Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings 2017 NFL Draft grades

Published May. 1, 2017 12:22 p.m. ET

The 2017 NFL Draft is over and of course people are quick to judge how teams did.

Normally, you really need three or five years to grade a class (like we did here and here).

But who is kidding who — we all want to know what others think of the selections made by our favorite team now. And there are plenty people doing just this.

We’ve tried to compile as thorough a list of Minnesota Vikings draft analysis as you’ll find anywhere on the Internet. Without further adieu, enjoy.

-- Dieter Kurternbach of FOX Sports: C. "Dalvin Cook is an excellent player, but is he, a one-cut runner, going to be a seamless fit into the Vikings' offense? Pat Elflein is an excellent center, but did the Vikings need a center? They have two already, and I like them both. Great value from getting Jaleel Johnson in the fourth round — absurd value — and I like Danny Isidora in the fifth, Bucky Hodges in the sixth, and Stacy Coley in the seventh, but the top two picks shouldn't have that many question marks."

Kurtenbach also gave out individual grades of the Day 2 picks. His grades: Dalvin Cook -- B+; Pat Elflein -- C.

-- Chris Burke of SI.com: B+. "The Vikings did not own a first-round pick because of the Sam Bradford trade. Things worked out anyway: In Round 2, they landed a Round 1 talent (RB Dalvin Cook); in Round 3, they landed a Round 2 talent (G/C Pat Elflein). Cook has the upside of a star back in the NFL, despite what his lackluster testing numbers showed. Together, he and Latavius Murray should be able to kickstart the run game. Elflein helps there, too—he’s a plug-and-play starter for the interior. DT Jaleel Johnson (No. 109) is a big-bodied penetrator, and he’ll benefit from playing under Mike Zimmer. The Vikings took some shots from there: hard-nosed LB Ben Gideon (No. 120), WR Rodney Adams (No. 170), TE Bucky Hodges (No. 201). The first two picks, though, all but made up for sitting out Round 1."

Burke also issued grades for the Day 2 picks. His grades: Cook -- A; Elflein -- A.

-- Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN Insider: B+. "Jaleel Johnson, an interior pass-rusher, and inside linebacker Ben Gedeon were both value picks in the fourth round. I liked 6-foot-6 tight end Bucky Hodges in the sixth round as a pass-catcher with upside."

-- Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com: C+. "They didn't have a first-round pick after trading it last year to get quarterback Sam Bradford, but they got a first-round talent in the second round in running back Dalvin Cook. If he can stay away from the issues that had many dropping him down, he will be a steal. Upgrading their offensive line with Ohio State center Pat Elflein in the third round was a good pick. They added some weapons with a chance to help the passing game in the later rounds, including fifth-round receiver Rodney Adams from South Florida."

-- Spencer Hall of CBSSports.com graded every pick: Cook -- B; Elflein -- B+; Jaleel Johnson -- B+; Ben Gedeon -- B-; Rodney Adams -- B-; Danny Isadora -- B+; Bucky Hodges -- B; Stacey Coley -- B+; Ifeadi Odenigbo -- C+; Elijah Lee -- C+; Jack Tocho -- C+.

-- Luke Easterling of Draft Wire: A. "It’s not easy to earn a top grade when you don’t have a first-round pick, but the Vikes did just that. They traded up for the most complete back in the draft (Florida State’s Dalvin Cook), then added a versatile anchor for the interior of the offensive line (Ohio State’s Pat Elflein). On Day 3, Minnesota loaded up on stellar value (Iowa defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson, Kansas State linebacker Elijah Lee) and explosive playmakers (USF’s Rodney Adams, Miami’s Stacy Coley and Virginia Tech’s Bucky Hodges) to round out an impressive haul."

-- Nate Davis of USAToday.com: B. "Last year's trade for QB Sam Bradford meant GM Rick Spielman only had two picks in the first three rounds. But both – RB Dalvin Cook and OL Pat Elflein – should be instant difference makers for a rushing game that ranked last in 2016. Cook has red flags to shed after suffering several injuries at Florida State along with questions about his off-field behavior. But he's got the ability to make newly signed RB Latavius Murray a second stringer in short order."

-- Mark Maske of the Washington Post: B-. "The Vikings had no first-round pick after last year’s Sam Bradford trade but went for a high-volume draft, with an 11-player class. Getting RB Dalvin Cook with the ninth choice of the second round was well worth it. This draft was deep in runners but he’d been projected as a first-rounder by some observers. Cook will team with Latavius Murray at tailback for the Adrian Peterson-less Vikings. The center taken in the third round, Pat Elflein, could be a very solid although far-from-glamorous pick."

-- Dan Kadar of SB Nation: A.

-- Chad Reuter of NFL.com: Day 1 -- B; Day 2 -- B+; Day 3 -- A; Overall -- B+.

-- Rob Rang of The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com: B-. "The Vikings did not have a first-round pick in 2017 but got a top-32 talent nonetheless, when Florida State running back Dalvin Cook slide to No. 41 overall. A superstar from Day 1 in Tallahassee, Cook could overtake free-agent addition Latavius Murray as the Vikings' primary weapon out of the backfield if he can prove that his character and injury concerns have been overblown. Head coach Mike Zimmer has a well-earned reputation for grit, which could make classic Big Ten standouts Pat Elflein (center) and Ben Gedeon (linebacker) immediate favorites of his among this rookie class. Perhaps Zimmer's personality will rub off a bit on Iowa defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson and Day 3 pass-catchers Stacy Coley and Bucky Hodges, who have each flashed exciting playmaking ability but have struggled with consistency over their respective collegiate careers."

-- WalterFootball.com: Cook -- A+; Elflein -- C; Johnson -- B+; Gedeon -- B-; Adams -- C-; Isidora -- A-; Hodges -- A+; Coley -- C-; Odenigbo -- B+; Lee -- A-; Tocho -- B-.Overall: B. "Despite not having a first-round pick, the Vikings did well in the 2017 NFL Draft. My one main gripe is the trade for Elflein, but they were still able to come away with a solid class."

-- Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News: A-. "GM Rick Spielman got his true three-down replacement for Adrian Peterson with a smart trade-up for Cook. It was important to get interior blocking help for him, too, with Elflein and Isidora. Gedeon is a classic Mike Zimmer depth defender. The Vikings would have been a little higher with a first-rounder and not reaching for either Adams or Hodges."

-- Evan Silva of Rotoworld: B-. "2016 NFL completion rate leader Sam Bradford deserves mention in this haul after the Vikings sent their first-round pick to Philadelphia in last year’s trade to acquire him. (The Eagles used it on Derek Barnett.) Seemingly impatient after taking Thursday night off, GM Rick Spielman traded up for Cook in a move with Cincinnati that cost Minnesota a fourth-round pick (No. 128) in exchange for a mere seven-slot climb. The Bengals then used the Vikings’ old second-rounder on Joe Mixon, a better talent than Cook at the same position. Spielman traded up again in round three for Elflein, giving his fifth-rounder to the Jets for a nine-spot climb. In a round-three deal with Kansas City, Spielman turned the No. 86 pick into Nos. 104, 132, and 245. In yet another move – this time with San Francisco -- Spielman turned No. 104 into Nos. 109 and 219. In the end, the Vikings added quality prospects at needy positions in Cook, Elflein, and Johnson. Hodges will be hailed as a value pick because everyone has heard of him, but he is a multi-year project with off-field concerns. Nevertheless, he was a solid late-round flier along with Coley and Lee. The Vikings took a lot of shots on low-probability prospects late in hopes one or a few will hit. I thought this was a decent draft overall, and the Bradford trade so far looks like a win."

-- Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report: Cook -- B. "I don’t think Cook is really a risk to end up leading off on CNN. He is a risk to end up like Aldon Smith, however: terror on the field, maybe a great guy in the locker room, but a victim of his own dubious choices after sunset."; Elflein -- A-; Johnson A-; Gedeon C-; Adams -- "Good"; Isidora -- "Poor"; Hodges -- "Good"; Coley -- "Excellent"; Odenigbo -- "Excellent"; Lee -- "Excellent"; Tocho -- "Excellent".

-- John McClain of the Houston Chronicle: B. "Dalvin Cook was a steal in the second round and could put up Adrian Peterson-type numbers. Pat Elflein was the best at his position and could start as a rookie. Jaleel Johnson and Ben Gedeon help the defense."

-- Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News: B.

-- Todd McShay of ESPN Insider offered his best pick for each team. For the Vikings he listed Dalvin Cook. "Cook fell to the second round amid concerns over his durability and who he surrounds himself with off the field. But the Vikings did well to take a chance on Cook (our No. 17 overall player) in the second round, even if they had to trade up to do it. (GM Rick Spielman was able to recoup the fourth-rounder they gave up in the Cook trade later on in a different deal.) Minnesota averaged a league-low 3.17 yards per carry last season, but Cook, who is a true three-down back, should help rectify that. He had 18 touches of 25 yards or more in 2016, tied for first among all Power 5 RBs."