Vikings Slide Down the List for One Rookie QB
Dustin Baker
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He was never the dream candidate for Minnesota Vikings fans, but his odds of joining the purple team are dwindling nevertheless.
Vikings Slide Down the List for One Rookie QB
He’s Bo Nix, formerly the quarterback of the Oregon Ducks, and is expected to get drafted before the end of Round 2 later this month.
The event is 24 days away, and these are the sportsbook probabilities for Nix’s services as of April 1st:
- Denver Broncos (-135)
- New York Giants (+550)
- Las Vegas Raiders (+650)
- Minnesota Vikings (+650)
- New Orleans Saints (11/1)
- New England Patriots (11/1)
- Los Angeles Rams (25/1)
At the peak of Nix-to-Vikings theories, the moneyline hovered closer to +450, so a climb to +650 is substantial. So, what happened? Simple. Vikings boss Kwesi Adofo-Mensah finagled a trade 2.5 weeks ago, grabbing an additional 1st-Round pick from the Houston Texans while offloading two 2nd-Rounders in the deal, plus a late-round pick swap.
The move positioned Minnesota to pull off another trade — sometime in the next 24 days — and most believe that will occur. Nix was a quasi-darling for Minnesota when they held just one 1st-Round pick.
The Broncos, on the other hand, possess the draft’s 12th overall pick, which is prime territory for Nix if Sean Payton and friends adore him. That’s why Nix to Denver is the hottest theory. The Broncos will need a rookie quarterback contract for the next few years to offset the glaring pain of Russell Wilson’s $85 million dead cap hit.
PurplePTSD’s Josh Frey told VikingsTerritory in February about Nix’s scouting report, “He doesn’t have a ton of zip on his arm, and when he does throw deep, it’s often a floating duck. This begs for big interception numbers in the NFL. Definitely my least favorite watch of the Top 6.”
The knock on Nix is pretty straightforward: arm strength. He does not boast the quality to a degree of other elite prospects, like Drake Maye, for example. The anti-Nix sentiment also invokes the “reach” mentality from years past. For example, the Vikings needed a quarterback in 2011 and drafted Christian Ponder, and some believe Nix could become a repeat of that situation.
Not everyone is low on Nix, though. VikingsTerritory’s Ted Schwerzler identified Nix as his draft crush in February and opined, “It’s predictable coming from the Ducks fan, but Nix elevated himself to new heights again in year two with Oregon. He has more experience than any player coming into the draft at the quarterback position, and he should provide a multi-talented leader at the next level. Nix won’t cost the draft capital that the early three quarterbacks do, and he might also be available in the second round.”
Schwerzler banged the same Nix drum again last weekend here.
If Minnesota ends with a rookie passer from Round 1, it will represent the first such circumstance since Teddy Bridgewater in 2014.
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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