A-
Minnesota Vikings
Nobody dealt better than the Vikings this weekend: A-.
by TCSmith ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 2 steals
· 1 reaches
Give the war room a raise for the dealing alone. The Vikings came out ahead on every exchange that mattered, and it was not close. Very little went wrong, and the A- is earned.
Leaving tight end unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. They are betting Robinson proves the room right and everyone else wrong. The Vikings clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before.
Jackson at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster.
Bottom line, with Chris Braswell leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
Good price on Chris Braswell in the 40th pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
No edge and no loss on Mekhi Wingo in Round 2, Pick 32; it is a wash and a sensible one. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Blake Corum in pick No. 76 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A quiet steal in pick 108: Jacob Cowing for less than the market said. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They let Khyree Jackson come to them and pounced at slot 113. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A clean, defensible pick in the 130th overall pick with a little surplus value in Tommy Eichenberg. A minor itch, scratched.
Jordan Travis in No. 132 is fair value, right on his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
The board had cheaper options than Layden Robinson at the Round 5 slot, and it noticed. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Kitan Oladapo at the Round 5 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
No drama and no debate, Frank Gore Jr. went about where he belonged in slot 165. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A straight-up fair deal on Ethan Driskell at pick 179, value and slot in agreement. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They did well to land Zakhari Franklin in No. 230, just ahead of his grade. It patches a soft spot without any drama.