The Vikings Draft and The Guesses Gone Right & Wrong
Being a football writer can be a perilous task.
No, not a rush-into-a-burning-building perilous. Nor is it the kind of perilous that involves racing across train tracks before a locomotive whizzes by or one where a bomb gets defused. More common conundrums involve sticking your neck out with a prediction only to be proven wrong. No doubt, there are some times when the bat hits the ball, but there are some whiffs along the way.
Part of the business, folks. Every so often, it’s productive to take a moment to recap how things went.
Before the 2024 NFL Draft, I published a piece on PurplePTSD including 3 bland predictions and 3 bold predictions. By definition, the bold ones should be harder to hit. How did we do?
Vikings Draft: 3 Bold, 3 Bland, and A Prediction Recap
Bland #1: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Continues His Trading Ways — PASS
Seeing the GM trade wasn’t surprising.
What was surprising is how he traded and how often he traded. Moving up twice in the 1st wasn’t on a lot of people’s mind. And then the decision to stand pat with the remaining Day 3 selections was pretty surprising.
Bold #1: The Vikings Snag a Kicker…in the 4th or 5th — FAIL
Is a partial point warranted?
The Vikings did draft a kicker. Heck, they even snatched one that was discussed on PurplePTSD a time or two. The issue arises when we look at when Will Reichard arrived: he got scooped up in the 6th, not the 4th or 5th. So, a decent call but off on the finer details.
Bland #2 – Minnesota Drafts a Player(s) Capable of Playing Different Positions — PASS
The Alabama pass rusher is the one to monitor.
Take a look at the words from Nick Saban (as relayed by Josh Frey over on Vikings Territory). Turner can get lined up in a variety of spots: “People keep comparing him to Will Anderson; he’s more like Dont’a Hightower. He went inside, he got outside, we stood him up, he’s a good rusher. He can take gaps inside. So I think the versatility is phenomenal.”
Keep an eye on the trio of linemen — Walter Rouse (OL), Michael Jurgens (OL), and Levi Drake Rodriguez (DL) — as contenders to shuffle around, as well.
Bold #2 – The Running Game Gets Yet Another Boost — FAIL
Would you believe me if I said this was the one I was least confident in?
The rationale was simply that Minnesota genuinely wants to improve on the ground. Now, Kevin O’Connell’s play calling can leave one with the impression that the desire to run the ball isn’t overly genuine, but his words at the podium do betray a longing for greater run/pass balance.
After choosing Ty Chandler and then DeWayne McBride in consecutive drafts, the Vikings avoided the RB position. Aaron Jones is going to be the main man with a lot of help from Chandler.
Bland #3 – An Edge Rusher Gets Added — PASS
Tip of the cap to you, Mr. Turner.
The long-and-strong Alabama alumnus has boatloads of potential. Any chance he forces his way into the starting lineup? Needing to find a way to accommodate three excellent pass rushers is a wonderful problem to have.
Bold #3 – Minnesota Makes Seven or Less Picks — PASS
This one partners with the trade prediction. Looking back, it may not have been particularly bold.
A better guess may have been to specifically say that the Vikings would land on seven selections — something that did occur — but it’s not what the actual prediction was. So, this one gets a check mark but possibly should have gone bolder.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.