After the Minnesota Vikings had no picks on Day 2 of the draft following their seismic Day 1 decisions, they began Day 3 of the NFL draft by addressing one of their biggest needs: cornerback. With the 108th pick, the Purple selected Khyree Jackson, a tall, lanky press corner out of Oregon. Jackson was the No. 1 junior college prospect in 2019 and transferred to Alabama in 2021 before eventually landing with the Ducks in 2023. Here’s a quick look at some of Jackson’s highlights. Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com noted: The Vikings addressed the cornerback position after focusing on their front seven ..read more

The Minnesota Vikings’ first night of the NFL Draft was successful. They found their quarterback of the future in J.J. McCarthy and followed that up by drafting Dallas Turner, a dominant edge rusher. Draft analysts praised Minnesota’s work and gave them several As in their draft grades. But as the sun rose, fans were left with a different question. What now? The most important question of the 2024 draft has been answered, but the Vikings will go to work on Day 3. With five picks, including four in the final two rounds, the Vikings will be active in the final hours of a three-day extravaganza ..read more

After months (years, even) of speculation, the Minnesota Vikings actually pulled it off. They traded up in the first round of the NFL Draft for a premier pass rusher in Dallas Turner. They also found a way to move up to 10th overall and select J.J. McCarthy as their franchise quarterback. For much of the draft process, the consensus forecasted that selecting McCarthy would require a trade-up that would force the Vikings to part with (at least) their 11th- and 23rd-overall picks. But Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the powers that be inside TCO Performance Center correctly called the New York Giants’ bl ..read more

Thursday night will go down as one of the biggest turning points in the history of the Minnesota Vikings. After cutting the umbilical cord following six years with Kirk Cousins, the Vikings needed a new quarterback, and there were several options on the table. The anticipation was killing us. The build dragged on. But, after a year away, we found one hell of a time to return with the NFL Draft chronicles. 6:45 p.m. — I am preparing for tonight’s festivities by ordering an unhealthy amount of Buffalo Wild Wings. Unfortunately, everyone else in the town of Brookings has also decided to get ..read more

Two weeks before the draft, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said he accounted for irrational actions in his preparations. “You have to you have to build in some rationale,” he reasoned, “just because [of] the position and the need.” And while he couldn’t move up for Drake Maye at No. 3, he landed J.J. McCarthy at 10 without giving up significant draft capital. “We’re really excited about what we were able to do tonight,” Adofo-Mensah said after the draft. “Obviously, there was a lot of things outside of our control, so we wanted to make sure that we were ready for every scenario.” He likely called the New ..read more

Months of waiting, discussing, and mocking came to an end on Thursday night as the Minnesota Vikings took their quarterback of the future in J.J. McCarthy. It was a wild first 10 pick. Despite the team’s attempts to move up for Drake Maye, the New England Patriots took the North Carolina youngster and the Vikings were forced to sit and wait. When The Atlanta Falcons surprised everyone by taking Michael Penix Jr., the Purple’s hand was forced. A quick trade later and Minnesota made MCCarthy the fifth quarterback taken through 10 picks. McCarthy, a winner at every level, will now have the chance ..read more

The day is finally here. After much anticipation, falling in and out of love with prospects, and scouring every mock draft on the internet for “the one,” it’s draft day. This draft will likely signal the start of a new era for the Minnesota Vikings, with most pundits expecting them to move up in pursuit of their quarterback of the future. Rather than add yet one more mock draft onto the pile, we’ve combed through endless predictions to bring you a comprehensive guide to what all the experts expect to happen at the 11th hour. Here is who every mock draft has the Vikings selecting. Field Yates E ..read more

When someone calls themselves a “quarterback killer” within the confines of a church, you’d think it would be from behind a confessional. But a week before the draft, Kevin O’Connell gave himself that moniker at the altar of St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church in Plymouth while giving a talk called “Faith & Leadership: Coaching in the NFL.” At the end of the session, he took questions from the crowd, and one attendee asked about Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy. O’Connell responded to the person’s question without blinking. For a couple years, I’ve been kind of known as the quarterback kill ..read more

The Minnesota Vikings will make a decision that will shape their franchise on Thursday night. Minnesota is expected to trade up for a quarterback. Therefore, the choice will have a major effect, whether it fuels a dynastic run for the next decade or adds another name to the Christian Ponder list. Nobody can deny that this year’s draft will have significant implications for the franchise, but there’s one question that Vikings fans could debate. Is this the biggest draft in the Minnesota Vikings history? There are a few ways to find out. In the case of short-term magnitude, it’s hard to argue ot ..read more

In an alternate universe, the Minnesota Vikings aren’t entering the week of the 2024 NFL Draft with a heightened urgency behind the most important position in sports. Instead of putting all of their proverbial chips in the trade up for a quarterback bucket come Thursday night, the Vikings could’ve had their succession plan for Kirk Cousins already on the roster. Former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis was connected to the Vikings throughout the draft process last season. KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reported in March 2023 that Kevin O’Connell was a fan of Levis. #Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell is a ..read more