[2024] State of the Vikings, (perhaps Annual) Pre Draft Notations

[Bundy]

While the Vikings 2023 season was full of lows (starting 0-4), extreme highs (winning 7 straight) and then despair (dropping 6 more losses to finish 7-10 and out of the playoffs), it was certainly a year of youth, and a year of growth.

The Vikings started Christian Sinnock in all 17 games, with the then-25 year old tossing for 3,686 yards and 17 TD. Often regarded as one of the "stars of tomorrow", there was little distaste in Sinnock's performances, especially when compared to the rest of the younger QBs in the league. 

Aldrick Ynoa wasn't supposed to be the full time starter, and it was 2022 draftee Cooper McGough getting the reigns in Week 1 as the lead back following the offseason departure of Bruno Hansen to the Cowboys, and he rushed for 111 yards at a 5.29 pace in a loss to Chicago. But he was extremely stunted in a Week 2 loss in Seattle, and the Vikings handed the starting role over to rookie 3rd rounder Aldrick Ynoa, who ended up outpacing McGough by 0.20 yards per carry across the season, and finished with a promising 1,053 rushing yards (a Vikings single-season record) and added 412 receiving yards, finishing with 1,465 combined yards and 6 rushing TDs.

Alex Williams III transitioned into being the WR1 full time following a post-Week 3 trade of Paul Gurule to Pittsburgh, and he led the Vikings with 75 receptions for 958 yards and 8 TDs. 

Rookie Report

In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Vikings made an astonishing 18 selections. Let's see how the rookie class fared.

The Draftees 

Round 1, Pick #11 - DT Marcus Sirles, Alabama

Sirles stepped in as a day one starter next to Neil Henry, and the duo became a force on the defensive interior. Sirles finished with 55 tackles, 7.5 TFL, and 4.0 sacks.

Round 2, Pick #45 - DE Kyle Wilson, Oklahoma

The Vikings weren't expecting Wilson, pegged as the draft's top DE by many, to fall to them, especially after their #1 ranked DT Sirles had fallen to them at #11 amid a run on DTs. With a young roster needing help pretty much everywhere, they again went "BPA", landing another day one starter. Wilson finished with 63 tackles, 10 TFL, and 3.0 sacks. He shined at times, but once Paul Munford went down with injury for the year, he struggled being the team's top DE out of the gate.

Round 3, Pick #81 - RB Alrick Ynoa, Tennessee

There were (unconfirmed) rumors coming out of Vikings insider camp that the Vikings were considering trading up into late R1 to pick Ynoa, and instead they held steady, even trading a 2nd round pick away, and chose Ynoa in R3. We already talked about Ynoa's stats above, but he was instantly an electrifying asset that the Vikings managed to involve as often as they wanted to. 

Round 3, Pick #89 - SS Alfredo Nix-Jones, Pittsburgh

Nix-Jones didn't play much as a rookie - finishing with just 9 tackles - but he was another instance of "best draft prospect at his position falling to Minnesota." Nix-Jones doesn't have "Hall of Fame" pedigree by any means, but the Vikings expect him to compete for playing time as early as next season. 

Round 4, Pick #107 - TE Connor Pence, Oklahoma

The Vikings doubled up on Oklahoma prospects, but Pence was immediately written off as a draft vast overreach. Pence didn't see much game time early in the year, struggling to find his way behind a rotation of veteran Carl White and Browns' castoff Marquis Rudolph, but when he did get his chance late in the year, he put together a 76 yard performance in his starting debut against the Washington Commanders. 

Round 4, Pick #117 - WR Brock Scott, Virginia Tech

The Vikings lacked depth at WR, and made it a priority to strike on a few WRs in the draft and UDFA. Scott didn't see the field much as a rookie, buried behind Williams III, Gurule, and Pittsburgh-acquiree Adrian Daniels, but he posted 12 receptions on 21 targets for a solid 7.57 yards/target, which placed 2nd on the team behind only Gurule. Scott still will have to make strides this offseason if he wants to get more involved, but it seems he's got a roster spot all but locked up for 2024.

Round 4, Pick #118 - ILB Ryan Hicks, Kansas State

A team leading 88 tackles, 7 TFL, and an added INT, high lighted Hicks' season in Minnesota. Hicks' lone season in Minnesota will be memorable when it comes to pointing to rookie defenders getting opportunity with the Vikings. He vastly outplayed his draft spot, and if the Vikings hadn't landed a vet this offseason, would likely still be the starter in Minnesota for years to come.

Round 5, Pick #139 - OG Mike Wynn, Air Force

Wynn was beaten out for a roster spot by a (soon to be mentioned) UDFA, but has since landed on the Buffalo Bills roster.

Round 5, Pick #145 - WR Ty Mizzell, Texas

Minnesota finished their WR selectees with Mizzell, who they hoped would bring his big game talent to the NFL. He struggled to get in rhythm in the Vikings scheme, finishing with 1 reception on 4 targets, for 6 yards.

Round 5, Pick #160 - CB Darnell Hale, Northwestern

While the Vikings had turned to other CB options (Trayvon Johnson, trading for Charles Kling), Hale still saw work with the special teams unit all year, and even had minimal defensive work. He finished with 1 defensive tackle.

Round 6, Pick #162 - RB Doug Brothers, Ohio State

The Vikings loved Brothers in predraft processes, but with a very full RB stable, and well-known McGough and Ynoa ahead of him, it was hard to break through as a rookie. He finished with 2 carries for 8 yards, and 2 receptions for 6 yards, as primarily the RB3 all season.

Round 6, Pick #165 - OT Elijah Greene, Bowling Green

Even with the Vikings random assortment of linemen they've trotted out through the first two seasons, it's hard to crack the lineup as a late-round OL. Greene didn't play very much as a rookie on offense, but he's viewed as the team's #2 right tackle, and they continue to put importance on speaking highly of him.

Round 6, Pick #169 - DT Brent Lopez, Clemson

With Sirles and Neil Henry being a dominant duo all season, Lopez wasn't able to crack the defensive stat sheet, though he was the team's primary backup DT as a rookie.

Round 6, Pick #189 - C Cesar Barnes, Indiana

Barnes was cut from the team before they even sorted out who would be on the practice squad, but they had also acquired Quinterrius Parsons from Washington (Mathew Madden trade) and Dustin Woodson-Luster came to the team following the draft in a trade with Pittsburgh, so it was always going to be a near impossible battle to make the team. Barnes should still get a camp invite from someone post-2024 draft.

Round 7, Pick #194 - QB Derrick Marshall, Penn State

Marshall was on the Vikings for all 17 regular season games, often serving as Sinnock's primary backup, although around midseason the Vikings did elevate Austin Bishop and use him as the #2 for the remainder of the year. Marshall appears to be favored over Bishop heading into 2024, though that may be something camp and the preseason sort out.

Round 7, Pick #204 - DE Eric Kieschnick, Minnesota

A local hero given an opportunity to try to make the Twin Cities team, Kieschnick turned a solid 2022 season into a tryout with the Vikings. He was on the practice squad for the entirety of the year in a crowded DE room, but there's thought the Vikings (or someone else) could give him a camp invite for 2024, though Kieshnick has returned to his hometown of Miami. 

Round 7, Pick #214 - CB LaDarrius Lockett, Ohio State

Lockett spent much of the year on the Vikings practice squad, and is currently a free agent.

Round 7, Pick #217 - K Jordan Tripucka, Virginia Tech

Tripucka was the team's kicker for weeks 1 + 2, but struggled with accuracy (0/3 on early season FGs) and was removed of his FG and XP duties following the Week 2 Seattle game. Minnesota signed FA kicker Antonio Frank, who went on a tear, finishing with 20/23 FGs, and two of his misses came from 60+. Tripucka at times was even sent down to the practice squad, but after Frank's stellar season, a short contract dispute happened, and Tripucka was elevated back to the roster to close the season. In this stint, he went 4/5 on FGs, including two makes from 43 and a career long from 44, but is currently a free agent.

The Top UDFAs

Edge Rusher Ashaad Anderson, a "OLB" from Baylor, came to the Vikings and won the offseason's Mr. Mankato Award for outstanding rookie performance in the off/preseason. The Vikings utilized him at DE for a few weeks once Paul Munford had been hurt, and he finished with a sack against NFC contender Washington, as well as 9 total tackles on the year.

OG Jared Simon, a college teammate of 6th round OT Elijah Greene at Bowling Green, beat out Mike Wynn for a depth OG position, but only played special teams during the regular season. 

DT Paul Reed, a National Champion at Western Michigan, was the team's #4 DT, playing only special teams when the snaps mattered.

CB Brogan Teague, of Rutgers, ended up beating out Lockett for a roster spot, and beat out Hale in tackles, finishing with 2 on the year. Teague captured some of (2022 UDFA by way of Tulane) Austin Clark's special teams magic, and by the end of the year was considered the "captain" of the ST unit. 

DT Destiny Anderson was actually a UDFA by the Eagles, but was signed off the Eagles PS and was DT5 to Reed's DT4. 

WR Matt Aboushi was terrible and has been cut. No one should ever sign him as a "reclamation" project either, he was that bad (2 receptions on 12 targets, F potential).

The 2024 Offseason (Pre-Draft)

Now that we've said all that needs to be said about 2023, we can move on to the "new look" 2024 Vikings, who wasted no time getting busy in revamping their squad (again). The Vikings have never shied away from making trade splashes, and they hit 2024 running.

WR Dwaine Pitchford (who Moss'd [not sure what that means in this universe 👀] several Cowboys defenders out of nowhere in a 72 yard, 2 TD game before going back to being quiet) and CB Ralph Cornelius were sent to the Panthers.

A trade with the Jets moved the Vikings out of the 1st Round (for now? 👀) of the upcoming draft.

And trades with the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw the Vikings ship off a multitude of players: ILB Ryan Hicks, RB Cooper McGough, RB Tanner Lake, DE Trea Taumpenau, DE Matt Rivers, WR Ty Mizzell, CB Darnell Hale, 2022 Mr. Mankato Oswaldo Urrutia, TE Carl White, SS Juan Goldberg, and OT Esmil Bertolet.

In return, the Vikings received ILB GORDON WILBURN,  CB Adam Ijalana, WR Trenton Adam, SS Daniel Ortiz, OLB J.C. Curry, and DE Randy Mccarthy, along with draft compensation.

Free Agency

Additions

Minnesota has been no stranger to signing free agents - C Darren Williard, and more notably, QB Christian Sinnock, came to Minnesota in 2022's dispersal FA. So it came as no surprise when they were active in free agency this year with plenty of cap room to use.

Stats may include pre/postseason games as I didn't parse through their previous teams' respective stats for regular season only numbers

QB Brandon Smith - Jets

40/93, 528 yards, 1 TD, 6 INT

Smith was a 4th round pick (102nd overall) during the 2023 draft, by way of Kansas State. He struggled as a rookie, and was out of favor with the new Jets front office that took over midseason, giving his release to find a fresh new start for a FO wanting its own identity. Smith has signed a multi-year deal and is expected to be Christian Sinnock's primary backup heading into 2024, which could push out one or both of Derrick Marshall and Austin Bishop. Smith was actually the first free agent to come to terms with a team this offseason, believing that once again putting on a purple jersey like he did at Kansas State could recapture some of his pro potential.

RB Milton Evans - Chargers

255 carries, 592 yards, 2.32 avg, 7 TD

Evans also struggled from a dormant front office during the 2023 season, and the Chargers offensive line turned quite offensive by the end of the year. Evans has signed to be the primary handcuff RB to Ynoa heading into 2024.

WR Joseph Jones - Jets

71 receptions, 901 yards, 3 TD

If you don't look at targets, Jones actually put together a pretty decent year, as his numbers would rank 2nd on the Vikings for catches and yards. He's not "old" but should provide a veteran presence in a Vikings WR room that was looking to have Alex Williams III , Allen Bagley III, and Adrian Daniels (all from the 2022 draft class) as it's oldest WRs, and many are predicting he'll be the "Dwaine Pitchford" vet of the room this year. Don't be surprised if he sneaks into more lineups as the #2 slot WR behind Daniels.

TE Michael Vega - Cardinals

89 receptions, 1273 yards, 11 TD

Vega is considered by many to be a top 2 TE of all time (so far), and he's taking a risk leaving the Cardinals veteran team to sign a multiyear deal (that will make him rich) in Minnesota. The Vikings have been desperate for TE success ever since moving John Hendrickson to Tennessee early in 2022, cycling through Florida State legend D.J. Neverauskas, Carl White, Marquis Rudolph, and Connor Pence in the last year and a half. Sinnock actually targeted TEs 127 times in 2023, way up from his refusal to look at Neverauskas in 2022, so this could be a major fit in Minnesota. (It also has potential to be one of the first FA "busts", but considering he only needs to catch 38 passes to set a Vikings TE record, the bar is not high). 

OT Herman Knott - 49ers

9 pancakes, 3 sacks allowed

While the Niners committed big money to keep OG Joseph Bordewyk in the Bay Area, they ended up losing out to Minnesota (the other big Bordewyk player) on SF-teammate Knott in free agency. Knott was the first big $ investment in the Vikings OL this year, where they made plays to help Ynoa and the RBs improve their rush averages, while also buying time for Sinnock in the pocket. Mid-00s Dan Snyder is very jealous of @Bundys desire to spend on FAs this season. Even better for Minnesota, Knott is already one of the top OTs in the league, with room to grow and a timeline that should fit Minnesota's Sinnock/Williams III window. He also doesn't have to block for Russell "Kyle Wilson" Lattimer anymore, which should improve his confidence in the QB position.

OG Kyle Schneider - Falcons

2 pancakes, 4 sacks allowed

Schneider badly wanted to stay in Atlanta, but tested the open market, where he was persuaded to join the Vikings by a very Knott-y OT. He kept Atlanta close to his heart until the very end, where he couldn't pass up the chance to play in the Vikings new look offense, knowing who his 2024 QB would be. The Vikings made a midseason trade for Chris Regala last year, who ended up being cut once Schneider signed in order to save money, but they haven't had a true dominant OG in their offense to date. Schneider will likely be lining up at the LG position next to vet OT Charles Seay, but his key role will be opening up inside running lanes.

OG Mark Killough - Buccaneers

apparently doesn't have stats

Killough is still young and has solid potential, and the Vikings are paying him dearly for it. A big bidding war with the New York Jets (and more quiet offers from the Rams and Washington) resolved in Killough committing to a "life of ease" playing between Willard and Knott on the Vikings right side of the OL, but his introductory press conference showed a man craving success as a starter in Minnesota. "Once Kyle (Schneider) signed up here, I knew I had to come too, because that man is Atlanta to his core, and the fact he'd want to come up north to this place meant something special is brewing." Killough is known for his run blocking equally to his pass blocking prowess, and many expect him to be a strong "weak" point to the Vikings OL that is shaping up. 

DT Rigoberto Pascual - Steelers

15 tackles, 4 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 2 INT, TD

Pascual, like Schneider, wanted to stay with his Pittsburgh Steelers, but the cap situation for the AFC contender Steelers prevented a reunion sans discount. "The Vikings had three defensive linemen get interceptions last year" was Pascual's only sentence said at his signing. Signed as interior depth for Sirles and Henry, Pascual is no slouch, and is a major culture fit to a tight knit defensive unit. 

CB Barry Taylor - Eagles

53 tackles, FF, 9 PD, 3 INT

Taylor hasn't officially signed yet, but has agreed to terms with the Vikings and is taking care of a family reunion in Virginia before officially joining the Vikings. Taylor picked off the Rams' Philip Avila in a playoff game this past season, as well as FA QBs Jan Miles (NYG) and Cade Alves (NO), and was known for contributing to the Eagles' special teams unit. The Vikings look to get a little "youth" injected into their CB room with Maldonado and Charles Kling climbing up there in football age, and Taylor can provide spark. 

LOSSES

LB Peter Kiefer - unsigned

LB Monty Cook - unsigned

SS Christopher Chapman - unsigned

Summary

"We lost some great players this offseason," Vikings exec @Bundy said during the teams' final predraft media availability. "But that happens every season. You want to bring everyone back, you want to keep your group and add to it, but that's football. No two seasons are the same." The Vikings GM/Owner/Operator/Concessions Manager/Ticket Rep spoke highly of additions like WR Trenton Adam and CB Adam Ijalana. "They're both young players, good players, who we think can find success and carve out roles on our team - not just as depth, but as contributors."

The Vikings will next convene during the 2024 Draft, where they currently hold selections in Round 2 (#35 overall, #44), Round 3 (79, 88, 93), and Round 4 (105). We know how much the Vikings love to move around for the draft - trading 1st, 2nd, and 4th rounders in 2022 for the right to draft Alex Williams III, and moving around perhaps half a hundred times leading up to and during the 2023 draft - but many are expecting the Vikings to stand pat, making their 6 selections and adding to their team.