer under center. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Kingsley Suamataia at pick 42 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. at No. 108 is a conviction pick that outran the value. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Circle this one: Cam Hart at the 129th pick is a fall that decides a draft. It adds depth where they could use a little.
They paid a round early for Luke McCaffrey in the 157th overall pick, more than the board wanted. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A straight-up fair deal on Walter Rouse at the Round 5 slot, value and slot in agreement. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Taulia Tagovailoa at Round 6, Pick 13 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Jaylen Harrell at pick No. 230 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.