The Minnesota Vikings 2023 NFL Draft class is complete. Now, it's time to give a grade for every choice the team made.
The Minnesota Vikings 2023 NFL Draft is complete. They ended up staying pat at pick No. 23 to take former USC wide receiver Jordan Addison, but after that, they moved up and down the board to acquire extra capital and to score prospects they had high grades on.
A common practice that many analysts partake in after an NFL Draft is to hand out grades. It doesn't always make the most sense to immediately grade a pick as we don't know how or if these players will acclimate to the pros.
Some players catch on very quickly and make immediate impacts. For others, it can take a season or two, and some just never figure it out.
While the future is incredibly hard to predict, we can at least evaluate where the players were taken, who was also available at the time, and if the team addressed a particular need with that choice.
Let's go ahead and give a grade for every selection the Vikings made in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Minnesota Vikings First-Round Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft
Jordan Addison - WR, USC (Pick No. 23)
The Vikings decided to go offense with their first choice in the 2023 NFL Draft. They opted to improve a strength instead of addressing their biggest weakness, which was their defense.
It made a ton of sense to go wide receiver though, as teams continuously doubled and even tripled team Justin Jefferson to attempt to take him out of a game last season.
That won't happen with Jordan Addison on board. In the war room video shown after the draft, Kevin O'Connell was clearly excited about the young Trojan receiver, as he repeatedly called him a Day 1 starter.
That is exactly what Addison will be. He's already an accomplished route runner who is quick in and out of his breaks. He can also pick up yardage after the catch and has a knack for slipping through tackles.
He was extremely productive at both Pittsburgh and USC and will finally give the Vikings that dangerous compliment to Jefferson that they've been lacking.
Assuming Addison doesn't get injured in the preseason, he should have an instant impact on Minnesota's offense and be a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
GRADE: A
Minnesota Vikings Third-Round Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft
Mekhi Blackmon - CB, USC (Pick No. 102)
The Vikings addressed one of their biggest needs in the 2023 NFL Draft when they selected Mekhi Blackmon with the last pick of the third round. They traded back with the San Francisco 49ers and were still able to land this physical corner, who should be a great fit in Minnesota's new defense led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Blackmon's an aggressive corner who gets which in the face of receivers. He uses his hands well to find and swat away passes and broke up 12 in his lone season at USC. He also has shown some good ball skills, intercepting five passes in his college career.
Blackmon isn't afraid to come up and lay a hit and will be a huge asset in run support. He may not be the largest corner at 5-foot-11 and 178 pounds, but he plays much bigger and makes his presence known.
As stated earlier, Blackmon gets up in the face of the man he's covering. The problem is that he does that with his hands, and he gets too grabby at times. He drew a lot of yellow hankies in college, and he will need to polish up his technique so he doesn't become a liability at the NFL level.
Earlier in the draft season, Blackmon was seen as a late-round prospect. As the draft approached, his stock began to rise, and seeing him go at the end of round three felt like solid value. He'll always be compared to the corners who came off the board right after him, but he could end up being the best of the bunch.
GRADE: B+
Minnesota Vikings Fourth-Round Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft
Jay Ward - DB, LSU (Pick No. 134)
The Vikings traded down again in the fourth round and ended up taking versatile LSU defensive back Jay Ward. Ward played both safety and cornerback in college, but he is viewed by many as a nickel corner in the NFL.
Ward was a respected leader at LSU and was the head of the defense. He's a physical player who will come up and lay out a ball carrier. He is extremely quick to diagnose a play and then he doesn't hesitate to attack.
Ward has also got some ball skills with six career interceptions. He's a proven special teams standout with a couple of blocked kicks on his resume too.
Ward does need to add some weight to his frame, as 188 pounds is a little on the slight side for a 6-foot-1 defensive back. He also drew a lot of penalties at LSU in 2022 and he will need to hone some of his techniques.
That being said, he could end up being a rookie who plays more than expected, and he should bring some nastiness to Minnesota's secondary.
The fourth round was basically where every analyst had Ward pegged to come off the board. The fact that the Vikings were able to trade down, acquire capital, and still get him is an added bonus.
GRADE: B
Minnesota Vikings Fifth-Round Pick No. 1 in the 2023 NFL Draft
Jaquelin Roy - DT, LSU (Pick No. 141)
The Vikings traded back up in the fifth round and finally addressed their defensive line by taking big Jaquelin Roy out of LSU.
During his tenure in the SEC, Roy showed the ability to penetrate and get into the opponent's backfields, using his quick burst off the ball.
He racked up 13.5 tackles for a loss at LSU with four sacks. He's big enough to line up at nose tackle and eat up space, but he also has the quickness to move outside to end.
Roy only started one season, but he still appeared in over 30 collegiate games. He's got a great motor, he is a player that has improved every single season, and he's someone who many believe has his best football ahead of him.
Roy fell to the fifth round after a poor Scouting Combine workout and he followed it up with another lackluster performance at his Pro Day. He's got plenty of skills to be excited about, and his frame is one that could still support more weight if the team decides to turn him exclusively into a nose tackle.
It was a relief to see Minnesota improve their defensive front line and the fact they gave up a pick to move up and get Roy shows how highly they think of him.
GRADE: A-
Minnesota Vikings Fifth-Round Pick No. 2 in the 2023 NFL Draft
Jaren Hall - QB, BYU (Pick No. 164)
It was widely assumed that at some point in the 2023 NFL Draft the Vikings would take a quarterback. Kirk Cousins wasn't extended beyond this upcoming season, and Minnesota needed to at least think about finding his heir apparent.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is a former quarterback and offensive guru and he has definitely been itching to get a guy that he can begin to groom and teach the nuances of the position to.
Minnesota got their quarterback in round five when they selected former BYU passer Jaren Hall. Hall is an intriguing quarterback who many have called a poor man's Russell Wilson. He can make plays with his legs, and while he doesn't have a rocket for an arm, he can make all the throws, and he places the ball where it needs to be.
Hall was very productive in his years at BYU, throwing for 6,174 yards and 52 touchdowns in two seasons as the starter. He also ran for 800 yards with nine scores and was a team leader and captain.
Hall was always considered to be a Day 3 prospect and that was cemented after a sub-par performance at the Senior Bowl, where he looked indecisive and a bit over his head.
Hall is a project, and that's fine, but what will negatively impact this grade is who the Vikings could have had instead.
Players who could have made an impact in 2023 were there to be had in linebackers like Henry To'oTo'o and Owen Pappoe, as well as defensive linemen like Karl Brooks and Moro Ojomo.
GRADE: C+
Minnesota Vikings Seventh-Round Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft
DeWayne McBride - RB, UAB (Pick No. 222)
The Vikings acquired a seventh-round pick from the trade with the 49ers they made earlier in the draft, and with it, they decided to add to an already crowded running back room by taking UAB's DeWayne McBride.
Like a lot of their draft picks, McBride had a Top 30 visit with the team, and apparently, he made a good impression as Minnesota took him instead of taking an edge rusher, linebacker, or doubling up on a bigger area of need like wide receiver or defensive line.
There's plenty to like about McBride's game. The first thing that sticks out is his production. McBride ran for 1,713 yards and 19 touchdowns last season alone.
He averaged 7.4 yards a carry and he loves feasting between the tackles, utilizing his outstanding vision to find holes. He isn't a burner, but he runs with violence, toughness, and patience.
The only real knocks on him are that he does have some ball security issues and he was never used much in the passing game.
McBride seems to be considered a steal by just about every draft analyst who has handed out grades for the 2023 class. While the value appears to be huge, it's hard to give this pick too high of a mark until Dalvin Cook is traded or cut and the log jam at the position gets a little thinned out.
GRADE: B