B-
Minnesota Vikings
McCarthy is the Vikings' new face under center. Grade: B-.
by kgrundseth ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
Start where it matters. The Vikings took J.J. McCarthy to run the offense for the next decade, and every other decision this weekend bends around that one. A dependable weekend that grades out a B-.
If McCarthy pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. The Jackson steal is the beam this whole class leans on.
They punted on safety, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with quarterback the one that mattered most.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but safety.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 11 they get a long-term answer under center, a steep price for the projection. The biggest hole, addressed.
By-the-book stuff, Chris Braswell at pick 42 squarely in line with his ranking. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
No drama and no debate, Braelon Allen went about where he belonged in No. 109. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A slide stopped in the 135th overall pick, with Andru Phillips worth more than the price. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Steal is underselling it; McKinnley Jackson at the 156th pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid sticker price for Javion Cohen in Round 5, Pick 30, and that is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Ty'Ron Hopper in the Round 6 slot is fair value, right on his grade. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Caedan Wallace slipping to pick No. 190 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Taking Dwight McGlothern in the 205th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.