Minnesota

Picks, Needs, Possible Targets on Saturday

Published

2 years ago

April 27, 2024

Picks, Needs, Possible Targets on Saturday

After a busy first night of the 2024 NFL Draft saw the Vikings land J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner, Day 2 came and went without Minnesota making any picks. Their second-rounder was traded in March in a deal for the 23rd pick, and their third-rounder was moved a couple years ago in the T.J. Hockenson deal.

GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings will be back in action for Day 3 on Saturday, with five picks at their disposal and plenty of needs to address. As is always the case, there’s still plenty of talent available after the first three rounds. Here’s a quick preview of an important day for the Vikings, which begins at 11 a.m. CT.

Vikings 2024 draft picks

* Round 1, Pick 10: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
* Round 1, Pick 17: Dallas Turner, OLB, Alabama
* Round 4, Pick 108
* Round 6, Pick 177
* Round 6, Pick 203
* Round 7, Pick 230
* Round 7, Pick 232

Day 3 needs

Defensive tackle: Minnesota has one of the five worst DT rooms in the NFL. Harrison Phillips is a solid nose tackle, but Jonathan Bullard is a replacement-level player who starts for the Vikings and the pressure-creating options are Jerry Tillery and Jaquelin Roy. This is a glaring need.

Cornerback: The Vikings’ starting corners are in place with Byron Murphy Jr., Shaq Griffin, and Mekhi Blackmon, but they could really use another young piece at that position with a chance to develop into a contributor. 2022 draft picks Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans have not panned out.

Left guard: Dalton Risner remains a free agent, so the Vikings’ current projected starter at LG is Blake Brandel, who has been a backup throughout his career. They need competition at that spot.

Wide receiver: You can never have too many wide receivers. The Vikings let K.J. Osborn walk in free agency, so it would be helpful if they could grab someone who can enter the depth mix with Brandon Powell, Trent Sherfield, and Jalen Nailor.

Kicker: The Vikings need to add a kicker to compete with John Parker Romo, who they signed from the XFL. That could be an option in the seventh round or undrafted free agency.

Others: On defense, linebacker and safety are both options where the Vikings could add someone with versatility and special teams value. They could also take another edge rusher. On offense, don’t rule out tight end or running back. Basically the only position that would be surprising is quarterback.

Potential targets with pick 108

If the Vikings don’t trade down (which feels like a real possibility), they’ll have the eighth pick of the fourth round on Saturday morning, and then nothing until the first pick of the sixth round. These players are among those who would make sense at 108:

Vikings have the 8th pick in the fourth round tomorrow morning. Some notable names still on the board:
CB Khyree Jackson
CB TJ Tampa
CB Cam Hart
DT Mekhi Wingo
DT Brandon Dorlus
OG Christian Mahogany
OG Mason McCormick
WR Javon Baker
WR Troy Franklin
LB Cedric Gray
S Jaden Hicks
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) April 27, 2024

That’s obviously just a small portion of the players who could be under consideration for the Vikings in the fourth round. Keep an eye on Jackson and Baker, who took top-30 visits to Minnesota recently.

Late-round names to know

The following players visited the Vikings during the pre-draft process and could be options in the 6th or 7th round (or as UDFAs).

* LSU IOL Charles Turner III
* Oregon DT Taki Taimani
* Tennessee TE McCallan Castles
* UNC OT Spencer Rolland
* UNI DT Khristian Boyd
* Washington RB Dillon Johnson
* Iowa TE Erick All
* USF OT Donovan Jennings
* CFL CB Qwan’tez Stiggers
* Ohio State S Josh Proctor
* Memphis RB Blake Watson
* UTSA WR Joshua Cephus
* TCU S Millard Bradford

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long.

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Minnesota

So Minnesota: Lego King of Minneapolis builds Minnesota landmarks one brick at a time

Published

2 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

So Minnesota: Lego King of Minneapolis builds Minnesota landmarks one brick at a time

Many kids will find Lego sets under the Christmas tree this holiday season, but the popular toy isn’t just for children.

Jeff Esler fell in love with Legos as a child, and that love affair has never ended.

“I am the Lego king of Minneapolis,” Esler said. “So my friends call me.”

A decade ago, Esler immortalized Nye’s Polonaise Room in Legos and posted it on Facebook.

“That one, it kind of went really viral,” Esler said. “I think I got 100,000 shares.”

Esler’s fame grew after he went on to use toy bricks to build mini masterpieces of Minnesota landmarks.

“I did Matt’s, and then I did Gluek’s,” Elser said. “I did the Frank Lloyd Wright gas station in Cloquet. Then, probably the Split Rock Lighthouse. The Grain Belt sign.”

Each project costs from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. They take a ton of bricks and days to build. Esler has sold some models and given others away.

“I do the landmarks, because they click with people,” Esler said.

Esler plans to keep building some of Minnesota’s most recognizable places one brick at a time.

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Minnesota

More Minnesota fraud indictments as allegations fly

Published

14 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

More Minnesota fraud indictments as allegations fly

Federal prosecutors announce indictments against two Philadelphia men they say submitted up to $3.5 million in fake and inflated bills to Minnesota Medicaid programs, WCCO-TV reports. “Minnesota has become a magnet for fraud, so much so that we have developed a fraud tourism industry,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said.

State Rep. Kristin Robbins alleges – without sharing a name or other evidence – that the Minnesota Department of Human Services paid state money to a Feeding Our Future defendant while they were awaiting trial, the Minnesota Reformer reports. Robbins, who chairs a legislative fraud oversight committee and is running for governor, says she has collected hundreds of whistleblower tips, but she has not shared them with the department’s inspector general.

The state has suspended or delayed payments to several social service providers as part of an effort to catch and prevent fraud, and now one of those providers says the crackdown had deadly consequences, KARE 11 reports. A service provider says a vulnerable adult client was found dead in his St. Paul apartment after the state froze payments that had been covering his care.

Rolling Stone writer Stephen Rodrick, who spent time with Melissa Hortman while covering Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz during the 2024 presidential campaign, writes about the life of the late Minnesota House Speaker in a 7,000-word profile based on interviews with dozens of family, friends and colleagues.

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Minnesota

Minnesota weather: What to expect with Thursday’s snow, strong winds

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Minnesota weather: What to expect with Thursday’s snow, strong winds

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Temperatures dropping, snow and strong winds are set to come through the state Thursday.

Here’s what to expect for Thursday’s winter weather.

What to expect for Thursday’s snow, dropping temps

What to expect:

A winter weather advisory is in place for parts of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities Thursday.

A warm front overnight Wednesday will bring rain, then a cold front Thursday is expected to bring snow.

Temperatures are expected to drop significantly, which could cause slippery roads for the morning and evening commute.

There is also a blizzard warning for the far northwest of Minnesota Thursday.

A wind advisory is in place for the southwest portion of the state on Thursday, which could bring wind speeds of up to 50 mph.

An inch or two of snow is expected, but road conditions will deteriorate throughout the day Thursday. As the cold front moves through the state late Thursday morning, winds could be 40–50 mph.

Due to strong winds, any snow that falls could reduce viability when driving Thursday. Temperatures are expected to fall into single digits by the evening.

Extended forecast

What’s next:

Friday could see a few flurries with temperatures in the low 20s. Saturday will have occasional passing clouds and highs in the upper 20s, while Sunday is cooler, but comes with more sunshine.

Temperatures warm back into the 30s for the start of next week.

Weather ForecastMinnesota

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