B-
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.
by kgrundseth ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 0 steals
· 3 reaches
Call it a hunch or call it a gamble, but the Vikings spent slot 42 on Michael Pratt, a name most had 60 spots down the list.
That safety hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. The Solomon pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at safety, wide receiver and other spots.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the safety spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a double-digit-sack hope. The biggest hole, addressed.
A wild overpay on Michael Pratt in pick No. 42, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Javon Solomon adds an OLB-EDGE and leaves safety, wide receiver and other spots untouched.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Justin Rogers in No. 130, miles early. It fills a real need, too.
A straight-up fair deal on Jaylen Wright at slot 148, value and slot in agreement. The roster fit checks out.
Chau Smith-Wade in the 160th pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
LaDarius Henderson at pick No. 166 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Aki Ogunbiyi at No. 179 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Trey Wedig at Round 7, Pick 10 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.