NFC North: National 2015 NFL Draft Grades

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Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

1. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have received the best consensus draft grades around the internet over the past few days and it’s quite easy to see why — they killed it. In a division that boasts Aaron Rodgers, Calvin Johnson, Alshon Jeffery, Matthew Stafford, Eddie Lacy, and others it’s important to be strong on defense. In the 2015 draft, the Vikings went all out on the defensive side of the ball.

“Defense, defense, defense.” That was the Vikings’ motto in the first three rounds of the draft. They selected cornerback Trae Waynes, linebacker Eric Kendricks, and defensive end Danielle Hunter in order over the weekend. All three will have a chance to be starters this fall with Waynes and Kendricks being locks to start, in my opinion. Although this draft wasn’t just about the defensive side of the ball. The Vikings also snagged offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings in the fourth round and he has a chance to be an immediate contributor, too.

Minnesota was all about value in this draft and it got some exciting weapons for its young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the later rounds, as well. Tight end Mycole Pruitt and wide receiver Stefon Diggs could develop into dangerous players as time goes on. Diggs is a potential steal as his talent is off the charts and he has the tools to become the next big slot receiver in Minnesota. Below is how the rest of the nation graded the Vikings’ draft.

ESPN (Mel Kiper): B
Sports Illustrated: A
Bleacher Report: B-
CBS Sports: B+
NFL.com: B
SB Nation: B+
NFL Spin Zone (Joe Soriano): A

The Vikings were the only team in the NFC North to receive two “A’s” between these seven different outlets. It’s obvious that head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman had a plan going into the draft and executed it to perfection. Their plan consisted of finding defensive starters in the early rounds and offensive players will a lot of upside in the later rounds.

If I was to give grades I would give the Packers a B, the Lions a B, the Bears an A-, and the Vikings an A. As you can see, my draft grades pretty much coincide with the general vibe of the rest of the country. That said, I’ll be willing to admit I’m wrong in a few years when we find out which players become busts and which are in the Pro Bowl.

Maybe we’re all fools or maybe the Vikings truly did dominate the NFC North in the 2015 NFL Draft. What do you think, NFC North fans?

Next: Grades for all 32 First Round Picks in the 2015 NFL Draft

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