B+
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings worked the phones like thieves and earned a B+.
by TCSmith ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 1 steals
· 2 reaches
The real work happened on the phones. The Vikings fleeced their trade partners, turning their picks into a noticeably bigger pile than they started with. A dependable weekend that grades out a B+.
That safety hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. The Smith-Wade steal is the beam this whole class leans on.
They are betting Limmer proves the room right and everyone else wrong.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the safety spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a problem off the edge. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Byron Murphy II in the 46th overall pick. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Devontez Walker in pick No. 48 is fair value, right on his grade. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A straight-up fair deal on Spencer Rattler at slot 96, value and slot in agreement. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They took Ray Davis at par in pick 108, which is nothing to complain about. The roster fit checks out.
They liked Beaux Limmer enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 130. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Nehemiah Pritchett at the 148th pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Good price on Braelon Allen in Round 5, Pick 19, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A tidy little value on Justin Rogers in pick 160, a step better than break-even. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Chau Smith-Wade at pick No. 166 is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Aki Ogunbiyi at No. 179 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They paid sticker price for Joshua Cephus in the 230th overall pick, and that is fine. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
The board had cheaper options than Donovan Jennings at the 235th pick, and it noticed. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.