Purple Headlines of the Week: The Draft, a Kicker Competition, Final Piece of the Vikings Free Agency Saga
Josh Frey
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This may be the final very busy week of Minnesota Vikings news that we get for some time, but there are plenty of stories to keep track of from this past draft week, including all six draft picks, a potential kicker competition, and the final puzzle piece of the Vikings free agency saga has fallen into place. Here is a summary of all the top purple headlines of the week.
The Vikings Draft Class Is Set
This past weekend, we found out who would make up the 2023 Vikings draft class. It got started on Thursday night with an intriguing selection of WR Jordan Addison to hopefully take some pressure off Justin Jefferson. Minnesota entered the draft with five selections, but due to trades of the 87th and 119th picks, they came away with six picks and added another fifth-round pick for 2024. The full list of prospects selected by the Vikings is as follows:
A Kicking Competition?
Following the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Vikings added 15 undrafted free agents to their roster as well. One of these UDFAs is a kicker and two-time national champion with the Georgia Bulldogs: Jack Podlesny.
Podlesny’s addition puts some pressure on Greg Joseph, who missed a league-high six extra-point attempts during the 2022 season while also going just 4-for-10 on field goals of 50+ yards. Considering the new Vikings kicker has been under some of the brightest lights in the college football universe, this could be an interesting position battle to follow.
The Final Vikings Free Agency Puzzle Piece
The Vikings had a number of players from the 2022 season hit free agency this spring, but heading into draft weekend, only one of them remained unsigned: CB Chandon Sullivan. The cornerback played all 17 games for the Vikings in 2022, primarily taking over that slot CB role.
However, as the draft wound down, Sullivan found his new team, landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was also the landing spot for Patrick Peterson, so the duo will remain teammates in 2023.
In Case You Missed It…
For the extra studious Vikings fans, we have a few more pieces of writing that may have gotten lost in the mix amongst all the draft craziness from the past week. Enjoy the extra reading!
- Everything You Need to Know About New Vikings WR Jordan Addison
- The 3 Biggest Post-Draft Vikings Needs
- Vikings Agree to Terms with 15 UDFAs
- The NFL Draft Appraisal
The Vikings’ Post-Draft Depth Chart
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.