B
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B.
by kgrundseth ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 2 steals
· 5 reaches
The Vikings put a flag in the ground for Michael Pratt, 51 picks before anyone else would have, and the value took the hit.
The safety spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. The Pritchett pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. They squeezed a little extra out of every move they made.
They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 15 they get a disruptor off the edge. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
A conviction pick on T'Vondre Sweat at the 46th overall pick that the board grades a round light. It fills a real need, too.
Value said wait; Michael Pratt in No. 51 says they were not listening. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Christian Mahogany at pick 83 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A straight-up fair deal on Max Melton at the Round 4 slot, value and slot in agreement. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Cedric Gray at slot 130 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A market-rate running back, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jaylen Wright. The roster fit checks out.
They barely believed it either: Nehemiah Pritchett still on the board at pick 160. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Austin Booker in No. 165. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
No edge and no loss on Javon Baker in pick No. 179; it is a wash and a sensible one. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They went early on Dylan McMahon in the Round 6 slot, and the value did not follow. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A reach on Xavier Thomas in the 230th pick; the board had better options right there. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Chad Lindberg in the 235th overall pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.