Grading all 6 of the Vikings picks from the 2023 NFL Draft after year 1
By Nik Edlund
![Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2773,h_1559,x_148,y_42/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/63/01hm0nn1f0n71bxwjwqp.jpg)
Overall grade for the Vikings 2023 rookie class
The Vikings 2023 draft class looks much better than its 2022 counterpart.
Minnesota landed a star with their first choice of Jordan Addison. He and Justin Jefferson will (hopefully) form one of the more dynamic tandems in the NFL for many seasons to come.
His production was off the charts, and with another year in the system and steady play from the quarterback position, the sky is truly the limit in year two.
The Vikings also nailed their third-round pick, Mekhi Blackmon, who had a quiet but solid rookie year and he could be in line to start in 2024.
He was a solid tackler and never backed down in coverage. Blackmon never seemed intimidated by the big stage or who he was tasked to cover, and like Addison, he should only be better in year two.
The middle selections of this class are where doubt creeps in.
The jury is out on Jay Ward, though he did start to show some flashes late. Jaren Hall looks years away from competing to be even a backup, and Jaquelin Roy is hard to judge until he puts together a healthy season.
Seventh-round running back DeWayne McBride looks like a bust, but Minnesota made up for it by landing a couple of studs in Ivan Pace Jr. and Najee Thompson after the draft concluded.
Looking at it from top to bottom, the Vikings landed a star on offense, two studs on defense, and a stallion of a special teamer. There's still hope for Roy and Ward, and who knows what'll become of Hall.
Overall, it's a very solid class after year one.
Production Grade: A
Potential Grade: A
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