What do the Really Smart Football People™ think of what the Vikings did?
Ideally, I would have liked to get this year’s NFL Draft grades for our Minnesota Vikings up a little earlier than this. However, at least around here, Sunday of Draft Weekend is for taking care of all the things that got ignored on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Draft Weekend, so that’s the reason for the delay.
I won’t go into my thoughts on the idea of grading a draft before anyone who was actually drafted even reports for an NFL mini-camp, because if you’ve followed this site for any length of time you already know those thoughts. They do make for decent discussion fodder, however, so I’ve rounded up a decent-sized collection of them for your consumption.
Pro Football Focus: B+ grade
PFF also has little blurbs on each player drafted. You can check them out over on their site.
Chad Reuter, NFL dot com: B+ grade
Analysis: The Vikings gave up pick value in 2023, Day 3 picks this year and much of their 2025 draft in moves that landed them McCarthy, tight end T.J. Hockenson (in a 2022 deadline deal with Detroit) and edge rusher Turner. McCarthy and Turner possess the skill set to make that investment worthwhile, though McCarthy will need to continue his winning ways at the next level and Turner must be an impact defender.
Jackson is a Riq Woolen-type corner, long and quick-footed, who presents excellent value in the fourth round. Rouse is a strong, experienced lineman who takes over for departed veteran Oli Udoh as the swing tackle. Don’t overlook Jurgens’ chances of making the roster. Reichard is the FBS’ all-time leading scorer, and the Vikings need a reliable field goal kicker; I’m interested in how his career compares with that of Cam Little, who was picked by the Jags with pick No. 212.
Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: B+ grade
We have to applaud the Vikings for not having to trade the farm to get a quarterback in this class. Essentially, McCarthy fell into their lap. Turner’s upside is through the roof. But the trade up was expensive, especially considering what they traded to originally obtain the No. 23 pick.
Jackson is the ideal long, press-man cornerback for Brian Flores to deploy, and Rouse can eventually become a powerful tackle. Reichard will represent an upgrade at kicker.
Cam Mellor, Pro Football Network: A- grade
The Vikings’ sparse Day 3 class didn’t carry the same kind of weight that other teams’ did in the 2024 NFL Draft. On Day 3, the Vikings added a developmental CB, a kicker, and trench depth on both sides of the ball.
That said, the Day 3 stretch was never going to sway Minnesota’s draft grade too far in either direction, because in Round 1, they added two franchise-defining players on either side of the ball.
J.J. McCarthy has a legitimate chance to be Minnesota’s next franchise QB with the support he’s been given. And at 17th overall, Dallas Turner is a superb value addition, with the tools to wreck offensive game plans. That duo alone made Minnesota’s class a success.
Mel Kiper, E$PN: C+ grade
Can coach Kevin O’Connell turn McCarthy into a top-10 passer? That’s the question that will linger with this Minnesota class, which is extremely top-heavy. Plus, I’m factoring in Adofo-Mensah’s moves that upended the team’s 2025 draft.
Kiper’s review is significantly longer but I don’t want to crib the whole thing.
Curt Popejoy, USA Today DraftWire: B grade
The Vikings went all in on those two first rounds. Edge Dallas Turner has Will Anderson Jr. potential and we love that pick. We are taking a wait-and-see approach with J.J. McCarthy in the NFL.
Fox Sports: A grade
The Vikings needed a quarterback and got one. Though he likely wasn’t their first choice (they reportedly tried to trade up to No. 3 presumably to select Drake Maye), this may have ended up being the ideal scenario. They needed to trade up just one spot from their first pick at No. 11 to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was still aggressive with the No. 23 pick, trading up to No. 17 to get Alabama edge Dallas Turner, widely considered one of the best defenders in the draft. Both are arguably top-10 prospects. The drawback is that the Vikings are now extremely low on draft capital next year. They have their first-round pick and just two fifth-round picks. They should expect at least one if not two third-round compensatory picks for losing Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter to free agency, but their roster is in solid shape, especially after adding another corner in Khyree Jackson from Oregon and multiple offensive linemen for depth. The Vikings almost certainly won the first round, but they may win the entire draft if McCarthy pans out.
Danny Kelly, The Ringer: C+ grade
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be the defining pick for this class for the Vikings, but I’m bullish on his potential as he lands on a team with a strong supporting cast. Throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson gives the 21-year old signal-caller a chance to excel early in his career. The Vikings also leveraged later picks (a fifth-rounder this year plus third- and fourth-rounders in 2025) to move up and grab a high-upside pass rusher in Alabama’s Dallas Turner, giving the team an ascending defender to pair with newly-signed Jonathan Greenard. Ultimately, though, the team is putting a whole lot of eggs into two baskets. Minnesota mortgaged future picks to land McCarthy and Turner (Turner alone cost the Vikings six total picks, when counting the trade up into the 23rd spot prior to the draft), leaving the team with very little draft capital in 2025 (a first and two fifths, plus a conditional 7th). It’s a big gamble, and if either player falls short, it could set Minnesota back dramatically.
That’s a collection of the grades that I found that I thought were interesting. The grades for the Vikings cover a pretty significant spectrum, with a couple in the “A” range and a couple of C-pluses to go with a handful of B-grades.
What sort of grade would you assign to the Vikings’ 2024 NFL Draft class if you were to give them one, folks?
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