D
Minnesota Vikings
Daniels is the Vikings' new face under center. Grade: D.
by thajoykileryahoocom ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 9 steals
· 2 reaches
Nobody had Frank Gore Jr. this high, and it is not close. The Vikings reached 44 spots to get him at pick 179. The math is unkind, and the D follows.
Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. They have staked the next five years on Jayden Daniels, which is the only story that really matters here.
A whole weekend of picks and safety is somehow still a want. They will answer for taking linebacker early while safety went begging.
On value alone, Rattler makes the weekend a net positive.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and safety is still a hole.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 11th pick they get a long-term answer under center. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A quiet steal in pick No. 27: Dallas Turner for less than the market said. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They let Amarius Mims come to them and pounced at slot 35. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
By-the-book stuff, Edgerrin Cooper at the Round 2 slot squarely in line with his ranking. A minor itch, scratched.
A want over a need in pick 55: Payton Wilson adds a linebacker while safety keeps waiting.
Good price on Zach Frazier in No. 66, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Nice patience on Brenden Rice, who had no business lasting to the 109th overall pick. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
No edge and no loss on Ben Sinnott in pick No. 130; it is a wash and a sensible one. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Tyler Davis at No. 137 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The roster fit checks out.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Mason McCormick. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Spencer Rattler in slot 164 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A tidy little value on Trevor Keegan in Round 5, Pick 30, a step better than break-even. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Frank Gore Jr. in pick 179 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It fills a real need, too.
Kalen King in the 184th pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They paid up for Zion Tupuola-Fetui at the 186th pick when waiting would have done the job. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They paid sticker price for Jase McClellan in the Round 6 slot, and that is fine. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They will replay Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint at pick No. 226 for years; that is how good the value is. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Gabe Hall in the 229th overall pick. A need, and now a little less of one.