1. Jordan Addison, WR, USC
3. Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC
4. Jay Ward, DB, LSU
5. Jaquelin Roy, DL, LSU
5. Jaren Hall, QB, BYU
7. DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB
All signed.
There isn’t one path to signing an NFL draft class. Compared to the pre-2011 CBA negotiations, getting draft picks signed is pretty breezy. Teams often sign later round picks first simply because of the ease of doing those deals. There’s a little more wriggle room for negotiations with first round picks. In recent years, second round picks have become the most difficult to sign. They are trying to get guaranteed money more like the players selected only a few picks before them. For that reason, it might be a good thing that the Vikings didn’t have a second-round pick.
Anyway, the Vikings took a slightly different path this year to getting their six draft picks signed. They were slow to start the signings because they couldn’t afford to do so. The Vikings were close to the salary cap throughout the offseason. They were right up against it after the draft. Trading outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith to the Cleveland Browns opened up more than enough cap room to sign all six of the draft picks. And then some. Soon after the Smith trade, Jaren Hall, Jaquelin Roy, Jay Ward, and Mekhi Blackmon were signed. They were signed just in time for the team’s rookie minicamp. First-round pick Jordan Addison was signed soon after.
Only seventh-round running back DeWayne McBride was unsigned. It felt strange for their seventh-round pick to be the only unsigned draft pick. That continued through May and into June. Perhaps there was no rush to sign McBride because a hamstring injury kept him out of the on-field work. McBride signed his rookie contract yesterday. He also took part in his first NFL practice. Coincidence?
The Vikings 2023 NFL Draft Class is signed.
Now, it’s time to work out extensions for Justin Jefferson, Danielle Hunter, and T.J Hockenson.
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