A look at the Vikings’ 2024 NFL Draft picks is a bit confusing

Over the past few months, the Minnesota Vikings have made a lot of moves that have affected their outlook for the 2024 NFL Draft. Yes, it might be a bit early to look that far ahead, but there are a few things that Vikings fans will need to keep an eye on during the upcoming season regarding the next annual selection meeting. Let’s break things down here to alleviate some of the confusion.

Rounds 1 & 2

As things stand right now, the Vikings’ first two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft are their own. They have their first-round pick (tentatively #32 overall) and their second-round pick (tentatively #64 overall).

Yeah, those are the right numbers. After all, this is the time of year for optimism, right?

Round 3

The Vikings’ third-round pick will be heading to their division rivals, the Detroit Lions, to help close out the T.J. Hockenson trade.

Round 4

As the other part of helping to close out the Hockenson deal, the Lions will be sending their fourth-round pick to the Vikings. This was a conditional pick. . .had the Vikings won a playoff game this past season, this would have been a fifth-round pick. But they didn’t, so it’s a fourth.

The Vikings could also, potentially, have to send the Philadelphia Eagles a fourth-round pick if wide receiver Jalen Reagor has 40 receptions or 500 receiving yards or five touchdowns this coming season. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a feeling that this isn’t happening.

Round 5

Here’s where things get a bit convoluted.

If Reagor doesn’t meet the numbers laid out above, the Vikings will end up sending the Eagles their fifth-round pick to complete that trade. I mean, it would be cool, I guess, if Reagor put up those sorts of numbers, but there’s just about no chance of that happening.

The Vikings will also receive a fifth-round pick from the Cleveland Browns as a part of the Za’Darius Smith trade. At this point, the Browns have two fifth-round picks: theirs and a pick they received from the Carolina Panthers in the Baker Mayfield trade before Mayfield flamed out in Carolina. It isn’t clear which of the two picks Minnesota will end up with at this time.

The Vikings also received a fifth-round pick in the 2024 Draft as a result of a Draft Weekend trade they made with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Round 6

The Vikings’ sixth-round pick remains untouched as things stand right now. It’s still their pick.

Round 7

The Vikings will send their seventh-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Las Vegas Raiders, as the conditions surrounding the trade for quarterback Nick Mullens were satisfied when he was active for at least one game in 2023 2022.

With that, here’s what the Vikings’ list of 2024 NFL Draft picks looks like right now:

• Round 1 pick
• Round 2 pick
• Round 3 pick (sent to Detroit Lions in T.J. Hockenson trade)
• Round 4 pick (acquired from Detroit Lions in T.J. Hockenson trade)
• Round 4 pick
• Round 5 pick (acquired from Cleveland Browns in Za’Darius Smith trade)
• Round 5 pick (acquired from Kansas City Chiefs in Draft Weekend trade)
• Round 5 pick (sent to Philadelphia Eagles in Jalen Reagor trade, could become a fourth)
• Round 6 pick
• Round 7 pick (sent to Las Vegas Raiders in Nick Mullens trade)

So, after all that, the Vikings are still sitting with a full complement of seven picks: A first, a second, two fourths, two fifths, and a sixth. Depending on Jalen Reagor’s production this year, it could be a fourth and three fifths instead but, again, there’s good reason to be skeptical that such a thing is going to happen.

Hopefully this will clarify the Vikings’ draft pick situation going forward as it pertains to the 2024 NFL Draft.