2024 Vikings Draft Pick Has High Expectations for Himself
The Minnesota Vikings made a total of seven selections during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Of course, the draft was headlined by selections of QB J.J. McCarthy and OLB Dallas Turner in the first round, but it appears another Vikings draft pick has some awfully high expectations for himself as the 2024 season approaches.
2024 Vikings Draft Pick Has High Expectations
That prospect is CB Khyree Jackson, who was selected by the Vikings with the 108th overall pick in the fourth round of the draft. This week, the Vikings released a mini-documentary, detailing all of the events that took place over the course of the draft weekend.
One of the clips from this documentary featured the selection of Jackson. When Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gave the cornerback a call to inform him the Vikings would be selecting him in the draft, Jackson had this to say, “You got the best corner, though, by far. I’m going to show you, though, day one.”
Lofty expectations for a player that was forced to wait until the third and final day of the draft to be selected. Jackson was also the 18th defensive back to be selected in the draft.
Still, this type of confidence is what Jackson needed to be drafted in the first place. The cornerback has taken a very interesting path to the NFL, beginning his collegiate football career at the JUCO level. In between stints at junior colleges, he worked at a grocery store deli and became a very proficient NBA 2K player.
However, Jackson spent the majority of his time with the Crimson Tide as a reserve player, totaling 14 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pair of passes defended in two seasons. He did win a national championship with the program in 2021.
Then, in 2023, Jackson transferred to Oregon, allowing him to take on more of a starting role. In 12 games with the Ducks, the cornerback put together 34 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, seven passes defended, and three interceptions.
Jackson is on the older side for an NFL rookie (turns 25 years old in August), but all the tools of a potential contributor are there. He is a massive presence on the boundary at 6’3″ and 195 pounds, and he proved to be a great man corner during his season at Oregon.
Hopefully, Jackson can utilize this skillset and his confidence in Brian Flores’ defense with the Vikings.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Sports Reference CFB.
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.