Vikings Fans Should Be Glad the Patriots Passed
The Minnesota Vikings were headed into the 2024 NFL Draft with a new quarterback squarely on their radar. It was clear that Drake Maye was among the names they coveted, and they did everything they could and then some to get him. In the end, fans should be glad the Patriots passed on the trade haul.
Vikings Fans Should Be Glad the Patriots Passed
It could be called the worst kept secret, but believing the Vikings needed a quarterback in the first round of April’s draft wasn’t something unknown to anyone. With Kirk Cousins’s departure, it always stood to reason that Kevin O’Connell’s club needed to take a shot at finding their quarterback of the future. Even with the two first-round picks that would dominate a significant portion of their draft capital, stopping shy of the lunacy they would have needed was smart.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted out the package that was reported to have been exchanged. It was always going to cost at least two first-round picks, and the 2025 first-rounder being thrown in was a believed guarantee as well. All of that for the third overall pick and a pair of potential throwaway selections would have hurt.
This draft had a consensus of the top three quarterbacks that morphed into a top four (don’t tell Atlanta, though). Caleb Williams is seen as a step above based on his arm strength and athletic capabilities, but his maturity may be enough to hold him back. Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye had their own warts as well, and although they went ahead of the Vikings J.J. McCarthy, needing to allocate the return to grab them would never have been worth it.
It’s fair to be skeptical about a guy like McCarthy, who came from such a run-heavy offense at Michigan. It’s also fair to be excited about a young prospect who won’t be thrown into the fire immediately and will get to learn from O’Connell and the quarterback system that Minnesota currently has in place.
Arguably, the best-case scenario played out for the Vikings. Ideally, they wouldn’t have moved into the 10th spot, and while Sean Payton quickly took claim for that, they did what they felt got them their guy without having to make any substantial changes to get there.
McCarthy is in the best situation for a rookie quarterback across the NFL. He gets to sit behind Sam Darnold out of the gate unless he shows unexpected readiness. He’ll feel supported and have the talent to prop him up. He’s also not going to be deemed the sole reason for success or failure, and another first-round talent will be breaking in alongside him.
Once again, Minnesota, well done.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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