Two Old Bloggers : The Vikings Draft in 2023

On this episode of Two Old Bloggers - The Minnesota Vikings had a draft that was deemed uneventful by some, lacking that big, bold move to trade up for a quarterback of the future, or to acquire extra draft picks by trading back. However, the team still managed to add promising players that could help the Vikings in the upcoming season.

One of the notable picks made by the Vikings was Jordan Addison, who was projected to be a potential #1 wide receiver in his class. It’s expected that Addison will be a starter and an impact player as a rookie, which is exactly what any team would want from their draft picks.

The Vikings also addressed their cornerback position, taking two players who have played the slot in Blackmon and Ward. Ward has played slot, corner, and safety at LSU and is a great leader and special teams player with the versatility that coach Brian Flores likes from defenders.

Jaren Hall, a developmental QB, was also added to the team. Hall can sit in 2023 and the team can assess his potential.

In addition to the draft, the Vikings also signed 15 undrafted rookie free agents, including Ivan Pace Jr. and Andre Carter II. Pace Jr. was not drafted because of his height, but his college production, which included 136 tackles, 20.5 for a loss, and nine sacks, cannot be disputed. Carter II, an Army edge rusher, had 14.5 sacks as a junior but fell off with only 3.5 as a senior.

Looking back at the 2020 draft class, the Vikings had a very good draft, with Justin Jefferson being the standout player. Jefferson is a top-three player at his position, which is a big win for the team. Additionally, Ezra Cleveland, K.J. Osborn, D.J. Wonnum, James Lynch, Blake Brandel, Josh Metellus, and Troy Dye are all contributing to the team going into year four.

While not as impactful as the 2015 draft, where the team acquired three key players, the 2020 draft class still shows the value of having as many lottery picks in the draft as possible.

Overall, despite the lack of a big, bold move, the Vikings added players that can help the team in various positions, and the undrafted free agents they signed may surprise many. The team’s previous draft class has also shown that they can find contributors beyond the first round, which bodes well for the future of the team.

The themes of this episode:

• The Vikings draft that was
• The undrafted dudes the Vikings have signed
• Looking back - the 2020 Vikings draft class

Darren Campbell and David Stefano are the Two Old Bloggers. Both started public commentary on the Vikings two decades ago on various blogs. They now do it via live streams on YouTube and Facebook and podcasts on your favorite aggregator. We appreciate your team fandom and that you are taking the time to enjoy it with us.

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