B+
Minnesota Vikings
Nobody dealt better than the Vikings this weekend: B+.
by kgrundseth ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 17 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
There is reaching, and then there is Michael Pratt at pick 61. The Vikings jumped the board by 41 and dared it to prove them wrong. More right than wrong, and a B+ to match.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. On value alone, Pritchett makes the weekend a net positive. Leaving safety unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 17th pick they get a quarterback's worst nightmare. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
They took Byron Murphy II at par in the 42nd overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They reached into another round for Michael Pratt, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They robbed the room for Josh Newton here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A straight-up fair deal on Zak Zinter at Round 3, Pick 29, value and slot in agreement. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A tidy little value on DeWayne Carter in No. 108, a step better than break-even. It fills a real need, too.
Cedric Gray at slot 129 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It adds depth where they could use a little.
They paid up for Beaux Limmer at pick 130 when waiting would have done the job. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jaylen Wright at the 148th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They jumped the gun on Justin Rogers, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint at the 150th pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Javon Baker well ahead of where he belonged. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
No edge and no loss on Layden Robinson in pick No. 161; it is a wash and a sensible one. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Nehemiah Pritchett at the Round 5 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Curtis Jacobs in pick 179. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Trevor Keegan at the 211th pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Steele Chambers at the 230th overall pick is money in the bank, a linebacker taken below his worth. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.