The Vikings were able to move out of their spot at 14 to pick No. 23, pick up two third-round picks, and still take an offensive lineman that many projected could have gone in the mid-teens.
Most NFL experts have been praising Vikings GM Rick Spielman for the move of trading back with the Jets and still landing offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw.
Danny Kelly over at The Ringer is one of those experts.
Kelly gave the Vikings an A+ grade for their pick.
Here’s a bit of what he wrote about the move:
This is exactly why I didn’t like the Jets’ decision to trade up earlier in the round. Even after moving back and picking up a pair of third-round picks, Minnesota gets incredible value in grabbing Darrisaw here. The Virginia Tech standout fills a big need, bringing pass-protecting chops and the athleticism to block well in the run game.
Drafting an offensive lineman is never a sexy move, but for the Vikings it was a necessary move.
The Vikings don’t have a second-round pick (yet), but they are now loaded with four third-round picks and three fourth-round picks, so there’s plenty of action to come.