B
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings won the night they stopped Smith-Wade from sliding. Grade: B.
by Rubberwood ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 1 steals
· 1 reaches
The board owed the Vikings one, and it paid up: Chau Smith-Wade, the No. 158 name on the board, sitting there at Round 6, Pick 4 like a gift left on the doorstep. The bottom line is a respectable B.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped wide receiver, which is a strange place to end up. Every board in the league had Rattler lower, and that gap is the story.
Job largely done: quarterback settled and 6 of 8 of the wish list covered.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but wide receiver.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 11 they get a quarterback's worst nightmare. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
A straight-up fair deal on Mekhi Wingo at the 64th pick, value and slot in agreement. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They liked Spencer Rattler enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 87. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They paid sticker price for Zak Zinter in Round 3, Pick 32, and that is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Leonard Taylor III at pick No. 108 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It fills a real need, too.
Cedric Gray at pick 130 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It adds depth where they could use a little.
No edge and no loss on Braelon Allen in the 148th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
No drama and no debate, Kitan Oladapo went about where he belonged in the Round 5 slot. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A market-rate running back, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Frank Gore Jr.. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Chau Smith-Wade in the 179th pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.