D
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings left with their quarterback, and a D to match.
by Tom ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 3 steals
· 1 reaches
The trade table was where it all came apart. The Vikings shipped out far more than they hauled back, and no amount of spin dresses up the bill.
Everything downstream of Drake Maye depends on Drake Maye, and the building knows it. If Ford pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through tight end.
On value alone, Hardy makes the weekend a net positive.
Bottom line, they will be counting on several picks to beat their grades.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 4 they get a long-term answer under center. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In the 11th pick they get a go-to option on the outside at fair value. A real need, handled.
No edge and no loss on Byron Murphy II in pick No. 42; it is a wash and a sensible one. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Nelson Ceaser at Round 4, Pick 8 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A slide stopped in the 130th overall pick, with Jarrian Jones worth more than the price. A minor itch, scratched.
Jaylan Ford at No. 148 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Braelon Allen in the Round 5 slot. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Good price on Kitan Oladapo in slot 165, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Aki Ogunbiyi at the 179th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Daequan Hardy at the Round 7 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.