Minnesota Vikings 2018 NFL Draft grades

Published Apr. 30, 2018 1:30 p.m. ET

Dave Heller

The 2018 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 ado, enjoy.

First-round grades (and more)

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com: Round 1, Hughes -- B. "Hughes has outstanding cover skills and we know how much Mike Zimmer likes his corners. It's a quality pick." Round 2, O'Neill -- B. Overall grade: B-. "They took a good corner in the first round in Mike Hughes, passing on offensive line help there. Hughes will push Mackensie Alexander in the slot as a rookie. They took tackle Brian O'Neill in the second, a pick I really like. He's a former basketball player who needs to get stronger. Fourth-round defensive lineman Jalyn Holmes will add nice depth to a good defensive line."

Dan Kadar of SB Nation: B. "Terence Newman is not immortal, and this pick by the Vikings proves it. The replacement for the 39-year-old corner is Hughes, a physical and aggressive cornerback. Hughes is crafty and will pull on a receiver when a referee isn’t looking to disrupt route timing. He’s also capable as a return man. On the field, Hughes has few flaws. Off it, he’s full of questions and the Vikings’ coaching staff may need to keep on him. And as good as this pick is, a guard like Will Hernandez of UTEP would have been even better."

Mike Tanier of Bleacher Report: Round 1, Hughes -- C+. "Apparently, the end of the first round is all about great defensive teams getting better on defense while ignoring their offensive issues. ... Mike Hughes is a tough, alert underneath defender who gets a quick break on the ball. He’s dynamic with the football in his hands. He lacks ideal size but compensates with toughness and quick feet. ... Assuming Hughes has put character concerns behind him, he’s a potential starter as an underneath defender and could be a weapon on punt returns. Not a bad pick for the Vikings, but they may end up regretting it the first time Kirk Cousins gets hurried into an interception." Round 2, O'Neill -- D+. "This was an obvious need pick for the Vikings. But O’Neill is too much like the kind of slow-footed offensive line prospect that has gotten the team into trouble in the past."

Andy Benoit of SI.com: B-. Overall grade: B.

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

Yahoo Sports staff: C. "Minnesota needed a lineman to protect its new investment (Kirk Cousins) and passed on a good one in Will Hernandez. Hughes is a fine pick but the Vikings didn’t need much."

Danny Kelly of The Ringer: Fit - A+; Value - A-.

Kevin Dillon of MassLive.com: B. "The Minnesota Vikings do not have many needs, but they could certainly improve at cornerback. Hughes was the best player available -- an extremely talented and long cornerback who looks as if he will excel in the Vikings' scheme. ... Hughes should be able to make an instant impact."

Steven Ruiz of For the Win: B+.

Luke Easterling of Draft Wire: B-. "With some of the offensive lineman that were still on the board here, this pick is a bit hard to understand. The Vikings could have gotten a solid value in the middle rounds, thanks to this year’s extremely deep corner class, but they opted for a one-year star in Hughes, who comes with some potential off-field concerns. He’s a solid player, but there are enough question marks to wonder why the Vikings didn’t go in another direction here."

WalterFootball.com: Round 1, Hughes - A-. "The Vikings' secondary was torched in the NFC Championship, and Hughes will help make sure that won't happen again. As an added bonus, Hughes will strengthen Minnesota's return game. The Vikings needed help in this regard, and Hughes will be a dynamic threat as a return specialist."; Round 2, O'Neill -- B; Round 3, Holmes -- B+; Round 4, Conklin -- B; Round 5, Carlson -- C; Round 6, Gossett -- B+; Round 7, Aruna -- B+; Round 7, Downs -- B+.

No grade, but The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer calls the Vikings a first-round draft-day loser for selecting Mike Hughes over Josh Jackson. In his overall draft grade, Iyer gives the Vikings a B. "Rick Spielman already made his team better when he got Kirk Cousins and Sheldon Richardson in free agency. The Vikings pretty much went down the line addressing their positional needs, none of which were immediate. Hughes will have an impact in slot coverage."

Mike Mayock of NFL.com: No grade, but says "I like it a lot. They've already got Trae Waynes at one corner, Xavier Rhodes at the other, but the nickel Mackensie Alexander has not played great football and I think this kid can come in and play Day One. He's a heck of a competitor."

First-round GPA: 3.06

Other grades

Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com (Rounds 4-7): Homes -- B+; Conklin -- B+; Carlson -- F: Gossett -- A-; Aruna -- A-; Downs -- B-.

Team grades

Mark Maske of the Washington Post: C. "The Vikings addressed needs with first-round CB Mike Hughes and second-round T Brian O’Neill. But after spending all that money on QB Kirk Cousins in free agency, perhaps Minnesota should have given Cousins another playmaker or two on offense."

Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post: B.

Ryan DiPentima of the Palm Beach Post: B.

The Score: C+. "Rick Spielman and his staff effectively filled a number of needs in this year's draft, but none of their picks stand out. Brian O'Neill is a raw tackle that probably should've been selected in Round 3 or 4, but Mike Hughes has the potential to be a shutdown corner in the pros. Holmes and Conklin were solid, if unspectacular, selections on Day 3."

Nate Davis of USA Today: C-. "Coach Mike Zimmer is surely happy to add a third first-found corner (Mike Hughes) to his secondary. Hughes will help in nickel packages and as a returner right away. Beyond that, hard to see many rookies here who will play immediately — unless second-round T Brian O’Neill proves he's ahead of schedule from a strength standpoint."

Evan Silva of Rotoworld: B-. "Hughes married need with value at the 30th pick, bringing to Minnesota press-corner skills and elite return ability after scoring three return TDs for UCF last year. The Vikings need help at slot corner and will have to make a difficult decision on LCB Trae Waynes after this season. O’Neill needs a year in the weight room to improve his core strength. By then, he could be ready to take over as the Vikings’ long-term left tackle. Holmes is an undersized three-technique tackle with a low ceiling. Conklin reminded me of a poor man’s Austin Hooper coming out. Gossett dominated in the Sun Belt Conference and is a good-enough athlete with zone-blocking experience. Aruna was a top-four SPARQ scorer in this year’s edge class. Carlson and Downs should be helpful special teams contributors.:

Thor Nystrom of Rotoworld: C+. "The Vikings plugged their holes at an acceptable price."

Rob Rang of NFL Draft Scout: B.

Walterfootball.com: B.

Paul Schwab of Yahoo Sports: C-. "Cornerback Mike Hughes was a best-player available pick for a team with few holes. Offensive tackle Brian O’Neill is a good athlete, which is in line with the Vikings’ offensive philosophy, and Minnesota doesn’t need him to play immediately. Later on the Vikings made the ultimate luxury pick: Kicker Daniel Carlson in the fifth round. It’s nice to draft when you don’t have a lot of needs, though it’s not like this class will blow anyone away."

Dave Heller is the author of Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow (a Larry Ritter Book Award nominee), Facing Ted Williams - Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns