The Vikings got their long-term quarterback and a few other interesting players in this draft.
The 2024 NFL Draft is in the books, and which draft it was. The Vikings have drafted seven players, but their elegance will be explained through the good or failure of the first player they signed Thursday night. After finding out they would be unable to decipher the 3 most sensible and seeing 4 quarterbacks leave the field in the 8 most sensible picks, they moved up one spot to pick J. J. McCarthy in the 10th spot overall, making him the highest-selected quarterback in franchise history. The Vikings then traded in the first round for Alabama running back Dallas Turner, who they can be a cornerstone of their defense, and made some attractive picks in Week 3 after being the only team in the league without an option in Week 2.
Years from now, this may look like the draft in which the Vikings got the franchise quarterback they’ve been looking for since Fran Tarkenton retired nearly 50 years ago. Or maybe it will be remembered as a draft in which they aggressively mortgaged long-term picks and still settled for the fifth quarterback out of six. Only time will tell.
Here are takeaways from the 2024 Vikings draft.
The Vikings’ two trades in a busy first circular on Thursday allowed them to gain a pair of players who can shape the foundation of their future. Not only did they make McCarthy their all-time top-pick QB, but they also received The Edge Skill in the Most Sensitive Ten in Turner, who is the first Edge Rusher they were given, was selected in the first (or second) round since Erasmus James in 2005. The 2005 NHL Entry Draft was also the last time the Vikings decided on two players in the top 20 picks. It wouldn’t be a bad outcome if McCarthy and Turner turned out to be similar to the Vikings’ Teddy Bridgewater and Anthony Barr in 2014 (minus Teddy’s devastating knee injury), but the team hopes they can get closer to last year’s. Texans. duo formed by C. J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr.
McCarthy was a polarizing prospect due to his lack of passing volume in Michigan, however, there’s a lot to appreciate when you watch his tape and look at his power numbers. He’s a proven winner and a natural leader with plenty of skill in his arms and athleticism, and he comes in the conditions where his team wants him the most: on third downs and in the red zone. He’s landing in the most productive environment of any rookie quarterback this year, which helps. If anyone can get the most out of McCarthy, it’s Kevin O’Connell, Josh McCown and the rest of Minnesota’s coaching staff. As long as he beats Sam Darnold in the opening task, which may be just Week 1, Week 7 or 2025, he’ll pitch opposite Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in an offense that uses his strengths as an passing game.
“Every QB in the class that I interacted with was looking to move to Minnesota,” McCarthy said. “It’s just the best destination for an up-and-coming quarterback in this league. “
Turner is a player the Vikings didn’t expect him to have a chance getting. Generally projected in the top 10, he dropped out of the top 15 because of the unprecedented streak of offensive players that began this draft. So the Vikings aggressively moved forward to get him back, believing he had special merit at a premium position. In 2021, Turner had 8. 5 sacks in the final seven games of the season as a true 18-year-old freshman. Last year, he had 10 sacks in 14 games and a first-team All-American by consensus. He’s not the biggest top runner at 6’3″, 247 pounds, however, he’s an odd athlete who ran 4. 46 40 with elite mixed jumps. Turner ruled the SEC with his long arms, explosive descent, heavy hands, and an unresponsive engine. He is expected to thrive on Brian Flores’ defense and is the early favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
“We were able to add two key pieces to the franchise,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. “Add in a quarterback who has a lot of potential; It has won by a higher point in many other places. A Rusher perk that once back has an effect on the game and only scratches the surface with his abilities. We can’t believe we don’t have them in the same draft either. “
The Vikings had higher hopes that McCarthy and Turner would pull it off, as they gave up a lot to get behind them. They made a fourth- and fifth-round pick to move up a spot and secure McCarthy, regaining a sixth-round pick. in the process. They then did a third round, a fourth round, and a fifth round to earn six spots for Turner. When you think about the Vikings’ March industry for the 23rd pick, here’s the final tally. of what they industrialized:
– Vikings get: 1. 10 (J. J. McCarthy), 1. 17 (Dallas Turner), 6. 203 (Will Reichard), 7. 232 (Levi Drake Rodriguez) – Vikings changeup: 1. 11, 1. 23, 2. 42, 4. 129, 5. 157, 5. 167, moment 2025, 2025 3rdArray fourth 2025, 5 2025
As a result of those moves, the Vikings didn’t have a single pick in Week 2 this year and currently have just four next year, adding a projected compensatory pick. Industry analytics charts didn’t like the industry that beat the Vikings. the 23rd place was selected and they didn’t like the value the Vikings paid to go from 23rd to 17th. That obviously didn’t bother Adofo-Mensah, who has a background in analysis.
“Obviously, I’m a fan of spreadsheets and calculators as well, but you’ve got to get out of there, take off Clark Kent’s glasses and just have a championship mentality and swing for a wonderful player,” he said. That quote was about making money, a place for McCarthy, but it applies even more to the industry for Turner.
To help streamline Turner’s industry, it can be pointed out that it was only imaginable because the Vikings didn’t have to deal with the No. 23 pick (and much more) to become the top five for a quarterback, as many thought. It’s safe to say that the fact that the Vikings get a more sensible ten pick at No. 17 overall tightens the equation a bit. It’s safe to say that while they may not be able to do much in next year’s draft, they’ve retained their first-round pick and will have plenty of room to satisfy free agency wishes. Regardless of the validity of those arguments, it’s still fair to question the abandonment procedure as much as the Vikings did. industry for someone who isn’t a quarterback. The Vikings are actually betting on McCarthy and Turner.
After their busy first night, the Vikings made just one pick in rounds two through five of this year’s draft, settling on Oregon CB Khyree Jackson early in the fourth round. He is a player with a desirable story and immense potential thanks to his physical tools. After high school, Jackson lost interest in football and spent his time slicing deli meats at his local grocery store and looking to make a career out of betting on the NBA 2K video game. He was then persuaded to return to football and moved from two other network schools to a special groups role in Alabama before exploding last year with a massive season in Oregon.
Jackson will turn 25 in August, which means he’s incredibly old for an NFL rookie. In 2017, he had the same superior school elegance as players like Chase Young and Cam Akers, who are entering their fifth season in the league this year. Still, if his 2023 season with the Ducks is any indication, he has a chance to borrow from the Vikings in the fourth round. The 6’4″ Jackson has a rare length for a cornerback and thrives on media coverage, making him an ideal candidate for a Brian Flores defense. If your physical equipment and tenacious mindset translate to the next level, you might be smart enough.
“When you see someone with that kind of size . . . (you assume) this guy would possibly be too tall because he couldn’t possibly transition to that size,” said Ryan Grigson, the Vikings’ senior vice president of players. staff. ” But the way he wastes his weight, his hips and his footwork, it’s just not common and that’s why I like this pick because I think all the coaches, they all see the skill and they see some of the rare things. that are hard to get in this lap. “
With one of their two sixth-round picks in this year’s draft, the Vikings made Alabama’s Will Reichard the first kicker in the draft. Some will question the price of a draft pick with a kicker rather than just bringing in one like UDFA. However, if there was ever a franchise that makes sense, it’s the Vikings. Their franchise history is littered with missed kicks and they have been looking for a long-term answer to this position for over a decade. They have stuck with Greg Joseph for over 3 seasons despite mediocre results, with only undrafted free agents Riley Patterson, Gabe Brkic and Jack Podlesny as competitors.
In 2012, the Vikings drafted Blair Walsh in the sixth round, but he was excited after an incredible rookie year. In 2018, the Vikings drafted Daniel Carlson in the fifth round and hastily eliminated him after a brutal game at the start of his rookie season. , and we’ve seen him become one of the most productive kickers in the league ever since. Now they’re looking again. Reichard, who is the SEC’s all-time leading goal scorer, made 22 of his 25 box-area goal attempts last year, totaling all five from more than 50 yards. Given how the Vikings seem to position themselves in close games, having a consistent and reliable team kicker would be huge. It’s worth a try in the sixth round.
“He’s a guy who’s competed at base and played in a championship program for five years,” special groups coordinator Matt Daniels said. “I’ve been very lucky there, I’ve faced a lot of adversity and I’ve managed to get through it in the biggest, most stressful situations. “
In addition to Reichard, the Vikings used three late-round picks in linemen who could be useful intensity players on their roster: Oklahoma OT Walter Rouse, Wake Forest C/G Michael Jurgens and Texas A.
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