Dec 24, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks on before the game against the New York Giants at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings are at a fascinating stage in franchise history because the era of Kirk Cousins is over after six seasons, and his successor must be found. To achieve that, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is making sure to put his organization in the right position to make a move for one of the top passers in the upcoming draft.
The first three QBs are universally expected to be drafted within the first three picks on April 25. After moving on from Justin Fields, the Chicago Bears will surely select Caleb Williams out of USC first overall, and LSU’s Jayden Daniels is the current favorite to land in Washington as the perfect fit in OC Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.
Drake Maye is third on the list. New England is drafting third and needs a quarterback. The obvious move would be to simply draft him, but not so fast, says a new conspiracy theory.
Nick Korte, who is calling himself the Compensatory Guy, tweeted about K.J. Osborn’s departure and how that would trigger a compensatory pick to Minnesota: “And that’ll be enough to qualify KJ Osborn as a compensatory free agent. His departure to Foxboro adds another 3rd round 2025 comp pick on the board to the Vikings for Danielle Hunter going to Houston.”
Osborn’s salary is high enough to count toward the complicated compensatory formula, as the Vikings need two more eligible departures than arrivals to presumably get a pair of third-round draft choices.
The interesting part is now that the Patriots triggered that mechanism, the franchise that is also rumored to be Minnesota’s trade partner for the third overall draft pick.
X user Sylux offered a hot take, and it makes sense. The Patriots help Minnesota get an additional third-rounder and can now send their 2025 pick in the third round to New England.
The speculated deal seems highly unusual but would help either team. Minnesota could land North Carolina’s Maye, while New England would receive a ton of draft compensation in an attempt to overhaul the flawed roster.
In addition, Osborn will play a significant role in their offense, as the wide receiver room is one of the worst in the business. Having a solid player like him on the field combined with his great locker room personality is alone worth the $4 million salary. A franchise doesn’t need an added benefit to think signing Osborn would be a good move.
If the Vikings could land Maye, they would get a quarterback with excellent physical tools who can sling the ball all over the field with some added mobility. Arm talent, size, and athleticism are all on Maye’s plus side. Some sloppy footwork and flawed decision-making are the things to work on, understandable at age 21. Overall, his play style and upside make him the perfect target for the Vikes to team up with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
The alternative would be a trade to the fourth spot, currently owned by the Arizona Cardinals, or the Los Angeles Chargers’ fifth selection to draft J.J. McCarthy before the New York Giants, who are rumored to be in the market for a quarterback, could pick him up. Michigan’s signal-caller and national champion has been a riser in the pre-draft process, as his tape shows intriguing arm talent and outstanding poise to guide an offense.
Whoever the Vikings will draft on April 25, they would be in a good spot if it is either Maye or McCarthy.
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