C+
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings found their guy under center in McCarthy: C+.
by Coach ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
The Vikings spent the pick that matters most on J.J. McCarthy, and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape. It lands right in the middle: a C+, no more, no less.
That is a cornerback worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. Every board in the league had McCarthy lower, and that gap is the story.
Job largely done: quarterback settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered.
So much rides on J.J. McCarthy that the real verdict is a season or two away.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 5th pick they get a franchise quarterback, though the board says they badly overpaid. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Dominick Puni at No. 90 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They took Mekhi Wingo at par in pick 104, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
No drama and no debate, Cedric Gray went about where he belonged in pick No. 108. A minor itch, scratched.
They reached a country mile for Brandon Coleman at slot 167, and the board is aghast. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A conviction pick on Tahj Washington at the Round 6 slot that the board grades a round light. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Kimani Vidal in Round 7, Pick 10 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It fills a real need, too.
Johnny Dixon at the 232nd overall pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.