Here Are the Draft Grades for Vikings (R1)
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings have selected two players so far, with four rounds remaining.
Here Are the 1st-Round “Draft Grades” for Vikings
They’re scheduled to pick five times on the draft’s final day after selecting quarterback J.J. McCarthy and EGDE rusher Dallas Turner on Thursday night.
But here’s how the purple team did so far, according to “draft grades” from various reputable outlets. Keep in mind that draft grades are generally a little silly until 3-5 years down the road.
The Athletic
J.J. McCarthy Grade = A
Dallas Turner Grade = A
Perhaps the rosiest of all grades, this outfit believes Minnesota absolutely nailed it.
“What an offseason for the Vikings. After making a big pre-draft move, Minnesota was able to land a quarterback (and climb one spot) without surrendering its other first-round pick. (The Vikings sent Nos. 11, 129 and 157 to the Jets for this spot and No. 203.) All this mere months after Minnesota lost Cousins, its previous franchise QB,” The Athletic explained on the McCarthy selection.
It also claimed that the Vikings “grabbed perhaps the draft’s most athletic pass rusher” in Turner.
Not bad.
Bleacher Report
J.J. McCarthy Grade = A
Dallas Turner Grade = B
More complimentary of McCarthy, BR’s Brent Sobleski wrote about Turner at pick No. 17, “The Vikings needed to move a fifth-round pick and a pair of 2025 middle-round picks to trade up, but they’re gaining an explosive edge to pair with the offseason additions of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. That should help them replace the production of Danielle Hunter and DJ Wonnum, both of whom left this offseason. Turner’s upside justifies the risk of giving up a few later-round picks.”
Turner is Minnesota’s first Round 1 EDGE defender since 2005 if that can be believed.
CBS Sports
J.J. McCarthy Grade = C+
Dallas Turner Grade = A
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco was about as low as it gets on McCarthy: “They had to fill the quarterback spot, so it makes sense to take McCarthy. I don’t love him as much as others do, but it will be interesting to see how Kevin O’Connell and company will make it work.”
Some considered McCarthy a “game manager” at Michigan, and Prisco might be one of those.
NFL.com
Overall Team Grade = A-
Chad Reuter opined, “[McCarthy] did not throw 40 times per game in Michigan’s run-heavy offense, but he has plenty of arm, excellent mobility and accuracy throwing to either side of the field. He can surprise with his open-field speed, and his ability to win games at the high school and collegiate levels carries weight with NFL teams. While not a physical specimen, he is similarly built to C.J. Stroud and other quarterbacks recently drafted with top-10 picks.”
Minnesota signed Sam Darnold in March, so it is unclear if McCarthy will start right away this September or watch and learn indefinitely. Stay tuned.
USA Today
J.J. McCarthy Grade = B-
Dallas Turner Grade = B
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz elaborated on the Turner grade: “Turner figures to be an absolute wrecking ball off the edge, and Flores should have plenty of fun figuring out how to best deploy him on blitzes. Acquiring No. 23 from the Texans and then moving up again to land Turner is questionable management of draft capital, but the edge rush looked due for another piece after swapping in Jonathan Greenard for Danielle Hunter this offseason.”
The Vikings went from thin to deep at EDGE, which is good news when the team decides it’s a contender.
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.
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