D
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings finally solved quarterback, and it carried them to a D.
by J ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
The Vikings lost the trade war and it was not close, handing partners the better end again and again. It grades a D, and the process earned it.
The whole projection now runs through Drake Maye; hit there and everything else looks smarter. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Coker has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is DeJean. They are betting the present roster is worth a lighter draft next spring.
The verdict is not kind, and fairly so; this class has a hill to climb.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 4 they get a passer to set the clock by. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Cooper DeJean at No. 50 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A minor need, but a need all the same.
A straight-up fair deal on Braden Fiske at pick 53, value and slot in agreement. It fills a real need, too.
They talked themselves into Luke McCaffrey at slot 129, and the board did not agree. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid a round early for Javion Cohen in Round 5, Pick 21, more than the board wanted. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Dylan Laube is a better player than the 167th overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. The roster fit checks out.
By-the-book stuff, Jordan Jefferson at the Round 6 slot squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jalen Coker at the 230th pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
The board had cheaper options than Brevyn Spann-Ford at pick 232, and it noticed. A need, and now a little less of one.