The 2024 NFL Draft is in the books. The Minnesota Vikings selected seven players and added 17 more as undrafted free agents. It's an exciting time for fans and the team, but it also is a concerning one for some current members of the Vikings roster.
The addition of new faces at a handful of positions increases the competition. Some players who barely made the team a season ago will have to step up their game this preseason, or it could be their final one with Minnesota.
Some positions have a little more competition than others. This will be good for the team in the long run, but it also means that some faces that have been here awhile could be moving on to a new home come late August. Here are four members of the Vikings who are now on the hot seat after the 2024 NFL Draft.
Minnesota Vikings players on the hot seat after the 2024 NFL Draft
Jaren Hall - QB
There's no doubt there's an odd man out when it comes to the quarterback position. Sam Darnold is here as the bridge option, J.J. McCarthy is here as the future, and then there's Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall, who are here because they were last year. The Vikings are unlikely to keep all four, and the question is, who will be let go?
Hall is going to be who we will go with here. He's a young quarterback who flopped in his second start on a national stage. While that is a forgivable sin, will Minnesota still feel committed to investing time in his development now that they have McCarthy on the roster? Wouldn't it be wiser to fully commit all the coaching resources to who is going to be the future, instead of someone who, at best, could be a career backup in the league?
Hall would have to show major improvement in the preseason to beat out Mullens. With the addition of McCarthy on the roster, Hall must know his seat isn't just warm but fully engulfed in flames. Perhaps the team would keep him on the practice squad, but his days in purple could be numbered.
Andre Carter II - EDGE
The Vikings were ecstatic to land Andre Carter II as an undrafted free agent a season ago. He had freakish size and ability but was raw and needed to add some weight to his frame. He was kept primarily on the active roster because Minnesota assumed he'd be snapped up if they tried to get him on the practice squad.
He did end up seeing some action in 2023, but he made little impact. A season ago, the depth chart at edge rusher was quite thin, but after the 2024 draft things got a lot more crowded. With the added talent, Carter is going to have to show something to have a second year with the Vikings.
He already had to compete with Jihad Ward, who was added in free agency, but now he'll need to contend with first-round pick Dallas Turner and intriguing undrafted prospects like Gabriel Murphy, Owen Porter, and Bo Richter. Carter will always be a tantalizing project with that 6-foot-6 frame, but if some of these other players are the ones making plays in camp and the preseason, they are the ones who should end up on the roster or the practice squad.
Andrew Booth Jr. - CB
Andrew Booth Jr. was barely hanging on to his roster spot no matter what the Vikings did in the 2024 draft, but the selection of Khyree Jackson made his situation even more dire. Booth finally saw consistent action late in the 2023 season when injuries struck players like Byron Murphy and Mekhi Blackmon. He played well enough in those games, but it might be a case of too little too late.
At pick No. 108 in the fourth round, the Vikings likely drafted the man who will be his replacement. Jackson is an impressive specimen, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 194 pounds. He's got great ball skills, is sticky in coverage, and isn't afraid to come up and lay a hit. He's the total package, and surprisingly, he made it to the fourth round.
He should already be ahead of Booth on the depth chart, and he's also likely ahead of Akayleb Evans. The only saving grace for Booth is if Jackson gets moved to safety which was rumored after he was selected. Otherwise, Booth's seat will be ready to ignite, as the addition of Jackson in the draft and Shaq Griffin in free agency could spell the end of his tenure with Minnesota.
John Parker Romo - K
It wasn't a shock to see the Vikings move on from Greg Joseph in free agency, but it was a shock to see them replace him with a kicker who had never attempted an NFL kick. John Parker Romo had been on a few teams' practice squads and had a tryout or two but he has never lined up for a kick in the league when it mattered. There were plenty of veteran kickers on the market but Minnesota opted to go for the unproven and untested option.
Some speculated that the Vikings were fine rolling with Romo and may only look to replace him if he struggled in camp. After the draft, the team made it clear there would be competition from day one when they drafted Alabama kicker Will Reichard.
Reichard has a booming leg and holds the NCAA record for points. He was nearly perfect on 297 extra point attempts, missing just two in his collegiate career. His career field goal percentage was 84.0, and that number is skewed from a rough and brief stint as a freshman.
Romo has a shot to unseat the rookie, but his seat is smoking hot. The team is likely going to give the guy they used a draft choice on the advantage to win the job. Romo will have to be damn near perfect to unseat him, and in return, Reichard will have to completely tank it this preseason.