B+
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings worked the phones like thieves and earned a B+.
by dschully ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 0 steals
· 1 reaches
Give the war room a raise for the dealing alone. The Vikings came out ahead on every exchange that mattered, and it was not close.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped interior defensive lineman, which is a strange place to end up. The cost of the Ward reach is exactly the players who went right after him. Milton Williams gives the group a proven body among the projects.
They went 7 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 18 they get a premier pass rusher. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
They did well to land Kamari Lassiter in the 45th overall pick, just ahead of his grade. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Chris Braswell in pick No. 54 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Roman Wilson in pick 112 is fair value, right on his grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
Smael Mondon Jr. at the 127th pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It adds depth where they could use a little.
They paid sticker price for Cole Bishop in slot 149, and that is fine. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They paid a round early for Cameron Ward in Round 5, Pick 26, more than the board wanted. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Fair-plus on Ben Sinnott, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A straight-up fair deal on Cody Schrader at the 179th pick, value and slot in agreement. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
No edge and no loss on Reuben Fatheree II in the 233rd overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.