Vikings NFL draft grades: 1st-round picks McCarthy, Turner and how they fit into an encouraging offseason
EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings did what they had to do Thursday night at the NFL draft: take a swing at a quarterback they liked.
More fulfilling than solely completing their goal, the Vikings did not send a massive package to move up and accomplish it.
Minnesota traded picks 11, 129, and 157 to the New York Jets for picks 10 and 203 to select Michigan's J.J. McCarthy.
A small price, especially when you factor in that weeks ago, the Vikings acquired pick 23 to give them a better chance of moving up. Instead, they used that pick's currency to get one of the top defenders in the draft, Dallas Turner.
Turner has immense upside for the Vikings, and more on him soon.
But back to the quarterback: the Vikings aced their hand given what transpired ahead of them. The team grabbed a thrower they had liked for months and did not trade substantial assets to make it happen.
"I do think we set some goals in mind," general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said after the draft. "We've accomplished a lot of them. You know, you're never perfect, you're never clean. But if you told me, you know, a few months ago, when it started that we ended up here, I think I'd be excited."
It was a franchise-altering night, one way or another.
We don't know where McCarthy ranked on the Vikings board. But in the end, that doesn't matter when we're grading things — grades are finicky because teams are at the mercy of those picking ahead of them.
What is attainable is what is important to analyze; teams can only do so much to adhere to their board.
What's an A+? When you take the best guy on your board available? When you trade the farm for your favorite player? When you trade back and get a guy you "wanted all along?"
Although the Vikings may have attempted to move up to pick three to select Drake Maye, Adofo-Mensah likely could not have offered enough because the New England Patriots were not going to trade the pick.
Whatever your measuring system is, the Vikings succeeded. It's simple: they minimized their risk and got a quarterback head coach Kevin O'Connell believes can prosper. One who throws the ball on the run, plays calmly under pressure, and wins a lot of football games.
What's not to like?
The draft made the team's impressive offseason come full circle. Their goal is to turn the franchise into one regularly in the hunt for a championship.
Not guaranteeing Kirk Cousins $100 million as a thank-you for one playoff win in six years put the wheels in motion.
Letting the talented but soon-to-be 30-year-old Danielle Hunter walk in free agency followed.
The Vikings hoped to fill both of their shoes Thursday night, instead of guaranteeing a combined $148 million to keep the veterans. These decisions were both correct, given the Vikings are not in a championship window this year, regardless of who would have been under center.
As an unprecedented run of offensive players continued to transpire, the Vikings moved up from 23 to 17 and took Turner.
"Listen, Dallas Turner is a guy who, quite frankly, we didn't expect to be there in that range," O'Connell said after the draft.
Turner became the team's most important defensive addition this offseason, an edge rusher who could be the most explosive in the draft. And don't forget new addition Jonathan Greenard had 12.5 sacks last year, tied for 10th in the league.
It's safe to say it was a successful night.
For a team that now looks around their division and sees four legitimate teams in the NFC North for the first time in what feels like a millennium, the Vikings had to get younger. They had to make sure the strong offseason continued on draft night with a quarterback they believe can become great.
The team accomplished their biggest off-the-field goal in years.
In a post-draft interview with the Vikings, McCarthy said the "JJ to JJ" connection with wide receiver Justin Jefferson sounds "fantastic" to him.
Now, there's only one thing left to do in an offseason full of crucial decisions: make sure the JJ connection is here for a long time and sign the wide receiver to a contract extension.
What did CBS Sports grade the Vikings' picks?
Analyst Pete Prisco gave the Vikings a C+ for their McCarthy pick. He is not as high on the quarterback as others — but understands the Vikings desperately needed a quarterback.
On the other hand, Prisco gave the Vikings an A for the Turner pick, saying in part that Turner will be the "best rusher of the draft class."
