Vikings’ 2024 NFL Draft Position Is Set in Stone
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings fell to the Detroit Lions on Sunday by a score of 30-20.
While the loss ended any hopes for the playoffs for the Vikings, it did provide the opportunity for their 2024 NFL Draft position to improve from 12th overall. It did exactly that as the Vikings jumped up to the 11th overall pick in the first round.
Vikings 2024 NFL Draft Position Is Set in Stone
The Vikings were able to jump up a spot due to the Las Vegas Raiders’ victory over the Denver Broncos, which improved them to 8-9 to close the season, allowing the 7-10 Vikings to jump them in the draft order.
However, the Vikings were unable to move up any higher than 11th because the Atlanta Falcons were unable to defeat the New Orleans Saints, nor were the Chicago Bears able to spoil the playoff hopes of the Green Bay Packers.
Here is a look at the full 1-18 draft order following Week 18:
- Chicago Bears (via CAR)
- Washington Commanders
- New England Patriots
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Chargers
- New York Giants
- Tennessee Titans
- Atlanta Falcons
- Chicago Bears
- New York Jets
- Minnesota Vikings
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New Orleans Saints
- Indianapolis Colts
- Seattle Seahawks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Cincinnati Bengals
If the Vikings were to hold on to that draft position and select at No. 11 overall, it would be the first time they’ve selected a player that highly in the draft since 2015 when they took CB Trae Waynes 11th overall.
The cornerback spent five seasons in Minnesota from 2015-2019, and while he had a few nice seasons with the Vikings in 2016 and 2017, he never truly lived up to the hype of that draft selection. In total, he played 74 games for the Vikings (53 starts) and recorded 247 tackles, nine tackles for loss, a sack, 42 passes defended, and seven interceptions.
This time around, it would be pretty surprising to see the Vikings select a cornerback if they stay at No. 11. Quarterback could be a position to watch as Kirk Cousins enters free agency and his age-36 season while EDGE could be another position of need with all of Marcus Davenport, Danielle Hunter, and D.J. Wonnum seeing their contracts come to an end.
Of course, the Vikings could also trade up into the top-10 if they truly want to go after their quarterback of the future. A team like the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5 looks like an intriguing trade partner if this is the route Minnesota wants to go in.
Regardless, the regular season has now come to an end, and what will surely be a busy offseason for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings front office has officially begun.
The 2024 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 25th later this spring.
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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.