MOBILE, Ala. -- After the Minnesota Vikings took linebacker Anthony Barr with the ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft and followed with nine other picks that appeared largely comprised of long-term projects, ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. gave the draft a B-, wondering how much the Vikings' rookie could contribute right away.

After reviewing the class a year later, Kiper has nudged the Vikings' 2014 draft grade up a couple of notches to a B+. You can read more of his analysis here.

Kiper's initial concern with the Vikings' draft was Barr's ability to step in as a pass-rusher after just two years as a linebacker at UCLA. But by the middle of training camp, Barr had shown how quickly he was picking up the Vikings' defense, and it was clear Mike Zimmer wasn't going to be shy about using him in a number of roles. The Vikings eventually moved away from using Barr as a defensive end on third downs, keeping him in a two-point stance to rush the passer on third downs when their double-A gap blitz package started working so well. Barr finished his rookie year with four sacks and two forced fumbles, before he was slowed by a knee injury, and there's a sense that the Vikings will have an even more diverse role in store for him in 2015.

The success of the Vikings' 2014 draft will ultimately lie with the futures of Barr and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, both of whom the Vikings drafted to be foundational players for their future. Do both players have to turn into stars for the first-round picks to be worth it? Given where the Vikings selected Barr, that might be more important for him -- and draft grades aside, there's no more important task for the team than solving its quarterback issue.

But both players looked ahead of the curve in 2014, and the Vikings got more than expected from third-round running back Jerick McKinnon and seventh-round defensive tackle Shamar Stephen. Injuries -- and the absence of Adrian Peterson -- forced a group of unproven players to take on more work than expected in 2014, and the early returns were positive. If players like third-round defensive end Scott Crichton and fifth-round guard David Yankey develop after what amounted to redshirt years in 2014, the Vikings' 2014 draft class could look even better in time.