The Minnesota Vikings do not have much draft capital to work with in the 2023 NFL Draft. According to the Draft Power Rankings on Tankathon, only the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins have less overall capital.
It was always going to be difficult for Minnesota to repeat their unsustainable performance from a season ago. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has done a nice job retooling the defense from the pieces they’ve lost, but Adam Thielen’s departure creates a massive hole at receiver.
Want to see how the Vikings graded out during the 2023 NFL Draft? Then come check out our full Minnesota Vikings draft grades. You can also see the entire 2023 NFL Draft results.
Minnesota Vikings Draft Picks Tracker by Round in 2023
- Round 1 | Pick 23
Jordan Addison, WR, USC - Round 3 | Pick 102 (from SF)
Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC - Round 4 | Pick 134 (from KC)
Jay Ward, CB, LSU - Round 5, Pick 141 (from IND)
Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU - Round 5, Pick 164 (from SF)
Jaren Hall, QB, BYU - Round 7, Pick 222 (from SF via DEN)
DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB
*compensatory selection
How Many Draft Picks Did the Vikings Have Entering the 2023 NFL Draft?
Unless they make a couple of trades down, the Vikings won’t be doing as much as most other teams on draft day. Minnesota only possesses five picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. In actuality, they have a mere three draft picks of their own. Their two additional picks came from their trade for T.J. Hockenson, plus a compensatory selection.
The first two days of the draft are the most impactful. Yet, the Vikings will make just two selections over that span, with quite the gap between their first and second picks. It’s just not a lot to work with. Combine that with the Vikings having the worst salary cap situation, and it’s hard to see how they could be much more active this offseason.
In last year’s draft, the Vikings made a trade up with the Cleveland Browns to draft Akayleb Evans. That cost them what would’ve been their second Day 2 pick this year.
On Day 3, Minnesota traded their original sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans for a seventh-round pick and DT Ross Blacklock. While seventh-round picks aren’t particularly valuable, the Vikings probably would be better off having that pick as opposed to Jalen Reagor, whom they traded it to acquire.
MORE: FREE Mock Draft Simulator With Trades
As for their own seventh-rounder, they sent that to the Denver Broncos in a trade for DL Stephen Weatherly.
With 2023 shaping up as Kirk Cousins’ last season in Minnesota, the Vikings are at a bit of a crossroads. In the absence of an abundance of picks, using even a single one on a future asset will damper their chances of making one more run this season.
The Vikings have been rumored to be potentially interested in drafting Cousins’ replacement this year. While they certainly need to plan for life after Cousins, spending their first-round pick on a quarterback will do absolutely nothing to help them win now. A move like that suggests a rebuild, which could lead to more forward-thinking moves from the Vikings. It would not be a surprise at all if we saw them make a couple of trades down in an effort to acquire more picks.
What Are the Vikings’ Draft Picks in 2024?
- Round 1
- Round 2
- Round 4
- Round 4 (From DET)
- Round 5 (From KC)
- Round 6
The Vikings only have five draft picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. They have two in Round 4 thanks to the T.J. Hockenson trade. They sent their fifth-rounder to Philadelphia in the Jalen Reagor trade and their seventh-rounder to Las Vegas in the Nick Mullens acquisition.
