too bad the Vikings passed on him in rounds 1-4 in 2017!
With hindsight in mind, the Vikings still had (and have) Kyle Rudolph, so they weren't too concerned about adding another TE at the time.
They traded with the Eagles for their first round pick to get Sam Bradford. Looking back, that move did not pan out.
What did pan out was their 2nd Rd pick in Dalvin Cook, who is among the best RBs in the league, even though he struggled early to stay healthy.
Their 3rd Rd pick was Pat Elflein, who has been a starter along the OL since day 1, but has been mostly unreliable and his days with the Vikings are numbered.
And then their 4th Rd picks were Jaleel Johnson, can't fault them for taking an Iowa guy, and Ben Gedeon at LB, who has been a starter at OLB for the Vikings off and on since he arrived, but is basically a poor man's Chad Greenway.
In retrospect, however.....while the Vikings have gotten use out of their picks through the first 4 rounds of the 2017 draft (some good and some meh), boy did they f***ing open the door for other teams to thrive....
Here's what they allowed by trading picks and players:
Joe Mixon to Cincinnati in the 2nd Rd. He's been one of the top 10 RBs in the league.
ArDarius Stewart, went to the Jets in the 3rd but is now in the CFL. This is what the Jets do, though.....
Kareem Hunt to the Chiefs in the 3rd via a 3-team trade with Miami. While Hunt had some off-the-field issues, when he was on the field, he was an immediate impact player and helped make that 2018 Chiefs offense one of the most dangerous in recent NFL history.
C.J. Beathard was picked up by the 49ers via a trade involving Kansas City and Minnesota. Beathard would've been perfect for the Vikings given his knowledge of the pro style/PA offense, and the sheer fact that he's not slow as all f*** like Kirk Cousins. Unfortunate, that that opportunity was missed.....
Josh Malone was picked up by the Bengals via a trade between them, Miami and Minnesota in the 4th Rd, at WR. He was a backup and now plays for the Jets.
Donnel Pumphrey, RB, went to the Eagles via Kansas City and Minnesota. Though he became the career rushing leader in FBS history at San Diego State, he is currently a free agent as a pro.
The Chiefs picked up Jehu Chesson in the 4th Rd via a trade between Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Minnesota. Chesson bounced around as a backup and practice squad guy with the Chiefs, Redskins, and now the Jets.
All that just within the first 4 rounds of the draft and the Vikings STILL ended up tied for the most selections made (11) in the Draft that year............
On a positive note, the Vikings did also get Ifeadi Odenigbo in that draft; a 7th Rd pick who is more than likely gonna become a starter at DE for them.
