In the immediate aftermath of the NFL draft, several publications put out some variation of winners/losers from the three-day process. The Vikings generally didn't fit either category, coming out of the draft with 11 picks but no first-round selection as a true centerpiece. The closest thing to a sure thing is second round running back Dalvin Cook.
NFL.com did a list of most improved teams after the draft. So did CBS Sports and Bleacher Report. You'll find Pro Football Focus did theirs focusing on most improved teams in each division. But you won't find the Vikings on any of those lists.
Perhaps that's why it was a little surprising — and heartening, if you are a Vikings fan — to see Minnesota show up on a late entry into the most improved list game. ESPN's Todd McShay did his version on Monday, more than a week after the draft ended, and he has the Vikings among his top five most improved teams from the draft (Insider required).
McShay (who also includes the Jaguars, Titans, Chargers and Broncos on his list) praised the Cook pick by calling the running back "one of the most explosive players in the draft." He also liked the next two picks, saying versatile offensive lineman Pat Elflein "has the requisite experience and intelligence to make the jump from college to be an immediate NFL starter" and that fourth-rounder Jaleel Johnson is "one of the most explosive interior pass-rushers in this class."
McShay's introduction notes that teams like New England and Dallas also drafted well but have little room for improvement after strong 2016 seasons. So part of his ranking is based on upside compared to a year ago. The Vikings were 8-8 — starting 5-0 before losing eight of their next 10 games, then finishing with a win over the Bears — and based on how many holes the latter part of 2016 revealed they certainly had room to improve.
If those first three picks pan out — a big if, of course, this early in the process — the Vikings will have filled three big holes. They could also use a breakthrough from one of their two late-round WR picks. It's important to remember, though, that only four of their 11 selections were among the top 120 picks. Seven were 170 or lower.
