B+
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: B+.
by Mr Pfizer ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
Whoever sat across the table from the Vikings should ask for a receipt. They cleaned the room out, prying loose far more value than they gave up, and it was the quiet MVP of their weekend. It nets out to a B+, which feels about right.
They punted on offensive lineman, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. The cost of the Robinson reach is exactly the players who went right after him. The Trey Smith pickup adds a known quantity to a class of unknowns.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the offensive lineman spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 25 they get juice off the edge. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Jermaine Burton at pick No. 53 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. It fills a real need, too.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jordan Travis in the 120th overall pick, miles early. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A tidy bit of business in No. 153, where Payton Wilson graded well above the range. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Nothing to complain about; Devin Neal went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
No drama and no debate, Jaylin Simpson went about where he belonged in the Round 5 slot. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They took Tre Harris at par in pick 163, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Darius Robinson in the 179th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Jahdae Barron in No. 214 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Kamal Hadden in Round 7, Pick 21. Stacking talent where they were already deep.