B-
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings finally solved quarterback, and it carried them to a B-.
by RB ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 0 steals
· 6 reaches
After circling the position for what felt like forever, the Vikings committed. J.J. McCarthy is the quarterback now, and the roster gets built to his timeline.
The cost of the Wiley reach is exactly the players who went right after him. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped running back, which is a strange place to end up. They went 7 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the running back spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 11 they get a potential shutdown corner, even if it was a touch early. Need was not the driver here.
In pick 23 they get a passer to set the clock by. Exactly the need they had to hit.
No edge and no loss on Maason Smith in the 108th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They paid a round early for Mason McCormick in the Round 4 slot, more than the board wanted. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They took Xavier Thomas at par in slot 157, which is nothing to complain about. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Cornelius Johnson well ahead of where he belonged. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A real head-scratcher, Jared Wiley in No. 177 is miles ahead of his ranking. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Josh Proctor in the 230th pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Jalen Sundell at No. 232 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.