A Preliminary Look at Some Vikings 2024 Draft Needs
The Minnesota Vikings head into their bye week with an even record at 6-6.
They have five more games to make one final push for the playoffs, but before we get there, let’s take a look ahead at the future of this team. Minnesota currently holds nine selections in next spring’s draft that could alter the direction of the franchise. Here is a preliminary look at some of the Vikings 2024 draft needs that could be addressed in the offseason.
A Preliminary Look at the Vikings 2024 Draft Needs
EDGE
Obviously, the Vikings defense has been fantastic this season, and they’ve managed to navigate the loss of Marcus Davenport at the outside linebacker spot. However, this is a position that should be addressed in the offseason.
Danielle Hunter’s contract comes to an end this spring, and with his fantastic season, the veteran could command top dollar on the open market. D.J. Wonnum’s past few performances could be raising his price tag in March as well. And of course, Davenport will be a free agent as well.
With a number of promising prospects set to enter the draft, the Vikings could fill their depth. It should be noted that the Vikings don’t have a third-round pick as of now, so it could be time for Minnesota to finally use one of their top choices on an elite pass-rusher.
Quarterback
Kirk Cousins was having an MVP-esque season before he tore his Achilles in Week 8. This puts the Vikings in a very interesting position at the QB spot heading into the offseason.
The Josh Dobbs magic seems to have worn off a bit after a couple tough showings, and with Cousins turning 36 years old next season, Minnesota has a tough decision to make between bringing back the veteran or opting to get younger.
Ultimately, it makes sense for the Vikings to try and bring Cousins back, especially if his price drops because of the injury, but it also is time for Minnesota to start thinking about who will be their QB after Cousins leaves. There are a ton of prospects in this draft, so it will be tough for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to overlook the position.
Running Back
Alexander Mattison has started to turn a corner over the past couple weeks, and Ty Chandler has had a couple promising games since Cam Akers went down. Even still, the Vikings need to have a more consistent running game in 2024.
Minnesota has had seven games this year where they’ve rushed for fewer than 100 yards. They are averaging the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game this season, and they haven’t been very efficient when they’ve opted to run the ball.
With plenty of workhorse backs in this upcoming draft (Braelon Allen, Trey Benson, Jonathan Brooks), the Vikings may need to accept that this post-Dalvin Cook experiment hasn’t worked. A second-round pick could be used on a top-tier RB in this class.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.