C+
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings answered their biggest question with Maye. Grade: C+.
by RB ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 2 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Vikings spent their marquee pick on Drake Maye, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback. Some smart calls, some head-scratchers, and a C+ in the wash.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped safety, which is a strange place to end up. The Wallace value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.
Jones has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. The dealing tilted against them, just enough to notice.
The verdict is a shrug for now, with the swing picks left to write the real ending.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get the arm they will build around. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
No drama and no debate, Maason Smith went about where he belonged in pick 108. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Johnny Wilson in the 129th overall pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. It fills a real need, too.
A market-rate tight end, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jared Wiley. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They jumped the gun on Khristian Boyd, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A wild overpay on Trente Jones in slot 177, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
You do not let an offensive lineman like Caedan Wallace reach the 230th pick and blink. They did not. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Sheridan Jones is a better player than pick No. 232 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.