B
Minnesota Vikings
Larceny in the Round 7 slot lands the Vikings a B, Franklin and all.
by dschully ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 5 steals
· 0 reaches
The best pick of the weekend was also the simplest. The Vikings watched Zakhari Franklin slide 19 picks past his grade and did not hesitate. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B.
That safety hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. They left with quarterback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off. The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.
The Vikings clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
They took Jer'Zhan Newton at par in Round 1, Pick 11, which is nothing to complain about. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
By-the-book stuff, J.J. McCarthy at slot 42 squarely in line with his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Braelon Allen is a better player than the Round 4 slot suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Kris Abrams-Draine in the 130th pick. A minor itch, scratched.
They read the board right and Mike Sainristil was the payoff at pick 148. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
A slide stopped in No. 160, with Jaylan Ford worth more than the price. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A tidy little value on Layden Robinson in the 165th overall pick, a step better than break-even. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They paid sticker price for Zion Tupuola-Fetui in pick No. 179, and that is fine. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Somehow Zakhari Franklin was still sitting there in the Round 7 slot, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.