Vikings Hit “Truth Serum” Part of Draft Cycle
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings are the place to be.
Vikings Hit “Truth Serum” Part of Draft Cycle
That’s the word from NFL.com, anyway, with the draft eight days away, and the purple team presumably on its way to drafting a quarterback of the future.
By way of senior reporter Jori Epstein for Yahoo Sports, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah claimed the Vikings are secretly the destination coveted by rookie quarterbacks in this draft. Epstein tweeted Wednesday, “If you gave truth serum to the agents of all the top QBs, Daniel Jeremiah thinks all of them would say they want their guy going to Minnesota. Vikings have 3 Ps: Play caller, protection, playmakers. Rookie can sit behind Sam Darnold at first potentially. By far best situation.”
On March 13th, Minnesota watched as quarterback Kirk Cousins, who led the Vikings for six years, signed with the Atlanta Falcons for four years and $180 million. Mere hours later, the Vikings signed young-but-journeyman passer Sam Darnold, a patchover quarterback for a rookie to be named later.
But that wasn’t all.
Two days after Cousins left, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pressed the button on an unexpected trade, sending two 2nd-Round picks to Houston for the Texans’ 2024 1st-Rounder (Pick No. 23) and a late-round pick swap. Minnesota currently owns the 11th and 23rd picks for draft night on April 25th.
Most expect Minnesota to trade up again, likely with a team such as the Washington Commanders (Pick No. 2), the New England Patriots (Pick No. 3), the Arizona Cardinals (Pick No. 4), or the Los Angeles Chargers (Pick No. 5).
And six quarterbacks await selection: Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (North Carolina), Jayden Daniels (LSU), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), and Bo Nix (Oregon) — all expected to go off the draftboard before the end of Round 2.
Sportsbooks believe McCarthy is the most likely to end up with the Vikings, as the Wolverine has around +115 odds to join the Vikings. Maye isn’t far behind with a +350 moneyline.
The good news? Well, according to Jeremiah, Minneapolis is the spot. Kevin O’Connell, a former quarterback, calls the plays on offense and will nurture the rookie passer for at least the next 4-5 years. On the offensive line, Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill have the bookends secure. And per weaponry, Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones are the stuff of dreams for any quarterback, but especially a rookie.
Vikings fans have narrowed the draft pick to a binary choice between Maye and McCarthy. Yet, if a pseudo-poll were available, all six rookie quarterbacks might pick Minnesota.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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