Jan. 2, 2011; Detroit, MI, USA; A Minnesota Vikings helmet against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE.
Kirk Cousins left the Minnesota Vikings this offseason after six years, as the purple team banked the league’s 13th-best record on his watch and paid him handsomely along the way.
Now, Cousins will be paid handsomely in Atlanta, and the Vikings need a new franchise quarterback, one most fans and pundits expect to be plucked from the 2024 NFL Draft. Two weeks ago, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah executed an unforeseen trade, obtaining an additional 1st-Round pick from the Houston Texans while offloading two 2nd-Rounders in the deal, plus a late-round pick swap.
Since that day, folks have wondered which team will do business with Minnesota afterward because Adofo-Mensah likely needs one more sizable trade to draft his quarterback for life after Cousins. And as of March 28th, all fingers keep pointing to the New England Patriots, an organization holstering the draft’s third overall pick.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson said on the Mackey & Judd Show this week, “If I had to bet right now, Reckless Speculation Thursday on a Tuesday, the Vikings don’t get up to two, but I do think getting up to three is very much in play.”
Three would be the Patriots, and New England’s brass has indicated it’s open for business. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told the Boston Globe last weekend, “I know everyone likes to think they have the special formula to picking players. But honestly, the guaranteed way to win is to accumulate more picks. So if we don’t feel convicted (about whom to draft) at No. 3, we are willing to do that, as well.”
Mayo continued, “If we take a quarterback at three, that means we are (convinced) that this player is really the future of this organization … Going back to your point that we said earlier, there are multiple pieces on this team that we want to fill. So, if you can gather more picks, that definitely helps you out. I can put more chips on the table.”
Meanwhile, mock drafts featuring a Vikings-Patriots swap and subsequent quarterback selection for Minnesota are plentiful. The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher published a mock draft on Thursday, and lo and behold, the prediction lassoed a Vikings-Patriots trade and North Carolina’s Drake Maye to Minnesota.
Mosher explained, “It’s no secret the Minnesota Vikings are trying to get a quarterback, which is why they’ve already acquired an extra first-round pick. While the Patriots need a quarterback, they are also entering Stage 1 of their rebuild. They need more draft capital and multiple Round 1 picks. The Vikings have added one of the most gifted quarterbacks in the nation. Drake Maye has fantastic size and a great arm, but don’t underestimate his athleticism.”
Earlier this week, ESPN fired up the same prophecy, with Matt Miller envisioning the Minnesota-New England transaction — also with Maye as the target. 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.”
The 33rd Team and 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.
That’s the consensus, at least per public opinion:
The draft is four weeks away.
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.