What grade do you give the. Vikings 2020 draft

@"Wetlander" said:

@"StickyBun" said: To have immovable opinions about a Draft class 3 days after the fact is silly, we should all know this. Nobody knows what the hell is actually going to happen with this group. 

Exactly...  those of us who are really into the draft always have our "favorites" in the early rounds and get hot on a couple guys projected as sleepers or mid-late round picks.  The hard part is that it is impossible to have an informed opinion on every prospect in the draft.  Unless you are paid to be a scout, chances are you haven't heard of 2/3's of the guys who end up getting drafted.

I'm fine with people giving their opinions and giving some of these Day 3 picks a poor draft grade...  It's when you start claiming it was a terrible pick and stating like fact that we could have drafted so and so later is where you lose me.

This is either going to be the greatest draft in Vikings history or Spielman will not be here next year. Boom or bust. IMO

@"Hidalgo" said: This is either going to be the greatest draft in Vikings history or Spielman will not be here next year. Boom or bust. IMO

Just looking back on the past couple drafts...  Most fans loved the Elflein pick at the time, now everyone wants him cut...  Bucky Hodges was another fan favorite...  I don't think he even made the roster and isn't in the NFL anymore...  T.J Clemmings was a steal (NOT)... Treadwell had a lot of supporters (including me) and he never lived up to the hype... I thought Kendricks was too small to hold up in the NFL (way wrong on that)...

And then you have the majority that thought WTF when we drafted a raw LSU DE who had 1.5 sacks his last college season and had a girls name (before we knew how it was pronounced)...  Turned out pretty freaking good...  Same with O'Neill...  Pass on Hernandez to take a freaking project OT that needs to add strength and weight?  Again, turned out pretty damn good.  Alexander Mattison was the 2019 whipping boy...  Passed up so much talent and drafted a backup RB...  with the way he performed and Dalvin having trouble playing a full season, he was a good pick IMO.

Just some examples...  none of us have a spotless track record and neither do the Vikings.  Just some food for thought before we savage a guy before he even plays a down.

Ok, lol.....so I looked at some Nate Stanley video for the first time....ummmm......

I liked it. He gets slammed for being immobile but he's got more fluidity than Cousins (ain't saying much). I think he might be a little bit of an underrated athlete. Just a little bit. His arm is very good. That throw at Minnesota where he was flushed out of the pocket, threw across his body and launched a bullet while moving for the long TD was NICE. Only the second 3-time captain in Iowa football history.  I see upside. I just ready something that said the kid is strong mentally and has a NFL demeanor. Am I the only one?

@"Wetlander" said:

@"FSUVike" said:

@"Wetlander" said: It's funny the outrage over guys that most of us have never watched (or focused on) or heard of prior to them being drafted.

Speak for yourself. I watched plenty of him while evaluating Kinlaw. And I've watched plenty of him since the pick. And studied up on profiles. He will have a role on the team. And he could have been had much later. With Guards and Receivers and higher potential Safeties sitting there. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Willekes does more.

And we're hardly alone in this opinion. Even amongst Vikings-centric analysts this was the biggest head scratcher of the Draft.

And Patterson isn't perfect. Wither Jalyn Holmes? Ade Aruna? Bower? He didn't pick Everson. The record is good, it's not above reproach. 

I'm not trying to be an asshole, but your posts are much better when they are more Matt Bowen instead of Skip Bayless.

@"Wetlander" said: Just looking back on the past couple drafts...  Most fans loved the Elflein pick at the time, now everyone wants him cut...  Bucky Hodges was another fan favorite...  I don't think he even made the roster and isn't in the NFL anymore...  T.J Clemmings was a steal (NOT)... Treadwell had a lot of supporters (including me) and he never lived up to the hype... I thought Kendricks was too small to hold up in the NFL (way wrong on that)...

And then you have the majority that thought WTF when we drafted a raw LSU DE who had 1.5 sacks his last college season and had a girls name (before we knew how it was pronounced)...  Turned out pretty freaking good...  Same with O'Neill...  Pass on Hernandez to take a freaking project OT that needs to add strength and weight?  Again, turned out pretty damn good.  Alexander Mattison was the 2019 whipping boy...  Passed up so much talent and drafted a backup RB...  with the way he performed and Dalvin having trouble playing a full season, he was a good pick IMO.

Just some examples...  none of us have a spotless track record and neither do the Vikings.  Just some food for thought before we savage a guy before he even plays a down.

The Vikings lead the NFL in percentage of draft picks on their roster. #1 in the NFL. Their 2015 draft is generally considered one of the best of the last 10 years. 2019 looks really good, too. And just when you thought Rick couldn't possibly do it again, his latest haul earns the experts' consensus best draft in the NFL. Of course they don't have a spotless record. Name one team who does? No, there's no doubt they are one of the best drafting teams in the NFL. 

I think I also need to mention that I was on board with the Hunter pick from Day 1. I love freak athletes that need some coaching up. I actually clamored for Diggs. Loved Harris, especially as a UDFA. I've gone on long soliloquies defending Rick Spielman the Drafter and Rick Spielman the GM.

And I'm already on record saying I really like this Draft Class. It's OK to like the Class and the job Rick did as a whole and still passionately disagree (i.e., act like a FANatic) regarding a few picks and/or decisions. I'm down on Wonnum. He was nearly unanimously ranked as a kid you could get much later. I personally believe 4th Rounders should contribute and the 5th and on is when you start taking flyers.

I don't see a LG on this team that will clearly outperform Elf next year. I see some potential, especially in Hinton, that is at least a year away from getting in the mix. There were options on board that absolutely would not be sure things but Rick could have selected to really create solid competition. 

I like to look at each spot and see a mix of developing youth, players still growing, and seasoned veterans. Reiff should start at LT so Cleveland can grow. That leaves Elf, Dozier, and Jones. Two players who maybe are still developing and a veteran. No developing youth.

Entering the Draft I ranked LG as the Number 1 need. I'm sure many disagree. That's fine. I'm entitled to my own opinion and would be happy to spell out why I felt that way. There were multiple chances to get a potential fix at that spot. It didn't happen. Which is disappointing. 

But that doesn't mean that I don't like the Lynch pick. He will play in Game 1, I'm virtually certain of it. And I freaking love the Dye pick. Wellekes, to me, makes the team AND sees more snaps than Wonnum. Hinton was a great lottery ticket. Stanley was smart too. 

It's OK to question trading out of 105 and picking Wonnum when there were Guards a plenty available. Especially if you feel, as I do, that it was the biggest need on the team and didn't get addressed in a way that helps this season. 

Having said that, watch for a sneaky vet signing or trade. Something tells me Rick isn't as comfortable with Elf/Dozier/Jones as he's letting on.

@"StickyBun" said: Ok, lol.....so I looked at some Nate Stanley video for the first time....ummmm......

I liked it. He gets slammed for being immobile but he's got more fluidity than Cousins (ain't saying much). I think he might be a little bit of an underrated athlete. Just a little bit. His arm is very good. That throw at Minnesota where he was flushed out of the pocket, threw across his body and launched a bullet while moving for the long TD was NICE. Only the second 3-time captain in Iowa football history.  I see upside. I just ready something that said the kid is strong mentally and has a NFL demeanor. Am I the only one?

There's a decent amount of Iowa football/Big 10 fans on this board so no you're not the only one who likes him. But Stanley was about the 15-20th QB taken. If we get extremely lucky then Stanley will be Gardner Minshew. That would be amazing. The issue is, the Vikings often carry only 2 QBs. So even if Stanley is the second coming of Tom Brady, would Zimmer cut Mannion for him?

@"FSUVike" said:

I quoted multiple profiles of the kid. Have read a dozen Draft grades. Pointed out, fairly, that he doesn't look like Hunter clone just because the Vikings say he does. And I get dinged for it by that persistent portion of the Board that simply can't stand to hear a single negative thing about the team, unless they themselves brought it up.

I raised legitimate points. The counter was 'Well, Dre says he's Hunter so you're wrong.' If the response had been profiles that countered what I read, heard and saw on tape I'd react in a more respectful manner.  I did my homework. When you disagree without showing any inkling of doing your own, and denigrate me in the process, you get exactly what you deserve. 

Wetlander, I don't mean you specifically. But there is absolutely a part of this community that attacks anything contrary to their group think mentality that is frankly disappointing. 

D.J. Wonnum

STRENGTHS: Natural length might be his best trait, extending into blockers to win the point of attack...wins with speed-to-power due to his heavy hands, creating knockback at contact... launches out of his stance with twitchy muscles...hip flexibility to spin off blocks and win tight spaces...sets up blockers to create an inside rush...closes on his target with relentless energy, expanding his range...stacks and controls the edge with ferocity...gap-sound to scrape down the line...two career blocked kicks on special teams...charismatic leader and became just the third sophomore in school history to become a permanent team captain.

WEAKNESSES: Struggles to efficiently dip, rip and flatten on the edge...gives blockers a big target as a pass rusher...hand fighter, but doesn’t consistently go anywhere once locked up, lacking effective counter measures...thinks too much mid-rush with unimaginative instincts...below average breakdown skills, allowing ball carriers to shake him...needs to be a better finisher in the open field...not the type of player you want consistently dropping and covering in space...missed eight games as a junior due to damaged ligaments in his left ankle (September 2018), requiring surgery...his best production came as a sophomore.

SUMMARY: A three-year starter at South Carolina, Wonnum played the Buck edge rusher position in head coach Will Muschamp’s 4-3 base scheme. A three-time team captain, he finished his career with 29.5 tackles for loss, which ranks No. 9 in school history. A long-framed rusher, Wonnum plays well on his feet with the urgency to attack contact or give chase on plays away from him. While he loves to mix things up, his pass rush lacks sophistication and he must become a better finisher in space. Overall, Wonnum relies more on his motor than instincts as a pass rusher, but he has a projectable frame and uses his hands to free himself, projecting as a backup pass rusher with starting upside.
GRADE: 4th-5th Round

They have a different opinion than other draft evals it seems.  Also, as MaroonBells pointed out...  McGinn had him ranked as a 4th-5th round pick.  The spider charts that Barr posted show that him and Danielle Hunter are very comparable from a height, weight, and physical traits standpoint.  Hunter has the edge, but they are similar enough you can see why the Vikings were interested.  Matt Miller had him projected as a 5th round pick in his latest big board two weeks before the draft.  I consider McGinn and Miller to be pretty reliable because they adjust their rankings based on what they are hearing from scouts and NFL teams.

As to your last point, I do think we can all succumb to group think here and get defensive with contrary opinions...  look at Muti.  I don't think he projected that well to an outside zone scheme, but many here wanted us to draft him despite not being the best fit and having an injury history that would make Greg Childs blush.  The OG class overall sucked this year...  the top OGs weren't better players than anyone we picked at 25, 31, or 58...  and the OTs that projected to OG AND were fits were for our outside zone were limited.  Barch was there at 105 and I think we should have grabbed him there instead of trading back.  You'll get no arguments from me there...  but after he was gone, I didn't feel that strongly about anyone and Hinton probably has as much of a chance as any of the guys drafted ahead of him from the late 4th on...

Bottom line for me...  it wasn't a good year to need a guy along the interior OL.  The class wasn't deep at all...  and I think the Vikings feel pretty good about their interior options that are already on the roster.  Right or wrong, that is the sense I got from how this draft went down.  It'll be Samia, Reiff/Cleveland, Collins, Elf, and Brett Jones competing for those guard spots unless we bring back Kline cheap or sign another vet.

But there is absolutely a part of this community that attacks anything contrary to their group think mentality that is frankly disappointing. 

I have now officially changed my draft grade post above to "I agree with everyone's grade"  :)

@"StickyBun" said: Ok, lol.....so I looked at some Nate Stanley video for the first time....ummmm......

I liked it. He gets slammed for being immobile but he's got more fluidity than Cousins (ain't saying much). I think he might be a little bit of an underrated athlete. Just a little bit. His arm is very good. That throw at Minnesota where he was flushed out of the pocket, threw across his body and launched a bullet while moving for the long TD was NICE. Only the second 3-time captain in Iowa football history.  I see upside. I just ready something that said the kid is strong mentally and has a NFL demeanor. Am I the only one?

He has the pro tools, smarts, and competitive as hell. Might be interesting.

@"Wetlander" said: look at Muti.  I don't think he projected that well to an outside zone scheme, but many here wanted us to draft him despite not being the best fit and having an injury history that would make Greg Childs blush. 

And you're so right about Muti. He only played 19 games, any other player with so little experience would have red flags even without the injury history, and he didn't fit our scheme. But fans overvalue the superstrong offensive linemen who get a lot of pancake blocks in their highlight reel.

@"BarrNone55" said: Imma just gonna leave this here:

Danielle Hunter (top) vs DJ Wonnum (bottom) 

                                                                                                                                                                              Hunter:  

Combine Grade (beta)

Is there anything easier to fix than strength as measured by bench press numbers?

96th percentile vs 86th in the 40 is huge? No.

@"savannahskol" said:

@"BarrNone55" said: Imma just gonna leave this here:

Danielle Hunter (top) vs DJ Wonnum (bottom) 

YUGE differences  in the bench & 40 times, tho.  Also, Hunter was 20 yo at the combine, & Wonnum 22.  
@ 22 yo. ...I bet Hunter's numbers would have been off the charts at the combine.  

                                                                                                                                                                              Hunter:  

Combine Grade (beta)

B

Overall Rating: 83Max 100

Size Rating:	44/100
Speed Score:	94/100
Agility Score:	(N/A)/100
Quickness Score:	(N/A)/100
Strength Score:	79/100

Wonnum:  

Combine Grade (beta)

C

Overall Rating: 64Max 100

Size Rating:	48/100
Speed Score:	78/100
Agility Score:	54/100
Quickness Score:	64/100
Strength Score:	47/100

Of course, Hunter was drafted in the 3rd round, and Wonnum in the 4th....but let's hope Wonnum can 'strength/speed up' to Hunter's  20 yo level, soon.   :)

In a vacuum if you look at draft weekend, they get a solid A. They got value on the draft board and filled their positions of need. It's about all you could ask for. They also started building on next years draft as well. As of today they are projected to receive 3rd & 6th round comp picks for Waynes/Alexander and added a 4 via the Diggs trade along with an additional 4th and 5th from this past weekend. That gives them 12 picks (1,2,3,3,4,4,4,5,5,6,6,7) entering next year. The better news is that they can still use some of these picks in camp to fill in additional depth if needed. My guess is that was part of their game plan. 

But I think you need to look at how they got to where they did since teams with multiple 1st round selections typically grade better than their peers in draft grades. a few thoughts: 

- Diggs trade: In hindsight my feeling is that the Vikings should have held out for an actual 3rd round pick in this years class instead of taking the comparable value of a 3rd. The 4th next year is still in the fold, but the late rounders this year didn't give the Vikings enough ammo to move up in the 3rd to add a DT. I also think you need to tack on Diggs dead money ($9M) onto Jefferson's salary since he's an apples to apples replacement. Still like the value of the pick, but it devalues it slightly. 

- CB choices/Harris tag: This scenario still has to play out, but until the Vikings have Harris on a long-term extension it was the incorrect the choice to tag him. Why? The money would have better been spent on retaining Mac Alexander or signing a cheaper safety options and improving the team elsewhere. Gladney is a nice additional and brings physicality that is sorely missed. But with Mac on the roster would a CB room of Mac/Hughes/Dantzler more appetizing with a player like Blacklock at DT or McKinney/Winfield Jr. at safety? 

- Trent Williams trade: Not going to lie, Trent is a heck of a player when healthy. Arguably the best zone blocking LT in the game. Its not appetizing to back up the brinks truck for a player demanding a trade, but for a 4th and 5th round selection this year it would have allowed for much more flexibility in the 2nd/3rd rounds. Once again I think the D-line probably suffered from this. 

I am not arguing the decisions the Vikings made but think if you look back at the off-season this draft class is closer to a 'B' than an 'A'. The Vikings filled the needs they created admirably. But were the needs they chose to fill the correct ones? That is the bigger question that is worth answering. 
 

@"Geoff Nichols" said: In a vacuum if you look at draft weekend, they get a solid A. They got value on the draft board and filled their positions of need. It's about all you could ask for. They also started building on next years draft as well. As of today they are projected to receive 3rd & 6th round comp picks for Waynes/Alexander and added a 4 via the Diggs trade along with an additional 4th and 5th from this past weekend. That gives them 12 picks (1,2,3,3,4,4,4,5,5,6,6,7) entering next year. The better news is that they can still use some of these picks in camp to fill in additional depth if needed. My guess is that was part of their game plan. 

But I think you need to look at how they got to where they did since teams with multiple 1st round selections typically grade better than their peers in draft grades. a few thoughts: 

- Diggs trade: In hindsight my feeling is that the Vikings should have held out for an actual 3rd round pick in this years class instead of taking the comparable value of a 3rd. The 4th next year is still in the fold, but the late rounders this year didn't give the Vikings enough ammo to move up in the 3rd to add a DT. I also think you need to tack on Diggs dead money ($9M) onto Jefferson's salary since he's an apples to apples replacement. Still like the value of the pick, but it devalues it slightly. 

- CB choices/Harris tag: This scenario still has to play out, but until the Vikings have Harris on a long-term extension it was the incorrect the choice to tag him. Why? The money would have better been spent on retaining Mac Alexander or signing a cheaper safety options and improving the team elsewhere. Gladney is a nice additional and brings physicality that is sorely missed. But with Mac on the roster would a CB room of Mac/Hughes/Dantzler more appetizing with a player like Blacklock at DT or McKinney/Winfield Jr. at safety? 

- Trent Williams trade: Not going to lie, Trent is a heck of a player when healthy. Arguably the best zone blocking LT in the game. Its not appetizing to back up the brinks truck for a player demanding a trade, but for a 4th and 5th round selection this year it would have allowed for much more flexibility in the 2nd/3rd rounds. Once again I think the D-line probably suffered from this. 

I am not arguing the decisions the Vikings made but think if you look back at the off-season this draft class is closer to a 'B' than an 'A'. The Vikings filled the needs they created admirably. But were the needs they chose to fill the correct ones? That is the bigger question that is worth answering. 
 

@"Geoff Nichols" said: In a vacuum if you look at draft weekend, they get a solid A. They got value on the draft board and filled their positions of need. It's about all you could ask for. They also started building on next years draft as well. As of today they are projected to receive 3rd & 6th round comp picks for Waynes/Alexander and added a 4 via the Diggs trade along with an additional 4th and 5th from this past weekend. That gives them 12 picks (1,2,3,3,4,4,4,5,5,6,6,7) entering next year. The better news is that they can still use some of these picks in camp to fill in additional depth if needed. My guess is that was part of their game plan. 

But I think you need to look at how they got to where they did since teams with multiple 1st round selections typically grade better than their peers in draft grades. a few thoughts: 

- Diggs trade: In hindsight my feeling is that the Vikings should have held out for an actual 3rd round pick in this years class instead of taking the comparable value of a 3rd. The 4th next year is still in the fold, but the late rounders this year didn't give the Vikings enough ammo to move up in the 3rd to add a DT. I also think you need to tack on Diggs dead money ($9M) onto Jefferson's salary since he's an apples to apples replacement. Still like the value of the pick, but it devalues it slightly. 

- CB choices/Harris tag: This scenario still has to play out, but until the Vikings have Harris on a long-term extension it was the incorrect the choice to tag him. Why? The money would have better been spent on retaining Mac Alexander or signing a cheaper safety options and improving the team elsewhere. Gladney is a nice additional and brings physicality that is sorely missed. But with Mac on the roster would a CB room of Mac/Hughes/Dantzler more appetizing with a player like Blacklock at DT or McKinney/Winfield Jr. at safety? 

- Trent Williams trade: Not going to lie, Trent is a heck of a player when healthy. Arguably the best zone blocking LT in the game. Its not appetizing to back up the brinks truck for a player demanding a trade, but for a 4th and 5th round selection this year it would have allowed for much more flexibility in the 2nd/3rd rounds. Once again I think the D-line probably suffered from this. 

I am not arguing the decisions the Vikings made but think if you look back at the off-season this draft class is closer to a 'B' than an 'A'. The Vikings filled the needs they created admirably. But were the needs they chose to fill the correct ones? That is the bigger question that is worth answering. 
 

• The Vikings were backed into a corner with the Diggs situation, so while the dead money is not ideal, coming out of the draft with Jefferson is a better than expected result. The mistake they made was not doubling up on WR later, which may be due to Kubiak not using many 3+ WR sets, but another receiver to compete with Sharpe & Johnson on the back end of the depth chart would have been smart. I consider Osborn as a returner only right now, which I'm not sure is fair or not.
• Holding out for a 3rd rounder this year would have been advantageous, though in hindsight no one knew that trading up would be so expensive because of the pandemic. Adding a DT in the 3rd would have really improved the draft and hopefully, it's at the top of our list of needs for 2021.
• It seemed like Alexander had no interest in coming back after he got injured in the Bears game, so while I would have liked to have kept him, it seemed like they already burned that bridge. I'm still not sure who is going to play in the slot, which is especially disappointing, since I felt that Alexander really came into his own as a slot corner last season.
• As for Harris, I felt they unexpectedly tagged him after losing both Alexander & Waynes. They needed stability in the secondary to cover for a young group of corners & keeping him became viable if we're not paying corners on their second contract. Obviously, the Vikings need to re-sign him. Otherwise, there were good safety options available in the 2nd and 3rd.
• I'm torn on the Trent Williams trade. I get the argument that trading day 3 picks for him, would have allowed us to use the 2nd rounders on DL or another need and Williams would have instantly solved LT for the next few years. The flipside to that is he will demand a huge cap hit, which would have meant parting with Reiff and/or Harris and having less cap flexibility down the road. With Cleveland, I was weary of taking him in the 1st, but he was a much better value to me in the 2nd after we had addressed WR and CB. He's certainly not a sure thing, but if he lives up to his O'Neil comparisons, then he gives us a cost-controlled option at LT for the next 4-years. It now depends on whether he develops into a good starter and what the Vikings do with $17 million per year in cap room that would have likely gone to Williams.

The problem for me with this offseason is I have no clue WTF is their direction and goals.

First, they extend Cousins with a decent contract because it got rid of the no-trade clause.  But if they do not trade him by the 3rd day of the new league year next March, then the 2022 salary is fully guaranteed and that 45 mil cap hit will loom LARGE, VERY LARGE in the 2022 offseason. 

Extending Cousins signals kind of an ALL-IN move to me.  But then they trade Diggs which really hurts the receiver group and forced their hand this year in the draft.  But, OK, still can be in ALL-IN.

Not being able to execute the Williams trade was a huge failure and it is unknown what the asking price was. I am guessing the Redskins were still asking a lot from the Vikings and would not come down off of that price. Once the Vikings selected Cleveland and bowed out of the talks, they had to settle for what the 49ers gave. Otherwise, many Vikings fans would have given up that package to get one of the best left tackles in the NFL.  Still, if you are ALL-IN then you need to get that DONE.  Even #105 and a 3rd next year would have been OK with me.

So, they now have a young athletic tackle that could be the next Brian O'Neil, Taylor Lewan, Jason Spriggs, Garret Bolles, or Matt Kalil all of whom he compares favorably.

They grab another corner in the 3rd after not being able to move up for a better 3T.

From that point on it was perplexing to say the least.  Heading into the draft, OG had to be a position that was looked at as needing some serious competition. I was not an advocate of drafting one in the early rounds but by the 4th round, that is where you start to see them come off the board and that is what happened this year too.

I am at a loss as how players like Lemieux, Biadasz, Dotson (who they met with 3 times), Pinter, Muti, and Adeniji were not considered before Hand and Osborn.  They now are going to have an open competition between Elflein, Samia, Collins, Jones, Dozier, Udoh, and the pupu platter of players that brought in via the draft.  I mean, it is hard to see how the guard position will be upgraded next season.

But, maybe Hinton and Higby will surprise?  I do not believe Brandel should be put at guard as he never played there at Oregon State.  Maybe he could do it but he was the best pass blocking tackle in college football last year according to PFF.  Maybe their grading does not matter but it still confirms his ability at tackle.

I was not a fan of the Osborn pick either because I want the returner to be able to play their own position too.  Osborn still could surprise though so I can be patient.  But as a receiver, I kind of liked Peoples-Jones there.

Overall, not a bad draft.

However, I do not think they are planning on contending for a Super Bowl with the roster moves in free agency and the draft.  The interior offensive line is going to be anyone's guess but an upgrade is way too much purple koolaid for me.  The cornerback position is going to be very inexperienced.  Too soon to say if it will be better than last year's trio who got a 42 mil deal, a 4 mil deal, and a 3.25 mil deal.  The defensive end position opposite Hunter is a question mark too. Odengibo got most of his sacks rushing from the inside when Hunter and Griffen were drawing the attention on the outside.  How is he going to do from the outside when he is now drawing attention?

It smells like a rebuild and looks like a rebuild.  Which is fine and this draft fits into that strategy.

Why give Cousins that extension in that case?  It is ridiculous.  You are going to pay him top 10 QB money on a team where he probably will not be able to step up into the pocket and rarely makes any plays with his feet.  It is confounding.

They likely will double and triple down on their stupidity by allowing Reiff to stay.  Why pay him 11 mil this year when you can save 8.8 (or 11 mil via post June 1 designation) and use that elsewhere?  Unless they really go completely mental, he will not be here next year under his current deal and with the Cleveland pick, should not be here at all.

They need to play Cleveland right away and if he struggles, slide in Hill or Udoh.  Trade Reiff to the Chargers for a 5th or 6th round pick since they only have Trey Pipkins and Sam Tevi.  If they cannot trade him (probably because of his 11 mil salary) then they should cut him.

If they did that they would have 17 to 20 mil in cap space after signing all the rookies.  They can use that on extending Cook (the triple down part) or carrying it over to extend O'Neill next offseason.

I think the draft was solid but, as usual, they pull some picks straight out of left field.  Like with Hand and Osborn.  The Hand pick is curious because they gave Neville Clarker 100K to sign as an UDFA. I mean, WTF was that? You already drafted 3 corners and you signed Marcus Sayles, Mark Fields, and Kemon Hall too.  That is a lot of corners.

I cannot reconcile the clear rebuild strategy employed during the draft with the Cousins extension.

There is no chance this team will compete for the Super Bowl if there is a season this year.  Too much inexperience.