Vikings Rival Solidifies Two Offensive Cornerstones on the Eve of the 2024 NFL Draft
Josh Frey
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The 2024 NFL Draft officially gets underway on Thursday night.
During those hours, we will see plenty of fireworks across the NFL as teams try to build their rosters for the future. However, before the event even begins, a Vikings rival, the Detroit Lions, has already set off some fireworks by solidifying two cornerstones for multiple seasons.
Vikings Rivals Solidify Two Cornerstones
The first such move involved WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, whom the Lions selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. St. Brown has quickly blown that fourth-round draft status out of the water throughout his first three NFL seasons.
Since entering the league, St. Brown has recorded the fifth-most receptions (ahead of Justin Jefferson), eight-most receiving yards, and 15th-most touchdown receptions, per Stathead. He has blossomed into a true WR1 for Jared Goff, and now, the Lions are paying him handsomely for his services.
On Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that St. Brown has received a contract extension from Detroit. The insider tweeted, “Sources: The #Lions have a deal for one of the top young talents, agreeing on an extension for WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. He gets 4 years and more than $120M with $77M guaranteed. The deal done by @JobyBranion of @VanguardSG makes St. Brown the highest-paid WR in the NFL.”
St. Brown’s guaranteed amount of $77 million is the most of any wide receiver in the NFL, surpassing the $75 million amount that was given to Cooper Kupp by the Los Angeles Rams. Considering the Vikings are awaiting an agreement with Jefferson, this new contract could very well impact the amount of guaranteed money that the star receiver gets from Minnesota.
The Lions didn’t stop there, though. They then proceeded to solidify an extension with another 2021 draft pick: OT Penei Sewell. The right tackle, an Oregon product, was selected by Detroit with the seventh overall pick a couple years ago.
Since that time, Sewell, too, has become one of the better players at his position in the NFL. He has been named a Pro Bowler in each of the past two seasons (outdoing Minnesota’s first-round pick, Christian Darrisaw), and in 2023, he was named a first-team All-Pro.
This time, it was Mike Garafolo of NFL Network to report the extension. Garafolo tweeted, “Sources: #Lions All-Pro OT Penei Sewell has agreed to terms on a four-year, $112 million extension that makes him the new highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL. The deal, which includes $85 million guaranteed, was done by Justin Schulman and Joe Panos of @AthletesFirst.”
Like St. Brown, this deal makes Sewell the highest paid offensive tackle in the league in terms of guaranteed money. In fact, Sewell’s $85 million in guarantees dwarfs the next highest total which belongs to Andrew Thomas. He was given $67 million in guaranteed money by the New York Giants.
In similar fashion to St. Brown as well, this deal could impact the Vikings’ future negotiations with their left tackle, Darrisaw. Minnesota’s 2021 first-round pick is eligible for an extension this offseason, but if the negotiations go in a similar fashion to Jefferson’s, we may need to wait until next year to see the official numbers.
Regardless, the Lions have secured two of their offensive cornerstones for years to come, and they might play a role in the Vikings’ negotiations with their own cornerstones.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference and Spotrac.
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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.