Fate Made The Vikings First Round Winners In The 2024 NFL Draft
Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The narrative surrounding Minnesota’s draft was that they were going to use their two first round picks, and possibly more to trade up to draft a quarterback. For a team that didn’t have a pick until round four in the draft, it would’ve been an incredibly risky move.
Luckily, they didn’t have to do that.
The draft was going mostly according to everyone’s expectations until the Falcons made a pick that made the world stand still.
I’m not gonna have the brain power to process Michael Penix to the Falcons for at least 8 years
— Willie Lutz (@willie_lutz) April 26, 2024
After investing $180 million in Kirk Cousins over the next four years, the selection of Penix was the most shocking move of last night’s first round. Per NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic, Kirk understood that the Falcons may have taken a quarterback in the draft, but he was still “a bit stunned” by the move. It was thought of as quite the reach, especially since some experts didn’t even expect Penix to be taken in the first round.
The internet was also extremely quick to react, as the internet does.
Kirk Cousins is going to be stunned when he wakes up tomorrow morning and reads about this in the newspaper
— Eric Nathan (@BarstoolNate) April 26, 2024
That pick left two quarterbacks worthy of a first round pick on the board: JJ McCarthy and Bo Nix. Minnesota and Denver, who had the 11th and 12th overall picks, were widely expected to take QBs. Since McCarthy was rated well above Bo Nix, Minnesota swiftly made a move for the tenth overall pick to ensure Denver wouldn’t leapfrog them and steal the better prospect away from the Vikings.
Trade terms: Vikings traded No. 11 overall, a 4th-round pick and a 5th-round pick to the Jets in exchange for No. 10 and pick No. 203.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 26, 2024
McCarthy is not exactly a game changing quarterback, but he has a very good shot at being a capable quarterback in Minnesota. His 27-1 record as the starter at Michigan is the third highest winning percentage of any quarterback in college football history.
People Kept Doubting JJ McCarthy
All He Did Was Keep Winning pic.twitter.com/jxJgF2iq2Z
— THE RED RANGER (@THEREDRANGER3) April 25, 2024
He’s an accurate passer, he can get creative outside the pocket, and is tough inside the pocket. He’s mobile, has decent arm talent, and throws a very catchable ball. His leadership and maturity have been commended by scouts. However, he still needs to develop physically and has below average field vision. He will occasionally struggle if he has to make more than one read in a given play.
He will have a great corps of weapons around him with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson, in addition to the ability to be developed by Kevin O’Connell. That group makes it very justified as to why McCarthy went on record to say that he badly wanted to play for the Vikings. However, a quarterback’s situation is not a reason to believe that McCarthy himself is a good prospect. It just means that he’s set up for great success (Borat voice) in Minnesota. The post-first round narrative surrounding McCarthy’s NFL potential would have been wildly different if he was drafted into the severely less explosive Denver Broncos’ offense.
After Michael Penix was selected with the eighth pick, moving up to guarantee JJ McCarthy instead of having to settle for Bo Nix was a move the Vikings had to make. Many experts believed they’d have to trade multiple first round picks, and possibly more, to select McCarthy. Instead, they only had to give up two mid-round picks, and they even got a late round pick in return. From a draft pick perspective, that is an absolute bargain.
That bargain allowed them to keep their 23rd pick, as well as their 2025 first rounder. Talented defensive players kept falling to the bottom of the first round, as each of the first 14 picks in the draft were used on an offensive player. It put the Vikings in a position to move up yet again, while still maintaining their 2025 first rounder. With that pick, they selected a player that many believe was the best defensive player in this year’s draft.
https://twitter.com/RGIII/status/1783685315644764419
The Vikings gave up their 23rd pick, in addition to a 2024 fifth round pick and 2025 third and fourth round picks, to get the star edge rusher.
After losing Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum to free agency, Turner will be paired with free agent acquisition Jonathan Greenard on the defensive line. Turner is an impeccable athlete with elite speed off the edge, improving strength, and has consistent double-digit sack potential as a pass rusher. His chances of making an immediate and long-term impact are supremely high. Kevin O’Connell was thrilled at the opportunity to make a move for him.
“Dallas Turner is a guy who, quite frankly, we didn’t expect to be there in that range,” O’Connell said on Thursday night. “We were just as excited and relieved (as when we selected JJ McCarthy) to be able to call Dallas and make him a Minnesota Viking.”
Skol Nation, in addition to Kevin O’Connell, are thrilled about last night’s results.
What if I told you yesterday the Vikings would get JJ McCarthy and Dallas Turner pic.twitter.com/ghCIEt80o9
— Thomas Sullivan (@Yfz84) April 26, 2024
Many expected the Vikings to make a major gamble and part ways with their three first rounders between 2024 and 2025 to make JJ McCarthy their franchise quarterback. Instead, not only did the Vikings select the QB they wanted all along, but they got to keep their other first rounder and make a move for an edge rusher with top 10 potential. They also get to hold onto their 2025 first round selection.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah deserves a raise.
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