The Minnesota Vikings made some splashes in the 2024 NFL Draft with a pair of trade-ups to add players they hope will turn into franchise cornerstones for the foreseeable future.
Trading up twice in the first round alone is certainly a gamble, though one which Minnesota was willing to take to land players the franchise clearly regarded highly. Whether general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s moves ultimately pay dividends for the Vikings, however, remains to be seen.
Minnesota Vikings News Today
Minnesota Goes “All In” With 2024 Offseason Moves
The 2024 offseason was always going to be a big one for the Vikings with some key pieces of its aging core departing in quarterback Kirk Cousins and outside linebacker Danielle Hunter.
Minnesota went all in, addressing those two biggest positions of need this offseason, particularly with their moves in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Vikings first traded up from the 11th pick to No. 10 overall to select former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, then moved up again from No. 23 to No. 17 to select former Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner.
The Vikings made big commitments with those moves as they gave up substantial pick capital with each of their trade-ups and previously surrendered multiple picks in the deal to acquire the No. 23 overall pick from the Houston Texans.
Although there has been plenty of excitement around the moves, there is also some skepticism.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert posed the question Thursday as to whether Minnesota has succeeded in addressing its big offseason, particularly with the fact that the franchise burned a total of 10 draft choices between trades and the picks themselves to select McCarthy and Turner.
The Vikings are now scheduled to have the fewest top-100 picks of any NFL team between the 2023 and 2025 drafts with just four, though compensatory picks could certainly impact the count.
Suffice it to say that Minnesota has banked much of its near future on the shoulders of its promising young prospects.
Could Vikings Target Logan Thomas for TE Help?
Minnesota does still have some holes to fill this offseason, and one of those is at tight end.
T.J. Hockenson has seen plenty of production at the spot when healthy but is not expected to be ready for the start of the 2024 season after tearing his ACL in December. The Vikings have several other options on the depth chart in Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, and even recent undrafted free agent signing Trey Knox, but none have a track record of high-volume pass-catching in the NFL.
For those reasons, Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson recently tabbed Minnesota as perhaps the best landing spot for free agent tight end Logan Thomas.
Thomas is getting a bit up there in age at nearly 33 years old but has remained a productive pass-catching option in recent years with 300+ yards in three of his last four seasons. He caught 55 passes for 496 yards and four touchdowns with the Washington Commanders in 2023.
Adding Thomas to the fold could give the Vikings a dependable target early in the year for McCarthy or free agent signee Sam Darnold, depending on who is the starting QB to open the year.
CONTINUE READING: Best Fits for Top Remaining Free Agents After NFL Draft
Vikings’ 2024 NFL Schedule Release Date Approaching
Minnesota is among the 32 NFL teams that look poised to soon have their schedules released for the 2024 season. The NFL recently teased that the schedules will be released in May but did not give an exact date. The release dates over the last two years have been May 12, 2022, and May 11, 2023.
The Vikings’ home and away opponents have already been announced, however.
In addition to their NFC North rivals, they will face the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers at home. Minnesota’s away games include their NFC North foes alongside the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, and Seattle Seahawks.
Those trio of divisional opponents could certainly give the Vikings some trouble given their roster retooling, while home games against the Texans and 49ers also look to be among the season’s toughest tests.
READ MORE: Minnesota Vikings’ 2024 Opponents