Grade: B+
Best Pick: WR Tai Felton, No. 102 Overall
What We Liked: Felton should come in as a great WR3 to give J.J. McCarthy a really easy time finding open receivers. The two early picks put their new quarterback (coming off an injury last year) in a good space to continue the trajectory that Sam Darnold was able to execute on. Donovan Jackson will help McCarthy stay upright and could flex between guard or tackle for the Vikings depending on what they need. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins provides a lot of athleticism and flexibility to a defensive line that needs more of it. They did the most with what they had.
Not Sure About: There should have been a stronger effort to get more picks in the class. The only trade made was a pick swap that still left them with only four picks. With the value as on point as it was this year, giving Kwesi Adofo-Mensah more darts to throw could have resulted in a boost to the team’s ceiling. The move to get QB Sam Howell feels a little underwhelming for a backup option to McCarthy, and securing another rookie might have been a better long-term play. Cornerback not being addressed early means the problems from last year will continue.
–Dean Bruce, special to Field Level Media
