ESPN Posts Hilarious 2024 Re-Draft for the Vikings

A year ago, the Vikings had massive uncertainty entering the offseason. Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter, two of the club’s premier players, were set to exit the building for a final time. The future at those positions was unclear because the Vikings didn’t have a replacement at either spot.
ESPN Posts Hilarious 2024 Re-Draft for the Vikings

In addition to that, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had to navigate through the issues on the offensive and defensive lines and the lack of talent in the cornerback group.
After trading a pair of second-rounders to acquire Houston’s 23rd overall pick, the Vikings were set to compete in any bidding war for a quarterback.
Then the draft arrived, and everyone expected the Vikings to use both picks and trade up to acquire the QB of the future.
Eventually, Adofo-Mensah landed two players. Although he traded up to secure the rights for J.J. McCarthy, it was only a move from 11 to 10, so he kept his 23rd pick, which he packaged with numerous selections for Alabama’s pass rusher Dallas Turner.

Just over ten months later, ESPN has published a re-draft of last April’s first round of the draft.
This time, the Vikings stick at 11 and draft, well, Michigan’s passer McCarthy.
Vikings beat writer Kevin Seifert wrote a short note, “Although McCarthy missed the season because of a torn meniscus in his right knee, he demonstrated notable development during training camp and in his one preseason appearance. Even at the time of the injury, coach Kevin O’Connell said: ‘We’ve got our young franchise quarterback, I believe, in the building.'”
Indeed, McCarthy showed flashes of real development throughout training camp, displaying his arm talent and mobility. He was right about to enter the first team in practices when his knee injury occurred, and he was lost for the season.
It was an unfortunate event, but he just turned 22 and has earned a ton of praise from Kevin O’Connell. Unless the Vikings will stick with Sam Darnold, McCarthy will most likely be the starting quarterback in Week 1 of the upcoming season.

That leaves us with pick 23. Once again, the Vikings didn’t trade up and remained in that draft slot.
In ESPN’s article, the Vikings ‒ ironically ‒ landed Dallas Turner. His impact in year one was limited, partly because he was a talented but raw player coming out of college but also due to the competition of Pro Bowlers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, as well as the presence of solid reserve Patrick Jones.
“Turner played only 26.8% of the Vikings’ defensive snaps, and he made minimal impact while playing behind Pro Bowl starters Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel,” Seifert opined. “But the team thinks he will grow into a more significant role in 2025, and he fits the Vikings’ philosophy with high draft picks of seeking impact players at premium positions.”
The defender, just like McCarthy, turned 22 days ago. He still has time to grow into the star player everyone expected him to. In 16 games and exactly 300 defensive snaps, Turner recorded 20 tackles, three sacks, and an interception.
Despite not being an all-down player, his talent, especially his physical attributes, flashed almost every week. It was also fun to watch defensive coordinator Brian Flores using his rookie in different ways, demonstrating his ability to drop into coverage. His role notably increased in the second half of the season.
With Flores likely to remain as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator, other than Turner’s snap count, the versatility of his role will also expand in year two.

Long story short, neither McCarthy nor Turner have made much of an impact in their rookie season, but it’s way too early to write them off. They were drafted as long-term assets rather than immediate stars, and the team still feels good about them entering their first full offseason in the Twin Cities.
Their development (and that of the upcoming 24th overall pick) will be the major storyline in the offseason and training camp.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt