B-
Minnesota Vikings
Maye is the plan now, and the Vikings grade out a B-.
by Don21 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 2 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Drake Maye is the Vikings' quarterback, full stop.
That Smith-Wade pick is the receipt they will wave around later. Driskell has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. They punted on running back, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
It is not that Smith is a bad player; it is that the Vikings had louder needs to answer first.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 4 they get the arm they will build around. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Of all the spots to shop, they chose DT-EDGE. Maason Smith in No. 108 leaves running back, wide receiver and other spots for later.
A market-rate edge rusher, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Mohamed Kamara. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They robbed the room for Chau Smith-Wade here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Trevor Keegan at pick No. 167 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Kitan Oladapo at Round 6, Pick 2 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They jumped the gun on Jared Wiley, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It fills a real need, too.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Ethan Driskell in slot 230, miles early. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.