MINNESOTA VIKINGS FINAL NFL DRAFT GRADES 2024: VIKINGS SELECT J.J. MCCARTHY, DALLAS TURNER IN FIRST-ROUND MASTERCLASS

After losing Kirk Cousins in free agency, the Minnesota Vikings came into the 2024 NFL Draft with a pressing need at the quarterback spot. Were they able to be aggressive and fill that need? Their NFL Draft grades discuss the ultimate outcome.

Minnesota Vikings 2024 NFL Draft Grades

Round 1, Pick 10: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

After all the speculation that the Vikings would most likely have to package the 11th and 23rd picks to breach the top five of the 2024 NFL Draft and take a QB, they were able to get J.J. McCarthy after only a slight move up from 11th overall to pick No. 10.

On the PFN value board, this is a slight reach – but it’s one that is well within reason because of two things: McCarthy’s youth and talent, and the supporting structure that Minnesota has in place.

McCarthy is a stellar athlete with a loose, elastic arm, who has the clean mechanics and off-platform ability to accentuate his value early on. And in Minnesota, with the support he has, there’s a realistic outcome where he helps the Vikings rise back to contention.

Grade: A

Round 1, Pick 17: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama

After getting their QB without having to sell the farm, the Vikings were then able to add my top defensive player and No. 7 overall prospect after trading up to the 17th overall pick.

The Vikings made moves to strengthen their EDGE rotation in free agency, adding Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. But Dallas Turner makes this unit a strength, giving Minnesota a disruptive force that can’t be emulated across the league.

At 6’3”, 247 pounds, with 34 1/2” arms, 4.46 speed, and gravity-defying bend, Turner has every single physics element in his tool box — burst, flexibility, power — and he can be an alignment-versatile destroyer in Brian Flores’ scheme, with particularly scary pass-rush upside.

MORE: Analysis and Grades for All 7 Rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft

After a lead-up period filled with uncertainty on Thursday, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings put on a first-round masterclass.

Grade: A+

Round 4, Pick 108: Khyree Jackson, CB, Oregon

Khyree Jackson has a combination of speed and length worth investing in, and he’s far more fluid than one would expect for his size. There were better values and better fits on the board for Minnesota’s man scheme, but Jackson has the tools to help this pick pay dividends in time.

Grade: B

Round 6, Pick 177: Walter Rouse, OT, Oklahoma

Leading off the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Vikings added a developmental tackle in Walter Rouse. At 6’6”, 314 pounds, with 35” arms, and elite testing explosiveness, Rouse has all of the desired physical qualities. But even after 52 starts in college, he still needs more technical refinement, and he’s only ever played on the left side. Rouse won’t have immediate versatility as a spot-starter, but he can be a swing tackle in time.

Grade: B-

Round 7, Pick 230: Will Reichard, K, Alabama

The Vikings entered the 2024 NFL Draft without a kicker on the roster who’d taken NFL reps, so it makes sense that they’d spend late-round capital on a starting candidate. Reichard is as good a pick as any at the kicker spot this late.

He was Alabama’s placekicker for four seasons. Over his career, he missed just two of 297 extra-point attempts. He has a career-long kick of 52 yards, and in 2023, he was 22 of 25 overall, making all five of his attempts beyond 50 yards.

Grade: A-

Round 7, Pick 230: Michael Jurgens, C, Wake Forest

Michael Jurgens is an experienced center who started 34 games at the collegiate level, and he provides decent security behind starter Garrett Bradbury. However, Jurgens will turn 25 years old next January, has short arms, and doesn’t have great athleticism or range in space. There were better options on the board for Minnesota, but in Round 7, the opportunity cost was minimal.

Grade: C

Round 7, Pick 232: Levi Drake Rodriguez, DT, Texas A&M-Commerce

This late in the 2024 NFL Draft, Levi Drake Rodriguez is an intriguing dart throw on the interior defensive line. Higher-ranked prospects were available on PFN’s board, but Rodriguez has compelling elements to his game. He’s 6’2”, 300 pounds, with 32 3/8” arms and eye-catching speed and explosion, and in 2023, he logged 5.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss.

Grade: B-

Minnesota Vikings 2024 NFL Draft Summary

The Vikings’ sparse Day 3 class didn’t carry the same kind of weight that other teams’ did in the 2024 NFL Draft. On Day 3, the Vikings added a developmental CB, a kicker, and trench depth on both sides of the ball.

KEEP READING: Vikings’ UDFA Signings and Rookie Camp Invites

That said, the Day 3 stretch was never going to sway Minnesota’s draft grade too far in either direction, because in Round 1, they added two franchise-defining players on either side of the ball.

J.J. McCarthy has a legitimate chance to be Minnesota’s next franchise QB with the support he’s been given. And at 17th overall, Dallas Turner is a superb value addition, with the tools to wreck offensive game plans. That duo alone made Minnesota’s class a success.

Final Grade: A-

Looking for everything you need surrounding the 2024 NFL Draft? Make sure to check out the latest draft results, overall team grades, and updated best remaining players available at every position!

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