Vikings’ 2024 Draft Class Faces Harsh Reality Check from PFF
A year ago, the anticipation for the NFL Draft was at an all-time high for the Minnesota Vikings. Of course, needing a brand-new franchise quarterback and possessing not only one but two first-round picks helped build that tension.
Vikings’ 2024 Draft Class Faces Harsh Reality Check from PFF
After one season, the grade is incomplete. A draft class takes years to develop before a final conclusion can be made, but there’s no doubt about it: the highly-anticipated group hasn’t delivered yet, and bad luck surely played a role in that.
Before we get started, Khyree Jackson’s tragic death transcends the impact on the football field and he will not be part of any breakdown.
PFF’s Bradley Locker ranked last year’s draft classes by snap counts, and their in-house statistic Wins Above Replacement. The Vikings were listed 30th.
Locker started, “Only one Vikings rookie played even 350 snaps, and it was first-round edge rusher Dallas Turner — though he compiled only 12 pressures on a bad 55.3 PFF pass-rushing grade.”
Dallas Turner was selected with the 17th overall pick after a costly trade-up. The Vikings already had Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard in place. Backup Patrick Jones was the next man up.
That limited Turner’s impact in year one. However, it should be noted that he was a long-term investment and when he did play, he showed flashes of his exciting skill set that features elite explosiveness and versatility. The Alabama standout registered three sacks, 20 tackles, an interception, and five QB hits.
Once again, Van Ginkel and Greenard will be the starters in 2025, but with Jones bolting to Carolina, Turner has already climbed one spot on the depth chart and his snap count should rise.
The other rookie with a significant role was fellow Alabama alumnus Will Reichard. Locker noted, “Kicker Will Reichard finished 22nd among 39 qualified kickers in PFF field-goal grade (70.4) while converting 38-of-38 extra point attempts.”
The sixth-round kicker had a strange season. In his first seven games, he was flawless, hitting all 14 field goals (including four from 50+) and all 20 extra points. Then, he suffered a quad injury against the Colts and missed both field goals in that game. After his four-week stint on IR and some Parker Romo heroics, he returned but missed four field goals in five games and while adding some shaky kickoff performances.
He has shown that he can be one of the most reliable kickers in the league, but consistency is key and a return to his pre-injury self is crucial.
Locker then named the main reason for the disappointing production from the rookie class, “First-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy missing the entire 2024 season with a knee injury was the main blow to this group’s lack of production.”
McCarthy was just getting started. After having a strong preseason game (at least in the second half), he was on pace to get some first-team reps in the following joint practice sessions with the Browns, possibly allowing him to challenge Sam Darnold. His torn meniscus ended his debut season before it had even started.
Michigan’s national champion is expected to be the starting signal-caller in the upcoming season and it’s quite remarkable how much praise he’s getting from anyone in the building.
Kevin O’Connell recently stated that he expects his QB to hit the ground running, “Yeah, he’s not a rookie. He’s been able to have, you know, that pseudo redshirt year, albeit without the reps we have wanted, but I’m really confident, really excited to see him hit the ground running. He’s had a great offseason and can’t wait to get going with him.”
The other draft picks included backup linemen Walter Rouse and Michael Jurgens as well as defensive lineman, Levi Drake Rodriguez. Neither was expected to have a significant role in 2024. The latter could compete for a rotational role on the suddenly stacked defensive line while Jurgens was recently mentioned as a potential left guard.
All in all, one first-rounder got hurt, the other was stuck behind two Pro Bowlers while the late-rounders expectedly were depth pieces. Undrafted rookies Taki Taimani and Dwight McGlothern deserve a mention. Taimani showed promise as a run-stuffing nose tackle and McGlothern was excellent in the preseason and remained on the roster all year.
The upcoming draft will start on April 24th and Adofo-Mensah might shoot for more immediate impact this time.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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