With the Minnesota Vikings currently set to begin this year’s NFL Draft with the No. 11 pick in the first round, much of the speculation around who they might select with their top pick has been centered around the quarterback position.
However, the Vikings have plenty of other roster improvements that need to be made before the 2024 season, especially when it comes to their defensive line.
Currently, Harrison Phillips, Jaquelin Roy, and Dean Lowry are the only defensive linemen under contract for Minnesota through the 2024 campaign. The Vikings not only need to add more depth to this position group, but they need to improve its overall talent level as well.
This week, multiple members of the Vikings, including general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell, are in Mobile, Alabama, for this year’s Senior Bowl.
The annual event is unofficially the start of draft season each year as it gives teams the opportunity to get a closer look at some of the prospects that will be available in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Former Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II was expected to be a participant in the 2024 Senior Bowl festivities, but he backed out shortly before the event began this year.
Despite his non-participation, rumors about Murphy have still been spreading in Mobile. According to Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline, Minnesota is reportedly one of the NFL teams that has “a lot of interest” in the former Texas defensive tackle.
The 6-foot-1, 297-pound defensive lineman spent all three of his seasons in college football at the University of Texas, and he’s only 21 years old. In 14 games for the Longhorns in 2023, he accumulated 29 tackles (8.5 for a loss) and five sacks.
Currently, Murphy is projected to be a mid to late first-round pick in the 2024 draft, so he should be on the board still when it comes time for the Vikings to make their first selection with Pick No. 11.
Obviously, things could change in the next few months, and his draft stock could rise or fall depending on how he performs during his Pro Day and during the NFL Scouting Combine.
But as it stands right now, Murphy should be available for Minnesota to add to their roster if they believe he’s worthy of being taken off the board with the No. 11 pick in the 2024 draft.
The Minnesota Vikings have signed their fair share of free agents over the years and were aggressive in 2023 by adding Byron Murphy. This time around, the Vikings may want to consider more key pieces on the defensive side of the ball.
For this list, we will highlight some of the big-name free agents on the market that could make an impact for Minnesota in 2024 and beyond.
However, Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter will not be included in this group despite being free agents themselves. Instead, the players listed will be players coming from elsewhere in the league.
With some roster moves and contract restructures, the Vikings can certainly create enough cap space to sign a key player or two while also finalizing an extension with Justin Jefferson. This is a very strong free agency class, and there are a ton of players in areas of need for Minnesota.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell are well aware that the team needs to improve in 2024, and last season proved that depth is far more important than top-end talent when building an NFL roster.
This isn’t necessarily a make-or-break offseason for Minnesota and their organizational staff, but it is probably their best chance to change their fortunes.
The following list features the best free agents that would be exciting additions to the Vikings in 2024.
