Vikings Complete QB Bingo at the Combine
The Minnesota Vikings are one of the many teams in the NFL that are looking for a new quarterback. With Kirk Cousins set to become an unrestricted free agent, the franchise needs a new quarterback if they can’t re-sign him. And even if he returns, drafting his successor might not be a bad idea. Currently holding the 11th overall pick, Minnesota is doing its due diligence.
Vikings Complete QB Bingo at the Combine
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his head coach Kevin O’Connell have preached their collaborative approach for years, and entering the third offseason in charge, it could be time to finally select their guy in the draft. Most new regimes try to put a stamp on the organization by acquiring (or at least trying to) the new franchise quarterback.
If this is the year, they chose a good season to do that. The draft class is loaded with a trio at the top — Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (North Carolina), and Jayden Daniels (LSU). Those three can be found at the top of most mock drafts in the industry, and it would be quite shocking if one of them would significantly fall in the first round on April 25.
Because the Vikings, at the very least, are in the market for one of them, they are doing the right thing, trying to collect as much information as possible. After highlighting the skillset they are looking for in a quarterback on Tuesday, the Vikings try to determine if the prospects fit that description. On Wednesday, reports suggested that the purple team would meet with all three top passers.
Ian Rapoport on X: USC QB Caleb Williams, the potential top overall pick, arrives today at the NFL Scouting Combine and is expected to meet with the Bears, Commanders, Patriots, Raiders, Falcons, Jets, Giants and Vikings. Williams will do meetings, but no testing or on-field work.”
Of course, Caleb Williams is widely expected to replace Justin Fields as QB1 in Chicago. Trading up to get him requires a massive trade package that includes at least three first-rounders and possibly even a top player on top of that. Adofo-Mensah pulling that off is highly unlikely.
More likely is the selection of LSU’s Daniels, who is also having an encounter with the Vikings, according to Rapoport: “LSU Heisman Trophy-winning QB Jayden Daniels spent yesterday and today at the Combine meeting with teams such as the Bears, Commanders, Vikings, Jets, Giants, Patriots, Raiders, Seahawks and Saints.”
The reporter later added that he is also meeting with the Falcons and that Maye is meeting the same teams.
Daniels is rivaling Maye for the second overall pick. His play style and absurd athletic skills make him a wonderful fit in Washington’s offense led by former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Maye, meanwhile, is a prototypical quarterback who combines size, rushing ability, and arm talent, although he doesn’t possess Daniels’ electric playmaking ability.
The Commanders are expected to select one of those players with their second overall pick, but the remaining one will be available when the New England Patriots are on the clock. They are a popular team when it comes to projecting trades, so they can fill more holes on their roster by acquiring more picks.
If that’s the case, well, the Vikings could be on the phone trying to facilitate a trade to draft the third quarterback. It would still require a huge trade package, but getting the right quarterback could be worth it, and if the passer is a hit, nobody will care about the cost of getting him to Minnesota.
Those meetings are standard practice, but the decision-makers didn’t meet with Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud last year, so they are seriously considering a splashy move.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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