B
Minnesota Vikings
Daniels is the Vikings' new face under center. Grade: B.
by kgrundseth ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Jayden Daniels is the Vikings' quarterback, full stop. They moved the roster forward and banked a B for it.
Getting Rosemy-Jacksaint where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. If Ali pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. They will answer for taking cornerback early while tight end went begging.
A whole weekend of picks and tight end is somehow still a want.
Good work on the whole, with tight end the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a franchise quarterback. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In Round 1, Pick 27 they get a lockdown presence outside at fair value. Need was not the driver here.
Value with a capital V on Marshawn Kneeland in pick 90, a genuine coup. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A want over a need in No. 108: Cam Hart adds a cornerback while tight end keeps waiting.
A straight-up fair deal on Christian Jones at the 129th overall pick, value and slot in agreement. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A reach on Nelson Ceaser in pick No. 157; the board had better options right there. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They jumped the gun on Justin Rogers, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They robbed the room for Kitan Oladapo here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A conviction pick on Trente Jones at Round 6, Pick 11 that the board grades a round light. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Rasheen Ali this early at the 232nd pick. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint at slot 235 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It fills a real need, too.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Matthew Jones. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.