The Minnesota Vikings made two selections in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, which wasn’t unexpected given their initial possession of two first-round picks. However, the journey to their final draft slots, No. 10 and No. 17, was filled with surprises.
The second trade, in particular, caught the entire fanbase off guard. While it was widely known that the Vikings were eyeing a quarterback early in the draft, there was relief among fans when they didn’t have to sacrifice multiple first-round picks to secure JJ McCarthy.
However, the shock came when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah opted to use the saved first-rounder to move back up and select EDGE Dallas Turner. This move left everyone, including Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell, stunned.
In a draft room video capturing the moments before the trade-up for Turner, Adofo-Mensah informs O’Connell of the decision, prompting a priceless reaction from the coach. O’Connell’s expression mirrored that of a child receiving unexpected news of an early Christmas.
KOC's exact reaction when he realized how hard Kwesi just cooked pic.twitter.com/XgA9eHBwhp
— 10,000 Takes (@10k_Takes) April 26, 2024
While many had anticipated the Vikings needing to break into the top 5 to secure McCarthy, they only needed to move up a single slot to outmaneuver Denver, partly due to the surprising selection of Michael Penix Jr. by the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8.
