The 2024 NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror. After a flurry of selections from April 25 to April 27, 257 players were selected to join the NFL.
With that, we give you our full recap of the Minnesota Vikings‘ draft, with analysis on every selection the team made during the weekend and an in-depth look at their top pick.
For more information on the players your favorite team drafted, it’s not too late to get the 2024 NFL Draft Guide, which includes expanded scouting reports, draft grades, offseason reports, unique advanced data, PFF grades and much more.
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2024 Draft Picks
- 1 (10): QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
- 1 (17): EDGE Dallas Turner, Alabama
- 4 (108): CB Khyree Jackson, Oregon
- 6 (177): T Walter Rouse, Oklahoma
- 6 (203): K Will Reichard, Alabama
- 7 (230): C Michael Jurgens, Wake Forest
- 7 (232): DI Levi Drake Rodriguez, Texas A&M–Commerce
McCarthy — With Michael Penix Jr. being drafted before McCarthy, Minnesota had to move up only one selection to get their quarterback competition for Sam Darnold. McCarthy has traits to work with and was excellent when Michigan needed him to make a play in third-and-long situations, but he wasn’t asked to carry the offense much at the college level. He does land in one of the league’s better situations for a rookie quarterback, as Minnesota has a solid offensive line and a talented receiving corps.
Turner — The Vikings draft an explosive pass rusher in Turner, adding him to a unit that includes free-agent acquisitions Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. Turner is an incredible athlete who is capable of rushing the passer from a two-point stance and dropping into coverage. He ranked among the top three edges in the SEC in pass-rush grade, pressures and coverage grade in 2023.
Jackson — Jackson played 320 coverage snaps last season but allowed just one touchdown. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound cornerback allowed a passer rating of just 41.6 on throws into his coverage in 2023, the second-best mark among all Pac-12 players at the position.
Rouse — Minnesota adds depth to its offensive line with Walter Rouse. He led all FBS tackles in pass-blocking efficiency in 2023 (99.3), allowing zero sacks and just six pressures across 481 pass-blocking snaps.
Reichard — The first kicker comes off the board. Reichard ranked fourth among college football kickers with a 94.9 field goal/extra point grade over the past three season, connecting on 10 of 13 tries over 50 yards for his career.
Jurgens — Jurgens earned an impressive 93.1 run-block grade on 143 outside-zone runs in 2023. In pass protection, he allowed just 10 total pressures last season, two ending in sacks.
Rodriguez — Rodriguez did exactly what you’d expect from a player of his caliber at Texas A&M-Commerce. He recorded an impressive 16.4% pass-rush win rate and 24 pressures on 249 pass-rush snaps. His 91.0 PFF pass-rushing grade ranked first among FCS interior defenders in 2023.
DRAFT GRADE: B+
Rookie Spotlight: QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
Scouting summary
McCarthy comes from a pro-style offense. As a first-time starter in 2022, he struggled to get off his primary read, fell for sim pressures and didn't have good instincts when pressured. In 2023, all of that improved, though that improvement needs to continue.
His arm talent is good, both for velocity and natural accuracy. However, he does need to continue to get stronger to get his arm talent to an NFL level. His throwing motion is clean and efficient from his footwork to his follow-through.
You won't build a rushing attack around his mobility, but he is a good athlete who is a threat on RPOs and scramble plays.
Wins above average
WAA represents the number of wins a player is worth over an average college football player and is a metric that evaluators can utilize to assess performance. It combines how well a player performed in each facet of play (using PFF grades) and how valuable each facet is to winning football games. The result is a first-of-its-kind metric that allows for cross-positional valuation and predicts future value at the player and team levels.
How McCarthy ranks in the stable metrics
McCarthy wasn’t asked to do a ton for Michigan, but he played on time and managed to push the ball past the sticks. The Michigan quarterback was also surgical on play-action dropbacks over the last two seasons, with his 92.3 passing grade on those plays good for fourth among qualifying FBS quarterbacks.
The bottom line
McCarthy is not a finished product, but he is a growing quarterback with experience in a pro-style offense and good tools (physical and mental) to be a starting QB in the NFL.
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