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Skol Vikings DRAFTING FOR THEVikings
Draft Selections
Draft Picks Received
Draft Picks Traded
Players Gained
Rachaad
White
RB
Players traded away
Aaron
Jones
RB
Andrew
Van Ginkel
LB
Byron
Murphy Jr.
CB
Dallas
Turner
LB
Fabian
Moreau
CB
Harrison
Smith
S
Isaiah
Rodgers Sr.
CB
Jalen
Nailor
WR
Jay
Ward
S
Jeff
Okudah
CB
Jonathan
Allen
DT
Jordan
Addison
WR
Josh
Metellus
S
Levi Drake
Rodriguez
DT
T.J.
Hockenson
TE
Will
Fries
OG
Draft Grade — Vikings
Overall
F
ValueC
NeedC+
TradesF
FutureB-
The Vikings reached for Payton and never recovered. Grade: F. The Vikings looked at the value chart, folded it up, and took Patrick Payton at Round 4, Pick 24 regardless, 113 picks early. Little went right, and the F does not pretend otherwise.
Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. However the rest shakes out, Beck at that price is a win they earned. Quarterback is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
There is no soft landing here; this class has to massively overperform just to matter.
Pick Analysis
Pick33
Rnd2
Arvell Reese
They will replay Arvell Reese at pick 33 for years; that is how good the value is. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick52
Rnd2
Anthony Hill Jr.
The board had Anthony Hill Jr. higher than the 52nd overall pick, and the linebacker fell to them anyway. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Pick56
Rnd2
Taurean York
They took Taurean York at par in the 56th pick, which is nothing to complain about. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Pick62
Rnd2
Deontae Lawson
Deontae Lawson at Round 2, Pick 30 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Pick65
Rnd3
Jacob Rodriguez
They reached a country mile for Jacob Rodriguez at slot 65, and the board is aghast. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Pick71
Rnd3
Rod Moore
Rod Moore at pick No. 71 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick73
Rnd3
Whit Weeks
A big swing on Whit Weeks at the Round 3 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Pick88
Rnd3
Harold Perkins Jr.
Harold Perkins Jr. in No. 88 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Pick94
Rnd3
Justice Haynes
They paid up for Justice Haynes at Round 3, Pick 30 when waiting would have done the job. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick97
Rnd3
Jaishawn Barham
Jaishawn Barham in pick 97 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Pick101
Rnd4
Jyaire Hill
Jyaire Hill at the 101st pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick106
Rnd4
Davison Igbinosun
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Davison Igbinosun. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Pick124
Rnd4
Patrick Payton
A wild overpay on Patrick Payton in the 124th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick130
Rnd4
Jermaine Mathews Jr.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Jermaine Mathews Jr. well ahead of where he belonged. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Pick131
Rnd4
Zachariah Branch
Zachariah Branch is a better player than pick 131 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick135
Rnd4
Barion Brown
They talked themselves into Barion Brown at the 135th overall pick, and the board did not agree. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick139
Rnd4
CJ Baxter
CJ Baxter at the Round 4 slot is a conviction pick that outran the value. The roster fit checks out.
Pick140
Rnd4
Jaydn Ott
A real head-scratcher, Jaydn Ott in Round 4, Pick 40 is miles ahead of his ranking. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick141
Rnd5
Makhi Hughes
This one needs a full-page explanation: Makhi Hughes in slot 141, miles early. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick143
Rnd5
Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson at No. 143 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Pick145
Rnd5
Blake Miller
Blake Miller at pick No. 145 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick147
Rnd5
Oscar Delp
Oscar Delp at the 147th pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It fills a real need, too.
Pick149
Rnd5
Trinidad Chambliss
Trinidad Chambliss at the 149th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick161
Rnd5
Carson Beck
Somehow Carson Beck was still sitting there in the Round 5 slot, and they pounced on premier quarterback value. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick170
Rnd5
Nico Iamaleava
Nico Iamaleava at pick 170 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick180
Rnd6
Rayshaun Benny
They left a pile of value on the table to take Rayshaun Benny this early at Round 6, Pick 1. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick192
Rnd6
Gunner Stockton
Gunner Stockton in No. 192 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick200
Rnd6
Dane Key
Dane Key at pick No. 200 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick203
Rnd6
Nolan Rucci
Nolan Rucci at the 203rd pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick209
Rnd6
Evan Stewart
Evan Stewart in slot 209 lands just on the right side of the ledger. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick210
Rnd6
Noah Fifita
A reach on Noah Fifita in pick 210; the board had better options right there. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick226
Rnd7
Jerry Wilson
They reached into another round for Jerry Wilson, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Pick240
Rnd7
Elliot Washington II
Elliot Washington II in pick No. 240 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Pick241
Rnd7
Malik Hartford
Malik Hartford in the 241st overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick243
Rnd7
Bear Alexander
They paid a round early for Bear Alexander in the 243rd pick, more than the board wanted. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick245
Rnd7
TJ Metcalf
Value said wait; TJ Metcalf in slot 245 says they were not listening. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.