A-
Minnesota Vikings
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Vikings and Smith-Wade: A-.
by kgrundseth ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 5 steals
· 2 reaches
Whoever sat across the table from the Vikings should ask for a receipt. They cleaned the room out, prying loose far more value than they gave up, and it was the quiet MVP of their weekend.
Spending an early pick on cornerback with safety and wide receiver open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to. The Smith-Wade steal is the beam this whole class leans on.
A whole weekend of picks and safety is somehow still a want. The Pratt pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over.
In the end it comes back to Kris Jenkins, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
By-the-book stuff, Kris Jenkins at the 42nd pick squarely in line with his ranking. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A tidy bit of business in the Round 2 slot, where Kalen King graded well above the range. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Michael Pratt in pick 82, miles early. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Fair-plus on Christian Mahogany, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Zak Zinter is a better player than pick No. 108 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Max Melton at cornerback with safety and wide receiver open.
Jaylen Wright in the 148th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A need, and now a little less of one.
They took Justin Rogers at par in No. 153, which is nothing to complain about. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Austin Booker at slot 160 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the edge rusher. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A reach for Trey Knox in the Round 5 slot; a little patience would have been rewarded. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Somehow Chau Smith-Wade was still sitting there in Round 6, Pick 4, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
They read the board right and Steele Chambers was the payoff at pick 230. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.