How Many QBs Go in Round 1?
What the Minnesota Vikings do during the 2024 NFL Draft may largely relate to how their peers handle their respective draft boards. Needing a quarterback, regardless of what happens with Kirk Cousins, it remains to be seen when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will jump at the opportunity.
How Many QBs Go in Round 1?
With only two teams remaining relevant regarding actual on-field action across the NFL, it has been mock draft season for a bit now. The Super Bowl will feature a pair of teams that don’t need quarterbacks moving forward, but the league proved this year that there is certainly a deficiency in quality play under center.
Minnesota saw a substantial falloff after Kirk Cousins was lost for the season, and it’s something the franchise will want to avoid moving forward. Whether Cousins is retained on a new deal or not, having a succession plan is now something the Vikings must consider. In that vein, they will be among the many teams looking to draft a quarterback this April, but when and who they go with remains to be seen.
It’s a given that Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels will all go in the first round. They are the consensus top-3 at the position, and Daniels has elevated his stock all season en route to an eventual Heisman Trophy award. The only intrigue among that trio is whether a team takes a different player within the first three picks.
Outside the top three prospects, though, there are a handful of other contenders to develop and start at the next level. The second grouping of quarterbacks includes Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., and Oregon’s Bo Nix. Neither Tulane’s Michael Pratt nor South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler should be among the top six, but a good group of passers will still be had this spring.
Knowing that three quarterbacks are guaranteed to go in the first round, it is worth wondering if we see the top six all come off the board or some fall into day two. Dating back to 2012, there have been just four drafts in which more than three quarterbacks have gone in the first round. Twice, five quarterbacks were selected, with the other two drafts producing four each. It seems like a good bet to assume that at least four are taken in the first round this year, and five also seem realistic.
If the Vikings are going to grab a passer to build their future around, they may need to operate within the first round to do so. It would be understandable to trade out of the 11th pick in order to get the job done, but waiting until the second round when one (or none) of the starting caliber names are left could be a bit dicey. Finding a Russell Wilson type as a mid-round pick can happen, but ensuring you have a perfect evaluation and some luck will be a large part of that process.
Thirteen quarterbacks have been taken in the first round of drafts since 2020, and that includes 2022, when only Kenny Pickett was selected in round one. The position is the most important in sports for a reason, and the Vikings can’t be left out in the cold when trying to figure out who their choice will be.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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