Three Vikings Draft Droughts That Could End in 2024
The Minnesota Vikings are slated with nine selections in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
A number of different positions could be on the menu for Minnesota with these selections, including some that the Vikings have not used high-end picks on for multiple years. Here is a look at three Minnesota draft droughts that could come to an end in April.
QB in First Round
Much has been made about the Vikings and their ability to draft a quarterback this spring. Kirk Cousins is set to enter free agency in March (as is Josh Dobbs), and Minnesota doesn’t have much of a plan in place to replace the veteran as of now. Cousins reportedly could garner a pretty large chunk of cash as well, so perhaps now is the time to move on.
Sitting at No. 11 overall and with a number of intriguing QB prospects in this year’s draft, the easiest way to transition from Cousins would be turning the job over to a rookie selected in the first round. This is something that the Vikings have not done in a decade, though. The last first-round QB selected by the Vikings was Teddy Bridgewater back in 2014. Since then, it’s been a revolving door of veterans like Sam Bradford, Case Keenum, and Cousins at the helm.
If the Vikings target a quarterback in the first round, many would be most interested in trading up for prospects like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels. However, Minnesota could also land players like J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, or Michael Penix later on.
DL in First Round
The Vikings have not selected a defensive lineman in the first round of the draft since they took Sharrif Floyd back in 2013. Of course, Floyd got off to a strong start before issues with a surgery derailed his career.
Since that draft selection, the Vikings have relied on veteran free agent signings to hold down the fort in the middle of their defensive line like Linval Joseph, Sheldon Richardson, and Dalvin Tomlinson.
Minnesota could use a bit of an upgrade at the position, so if they aren’t able to trade up for a QB and aren’t sold by the remaining prospects at the position, a defensive tackle shouldn’t be out of consideration. Daniel Jeremiah sent Byron Murphy II to Minnesota in his first mock draft, and other intriguing prospects like Jer’Zhan Newton, Darius Robinson, and T’Vondre Sweat would be intriguing fits.
RB in Top 50
Minnesota’s running back room is filled with a lot of bodies right now, but none of them proved to be overly consistent throughout the 2023 season. The Vikings finished among the worst teams in both rushing totals and efficiency.
As a result, this could be another position that the Vikings target with their high-end draft capital. Of course, the Vikings haven’t selected a running back with a top-50 pick since they took Dalvin Cook in 2017, and after some early injuries, Cook served as a workhorse back for the Vikings over four seasons.
Admittedly, this running back class isn’t exactly the greatest group in the world, but there are prospects that could contribute to the offense. Names that come to mind are Jonathon Brooks, Trey Benson, and Blake Corum.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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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.