B-
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings kept it disciplined and banked a B-.
by kgrundseth ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 1 reaches
If confidence were a draft strategy, the Vikings would have aced it. DeMonte Capehart at pick 230 is 36 spots clear of where he belonged. It nets out to a B-, which feels about right.
They punted on safety, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. On value alone, Smith makes the weekend a net positive. They went 7 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 11 they get a double-digit-sack hope at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
By-the-book stuff, J.J. McCarthy at No. 42 squarely in line with his ranking. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Nothing to complain about; Khyree Jackson went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Ainias Smith in the 130th overall pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A need, and now a little less of one.
Jaheim Bell at the Round 5 slot is money in the bank, a tight end taken below his worth. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Jaylen Wright in slot 160. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A tidy little value on Layden Robinson in the 166th overall pick, a step better than break-even. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Aki Ogunbiyi. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A big swing on DeMonte Capehart at No. 230, well ahead of any board in the building. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.