You Will Really Enjoy ESPN’s Latest Mock Draft for Vikings
Dustin Baker
|
The Minnesota Vikings have encountered 17 opportunities in 62 years to select a quarterback with a Top 10 draft pick.
You Will Really Enjoy ESPN’s Latest Mock Draft for Vikings
They’ve never done it.
But that will evidently change in 29 days if ESPN’s Matt Miller gets his wish. Miller authored a mock draft this week featuring a splashy Vikings trade up the board with the New England Patriots and the subsequent selection of North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.
Miller wrote about Maye to Minnesota at No. 3, “Maye is big-armed and mobile, with the tools to thrive under coach Kevin O’Connell. With a star left tackle in Christian Darrisaw, arguably the league’s best receiver in Justin Jefferson and a very good WR2 in second-year player Jordan Addison, the Vikings’ offensive supporting cast is perfect for a rookie quarterback.”
ESPN did not reveal the trade price for the Vikings, but it would likely include three 1st-Rounders, probably the No. 11 and 23 pick this year, plus next year’s first.
“Maye is raw, and in many situations it would be best for him to sit and learn for a year, but the Minnesota structure could get him on the field early. He has thrown for 7,929 yards and 62 TD passes over the past two seasons,” Miller added about Maye as a Viking.
Regarding sitting and learning, well, that’s why Minnesota signed Sam Darnold two weeks ago, a patchover option for Maye or whichever quarterback the Vikings select next month.
Vikings fans, too, adore Maye. In fact, he’s the darling per fan sentiment to become the Vikings’ next quarterback after Kirk Cousins held down the fort for six seasons. We polled purple fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, last week, and Maye was the guy by a landslide over Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, who is the Vegas favorite to join Minnesota in the draft.
Last weekend, Josh Frey of PurplePTSD.com, a sister site to VikingsTerritory, predicted Maye to Minnesota as well. He opined, “The Patriots will be a popular trade candidate for many QB-needy teams, which could increase the price. Still, the Vikings have an appealing package with two 2024 firsts, so they get the deal done to move up for their QB of the future.”
Frey’s trade cost? Draft picks Nos. 11 and 23, 2025 1st-Rounder, 2026 3rd-Rounder.
The Draft Network’s Damian Parson described Maye in January, “He can alter the pace and tempo of his throws based on the target window. He makes routine NFL throws at all three levels of the field. He has the arm strength to drive passes into tight windows. Maye’s arm talent gives his offense access to the entire field. His work in the quick passing game provides his receiving options the opportunity to gain yards after the catch. Maye’s touch and arc on passes are impressive.”
Maye also possesses prototypical size at 6’4″ and 230 pounds and isn’t afraid to get out of the pocket and move. At heart, he’s a pocket passer who can “do both” in the way of slinging the rock and getting mobile when necessary.
Minnesota hasn’t drafted a 1st-Round quarterback at all in a decade, and the last man was Teddy Bridgewater.
Maye will turn 22 in August.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.