In two days, the Minnesota Vikings will select a draft class inside one of the most pivotal events in team history. The draft is always ultra-important, but this year, it’s supersized because Minnesota allowed Kirk Cousins to depart via free agency.
These Are All the Vikings’ Draft Picks
Most believe general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will net a quarterback like Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy, though he’ll probably need another trade to do so. Stay tuned.
So, for your inventory purposes, these are the Vikings’ draft picks heading into the event and where they came from:
- R1: No. 11
- R1: No. 23 (from CLE thru HOU)
- R4: No. 108
- R4: No. 129 (from THAT)
- R5: No. 157 (from CLE)
- R5: No. 167 (from KC)
- R6: No. 177 (from CAR thru JAX)
- R7: No. 230 (from ATL thru CLE and ARI)
- R7: No. 232 (from DEN thru SF and HOU)
Foremost, Minnesota needs a quarterback. On March 15th, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah conducted a pre-draft trade, sending two 2nd-Round picks to Houston for the Texans’ 2024 1st-Rounder (Pick No. 23) and a late-round pick swap. The aforementioned Cousins left in free agency to the Atlanta Falcons two days prior.
Most believe Adofo-Mensah is poised to move up the draftboard again via trade with the Washington Commanders (Pick No. 2), the New England Patriots (Pick No. 3), the Arizona Cardinals (Pick No. 4), or the Los Angeles Chargers (Pick No. 5).
Then, Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (North Carolina), Jayden Daniels (LSU), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), and Bo Nix (Oregon) are expected to go off the board in Rounds 1 and 2. One of those men will likely become a Viking on Thursday night.
After that, the Vikings need a defensive tackle for long-term roster-planning purposes. The franchise was reportedly interested in Christian Wilkins, but his asking price in free agency was too large, and Wilkins became a Las Vegas Raider. The franchise also didn’t sign Arik Armstead or Grover Stewart, for example, who were available on the open market. In fact, about 5-7 high-profile defensive tackles were there for the taking last month.
Minnesota may use whatever draft capital is left over on a defensive tackle after the would-be trade up the board for — spoiler alert — a quarterback. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said about a month ago regarding his team’s DT priority during free agency, “We made a run at some certain guys in free agency. In the end, we were okay with what we were able to add on the edges, and then you really supplement that defensive room with a lot of different skill sets.”
O’Connell also mentioned, “I think there’s going to be some really impactful options potentially there throughout the depth of the draft.”
Ergo, it’s either the current group, a rookie, or Calais Campbell from free agency.
Interior offensive line is a need, too. Blake Brandel is on tap for left guard duty, but many don’t trust him for the assignment. We shall see if the Vikings’ front office and coaching staff agree.
Moreover, Minnesota currently has seven interior offensive linemen under contract, and when the roster balloons to 90 players after the draft, that number will be closer to 10. This signals that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will use the draft and undrafted free agency to fortify this position(s) on the roster.
Nine picks. Three roster needs, with side dishes of WR3 and cornerback. One ginormous verdict on the quarterback of the future.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.