Vikings Fact or Fiction: No QB in This Draft, 2023 Draft Class as Bad, Roster Overhaul
A new publication from VikingsTerritory, we unveil the Vikings Fact or Fiction of the day.
Vikings Fact or Fiction: No QB in This Draft, 2023 Draft Class as Bad, Roster Overhaul
Fact or Fiction is exactly what it sounds like — explaining credible or false on the keynote Vikings’ topics of the day. There’s always some degree of rumor in an NFL team’s orbit, and Minnesota isn’t excluded.
Here’s the batch for April 2nd.
Fact or Fiction: According to sports aggregator Dov Kleiman, the Vikings are probably going to skip drafting a QB in 2024.
Popular X (formerly known as Twitter) aggregator Dov Kleiman opined a statement about the Minnesota Vikings that implied the club is looking past the 2024 NFL Draft as a spot for a rookie quarterback.
According to Kleiman, Minnesota will likely look at next year’s draft — not the one in three weeks — for a new QB1. Kleiman tweeted Tuesday, “The Vikings will potentially start Sam Darnold next season and look to draft in the 2025 QB Class for a new starter, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.”
The quote cherry-picked one sentence section from Seifert’s publication about the Vikings’ quarterback plans, ignoring Minnesota’s broader intentions of pursuing a quarterback at the end of the month.
Here’s the full context of Seifert’s writing regarding Darnold: “They’ve made deep plans to evaluate the top prospects via private workouts and/or visits, and they formed the outlines of a structure focused on developing a rookie quarterback. On the other, they’re preparing for the possibility of riding with offseason free agent addition Sam Darnold in 2024 and then regrouping with either a quarterback drafted with a lower pick or perhaps a look ahead to the 2025 class.”
Seifert added, “O’Connell has already initiated a few structural changes on his coaching staff to give himself more time to develop the quarterback he hopes to draft. And if they can’t find a complicit team to trade with, they will still have the flexibility of the No. 23 overall pick to work with. That’s the world they’re living in, for at least the rest of this month.”
The Kleiman post did not mention the Vikings’ plan for this draft, instead focusing on the 2025 edition. Taken at surface value by a casual fan or reader, the post implies that Minnesota has already bypassed the 2024 NFL Draft because it has Darnold in the saddle.
Vikings owner Mark Wilf said about the team’s quarterback plan last month, “When it comes to the quarterback position, it’s certainly critical, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell are working hard. We’ve got a plan, and Sam Darnold is part of it. We’re excited he’s in the building, and we’re excited we have two first-round picks, so we’ll see where it all goes. We have a lot of flexibility, and we’ll see what happens.”
Kleiman might’ve skimmed the ESPN article too quickly.
Verdict: Fiction. 🤣
Fact or Fiction: Jordan Addison was the only good rookie from the Vikings’ 2023 class.
Pro Football Focus called the Vikings’ 2023 draft class the sixth-best leaguewide last year per production. PFF’s Timo Riske wrote, “Jordan Addison wasn’t super efficient on a per-route basis, but he stepped up in Justin Jefferson’s absence and was one of two rookies to catch double-digit touchdown passes. Ivan Pace Jr. turned out to be the perfect linebacker for Brian Flores, and Mekhi Blackmon had a solid rookie season.”
Riske also outlined some of the Vikings rookies’ statistics: “CB Mekhi Blackmon (71.8 coverage grade, 0.94 yards per coverage snap) | WR Jordan Addison (1.42 yards per route run, 69.7 receiving grade, 10 rec TDs) | LB Ivan Pace Jr. (77.1 coverage grade, 78.0 pass-rush grade, 22.9% pass-rush win rate).”
Minnesota’s draft class was more than “just Addison.”
Verdict: Fiction. 🤣
Fact or Fiction: The Vikings’ roster overhaul since 2022 — and this offseason especially — is tremendous.
On top of vast roster turnover since the start of 2022 when Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took over — Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, and others are gone — Minnesota continued its purge this offseason.
Unless Dalton Risner returns, the Vikings will showcase a 32% change per offensive and defensive starters.
These men left this offseason:
- Kirk Cousins (QB)
- Jordan Hicks (ILB)
- Danielle Hunter (OLB)
- Alexander Mattison (RB)
- K.J. Osborn (WR)
- Dalton Risner (LG)
- D.J. Wonnum (OLB)
Verdict: Fact. 😤
There’s a Vikings Suspension
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.