Vikings 2024 NFL Draft takeaways: Best value pick, biggest surprise and what’s next

Take a step back and think about how different the Minnesota Vikings’ situation is now compared to when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell were hired.

In two years, the franchise moved on from key figures, won and lost games in gut-wrenching fashion, smoothed over the salary cap and charted a path toward finding their next quarterback.

“If you look big-picture at it,” Adofo-Mensah said Saturday night, “you’ll see the intent. When you make plans, everybody is going to want specifics. But you can’t give them because you know the future has options and opportunities, and you’ve got to strike on them when you can.”

Always want to add talented players with the ability to grow and improve here.

We did that this weekend. pic.twitter.com/9fo3Ti2pDE

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 27, 2024

None of this is to say the Vikings are in a prime position. The NFC North continues to ascend, especially with the Chicago Bears adding quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Adunze. The Detroit Lions infused their roster with multiple defensive backs who will give them a better shot at defending O’Connell’s passing game. And the Green Bay Packers added various players in the top 100 to their already-young roster.

For as energizing as Thursday night may have been, the team-building challenge remains. But conversations about development and potential are for another day. In the meantime, here is an evaluation of the 2024 NFL Draft that capped off these two years of transformation.

The picks

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Usually, the consensus best edge rusher in the NFL Draft does not fall to No. 17. That’s what happened Thursday night, and the Vikings pounced.

They targeted Turner for months. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores adored everything about the player: his versatility, his experience in Nick Saban’s defensive system and his physicality. Few on the Vikings staff expected Turner to fall out of the top 10. Nobody thought Turner would drop to No. 17.

When the Jacksonville Jaguars called to see if the Vikings wanted to move up from No. 23, Adofo-Mensah leaped at the opportunity.

Minnesota did not necessarily need an edge rusher after signing Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel in free agency. But you can never go wrong with a potential blue-chip player at a premium position. Not to mention, Flores’ willingness to mix and match defenders in different personnel groupings opens the possibility of playing Greenard, Van Ginkel and Turner at the same time.

On third down, for example, Flores could send four edge rushers into the game and seven defensive backs. Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus could blitz or drop. Van Ginkel and Turner could blitz or drop. The versatility allows Flores to do what he loves to do: use alignment and deception to confuse the quarterback. And unlike last year, when the Vikings were unable to apply pressure late in the season, they now have the pass rushers to win in one-on-one situations — Turner included.

The surprising part of this is that the Vikings used one of their five Day 3 picks on a kicker. They had identified the position as a need entering the draft, but once they parted with multiple picks via trades in the first two rounds, selecting a kicker seemed less likely.

Another aspect of the decision is the historical precedent. Some, especially in the analytical space, think NFL teams should not draft kickers due to the overall uncertainty and lack of separation among talent. Adofo-Mensah was not bothered by the data, however, just as he forewent picks for Turner in the first round.

Conviction in Reichard was never a question. The Vikings held a two-hour call with the Alabama kicker to ask about his background and process. Teammates like Turner, who visited the Vikings’ TCO Performance Center during the pre-draft process, offered insight into Reichard’s mentality.

A few words summed up Reichard’s evaluation: competitive, consistent and process-oriented. Reichard converted all 55 of his extra-point attempts this past season and made 22-of-25 field goal attempts, including all five from 50 yards or more.

Minnesota chose not to re-sign Greg Joseph and instead opted for XFL product John Parker Romo. Now, Reichard joins the mix and will compete for the job.

The question is more a matter of position than anything. Rouse started 52 games at left tackle in college. He played four years at Stanford then finished up at Oklahoma. Reps at right tackle in the Shrine Bowl provided evaluators a window into his potential flexibility, and that’s how the Vikings see him: as a swing tackle.

Though Minnesota already has veteran swing tackle David Quessenberry, you cannot go wrong with a rookie depth candidate on the offensive line. It’s just that the Vikings really need assistance on the interior. Right now, the starters from left to right are Blake Brandel, Garrett Bradbury and Ed Ingram. Only Bradbury is proven, and while Vikings staffers believe strongly in Brandel’s potential and Ingram’s continued development, neither has put tangible evidence of elite play on tape.

Now, the Vikings likely approached this pick in a best-available type of way. And it is worth noting that both left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right tackle Brian O’Neill have missed ample time due to injuries in the last two seasons. Combine that with Rouse’s best traits — arm length and intelligence — and this selection is sensible enough, especially if offensive line coach Chris Kuper can get the best out of him.

Remaining needs

Two spots are obvious: interior defensive line and offensive line.

Had Texas’ Byron Murphy II fallen in the first round, the Vikings might have pulled the trigger on him instead of Turner. Minnesota’s front should be vastly improved regardless, but Flores would prefer another pass-rushing dynamo on the interior. Fortunately, he is willing to creatively utilize his personnel depending on the offense’s tendencies, and that should cover up for a lack of push on the interior, especially on late downs.

The interior of the offensive line still leaves a lot to be desired. Bradbury’s experience and schematic understanding matters, especially considering everything that’s going to be on J.J. McCarthy’s plate. But it’s hard to have confidence in the guards, even if Brandel is a staff favorite. Minnesota could ultimately sign a free agent — like Dalton Risner, who is still without a team — but it’s going to be price-dependent, and it’s not going to massively overpay.

Other than that, some thinner positions are off-ball linebacker and receiver. The Vikings have obvious starters at both spots, but the depth doesn’t inspire much confidence. Kamu Grugier-Hill might be an option at linebacker, and Brandon Powell, Jalen Nailor and Trent Sherfield are candidates to fill the No. 3 receiver role. These were always less important holes to fill than others, but they matter nonetheless.

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Post-draft outlook

The Vikings accomplished what they set out to. They added their quarterback of the future, found an impact player at a premium position defensively and supplemented those picks with intriguing dart throws later on.

None of the late-round picks are sure-fire contributors, but each prospect will get a shot. Michael Jurgens, for example, has smarts and a body type that should give him a chance on the interior. Levi Drake Rodriguez, meanwhile, has an unorthodox pass-rush skill set for an interior defender.

Those spots are still question marks, as is the potential extension for superstar wideout Justin Jefferson. But once Adofo-Mensah finalizes that move — and that remains the plan, especially now that the draft is over — the Vikings can look toward the most flexible future they’ve had in years.

(Photo of Dallas Turner: Kent Gidley / Alabama Athletics)