[2024] Minnesota Vikings Draft Recap

[Bundy]

2024 Minnesota Vikings

DRAFT RECAP

 

Round 2 (35th overall) - OLB Rasheed Downs, Notre Dame

2021 Stats: 41 tackles, 3 ast. tackles, 4 TFL, 1 INT

2022 Stats: 7 tackles

2023 Stats: 11 tackles, 4 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 FR

Downs took heavy knocks by many teams due to losing playing time with Notre Dame circling through a coaching carousel the past few seasons, but when he was on the field in 2023, he was a playmaker. The Vikings have had a gaping hole at LOLB in their base 4-3 defense for their entire history, and as evidenced in the 2023 Draft, they will absolutely grab "BPA" if it's a top player at a specific position (DT, DE, SS in 2023). The Bills actually selected OLB Jourdan Connor in the first round this year, but he's not your traditional "OLB" and is more of a speedy LB/DB tweener, so when it came to the Vikings picking during Round 2, they loved being able to grab their top target of the draft. Downs will step in as the LOLB heading into minicamp and training camp, and will get to spend the bulk of his rookie contract paired with ROLB Jeffrey Kersting. 

 

Round 2 (44th overall) - RB Yogi Oladipo, Colorado

2022 Stats: 84 carries, 293 yards (3.49 avg), 5 TD; 6 rec/12 targets, 59 yards, 9.83 avg

2023 Stats: 307 carries, 1,559 yards (5.08 avg), 27 TD; 55 rec/66 targets, 569 rec yards, 10.35 yards/rec, 6 rec TD

2023 1st-Team All-Pac 12

Minnesota has drafted at least one running back in every draft (Cooper McGough in 2022, Aldrick Ynoa and Doug Brothers in 2023, and now Oladipo in 2024). Oladipo is their earliest drafted running back, but with the team shipping out Bruno Hanson to Dallas prior to 2023, and now McGough to Detroit ahead of 2024, it was clear they want a long-term option at the position. Aldrick Ynoa cracked 1,000 rushing yards last year, and will likely remain the #1 option heading into the camp portions of the offseason, but Minnesota decided to grab their guy in Oladipo to pair with Ynoa. Oladipo is very raw, with just one full-time season as a CFB starter, but in that lone season he displayed phenomenal talent. Oladipo will see opportunities early and often, and unlike in years past where the team's 2 RB options came in butting heads, Ynoa has already said he's "arms wide open" to the move. For Oladipo career wise, the sky is the limit.

 

Round 3 (79th overall) - WR Jordan Suter, Bowling Green

2022 Stats: 106 rec/169 targets, 1,216 yards, 11.47 yards/rec, 6 TD

2023 Stats: 70 rec/106 targets, 979 yards, 13.99 yards/rec, 6 TD

2022 2nd-Tm All-MAC

Minnesota swung and missed on two receivers during the 2023 Draft, with 4th Round WR Brock Scott failing to make an impact, and 5th Round WR Ty Mizzell making just 1 catch on 4 targets before being shipped to Tampa this offseason. The Vikings desperately want to add an option across from Alex Williams III, and traded for speedy Adrian Daniels last year, who occupied the slot role nicely. They also added Trenton Adam (a 2023 3rd Rounder by Detroit) this offseason, but they still were searching for someone who could be a true role player on the outside. Jordan Suter put up numbers with Dexter Reed at QB in 2022, and fell down a little bit in 2023 with the switch to a scrambling QB. The Bowling Green receiver was on the Vikings radar already at this time last year, with the Vikings scouting staff having heavily scouted Ohio, drafting his teammate OT Elijah Greene in R6 of 2023. Suter will compete for a WR4 role to start his rookie year, although Adam/Daniels will need to perform to keep the rookie on the bench.

 

Round 3 (88th overall - ILB Tyler Bradley, Ohio State

 

2021 Stats: 25 tackles, 3 ast. tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT

2022 Stats: 50.5 tackles, 9 TFL

2023 Stats: 72 tackles, 25 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT

Having just said the Vikings scouted Ohio deeply during 2023, we get another Ohio-based pick for Minnesota. The Vikings took Ohio State RB Doug Brothers in R6 of 2023, but scouting Brothers put the Vikings hot in the interests of Bradley. Bradley really exploded in 2023, becoming a versatile player in the style the Vikings seem to be searching for. In 2023, the Vikings drafted Kansas State ILB Ryan Hicks, who came in and started immediately. In 2024, they traded Hicks in part for Gordon Wilburn, a strong Field General vet who might not have many years remaining in his career. Bradley will come in to be Wilburn's understudy, but there's confidence from this front office that Bradley could replicate Hicks' 2023 season. 

 

Round 3 (93rd overall) - DT Jason Marte, Tennessee

 

2021 Stats: 46 tackles, 4 ast. tackles, 3 TFL

2022 Stats: 61 tackles, 19 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 2 FF

2023 Stats: 55 tackles, 15 TFL, 2.5 sacks

Well well well, what do you know, the Vikings and draft familiarity. Aldrick Ynoa was a Vikings 2023 pick out of Tennessee, and now Jason Marte is a Vikings 2024 pick out of Tennessee. Marte probably should have declared for the 2023 draft given his slight regression in stats during the 2023 season, but the Vikings gladly scoop him up. Marte won't have to start immediately, with veteran Neil Henry and 2023 1st Rounder Marcus Sirles ahead of him on the DC, but the team felt they were lacking depth at the position. The Vikings depend heavily on their DL to be tenacious in pass rushing, often only rushing the front 4 linemen, and Marte fits that mold well.

 

Round 4 (105th overall) - QB Dylan Gomes, Ohio State

 

2021 Stats: 155/322 (48.14%), 2,163 yards (6.71 yards/att), 8 TD, 12 INT

2022 Stats: 272/405 (67.16%), 3,027 yards (7.47 yards/att), 18 TD, 12 INT

2023 Stats: 266/411 (64.72%) 2,554 yards (6.21 yards/att), 10 TD, 9 INT

The "last" of the "familiarity" picks for the year. Minnesota has been searching for a true backup QB ever since their inception. Christian Sinnock is obviously entrenched as the starter, but the team has cycled through 2022 UDFA Austin Bishop, 2023 7th Rounder Derrick Marshall, and then this offseason signed Brandon Smith (a 2023 Jets 4th Rounder). Smith has already reportedly been struggling with the Vikings playbook, so the Vikings turned to uber-smart Gomes in the midrounds here. Some had projected Gomes as a late day one pick, but his lack of elite arm strength and some turnover issues as a sophomore and senior were big knocks. Fortunately for Gomes, he's falling into potentially the ideal situation, where the Vikings don't ask their QBs to make deep throws often, but rather safe, short-to-intermediate routes. 

 

Round 7 (218th overall) - CB Matt Viloria, Texas

 

2021 Stats: 29 tackles, 1 FF, 10 INT

2022 Stats: 26 tackles, 3 INT

2023 Stats: 23 tackles, 1 FF, 2 INT

2021 1st-Tm All-Big 12

Viloria had an ELITE 2021 season, and then Texas switched coaches, and he was buried under the new coaching schemes for a time. His 15 career INTs had the Vikings intrigued, as they desperately wish to force turnovers (see: Marcos Maldonado, Charles Kling) in order to start with the ball in good field position. Viloria doesn't have amazing coverage skills, but if he can work his way into a nickel or dime role in the near future, he could be another turnover threat in the Vikings lethal secondary.

 

Round 7 (237th overall) - DE Fish Vander Laan, TCU

2023 Stats: 56 tackles, 15 TFL, 9.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 INT

2023 Honorable Mention All-Big 12

Vander Laan was buried on the TCU depth chart for years behind TCU greats like Malcolm Kahnle or Meyers Wilson, on perhaps the deepest pass rushing roster in all of college football. In his lone season to play, he made certain impact in both rushing the passer and stopping the run. He won't have a guaranteed spot on the roster (see Eric Kieshnick from the 2023 Draft, who went to college at Minnesota and was cut from the team), but if he can continue to grow, could compete for a spot. 

[Bellwood]

Is this the GOAT draft class of all-time?