Bleacher Report Locks in Official Vikings Draft Prediction
Dustin Baker
|
The 2024 NFL Draft is 27 days away, and the Minnesota Vikings are scheduled to pick 11th and 23rd on Night No. 1.
Bleacher Report Locks in Official Vikings Draft Prediction
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah got the ball rolling two weeks ago with a pre-draft trade, grabbing an additional 1st-Round pick from the Houston Texans while offloading two 2nd-Rounders in the deal, plus a late-round pick swap. Most believe the Vikings will trade up at least one more time to secure a quarterback of the future after Kirk Cousins left in free agency for the Atlanta Falcons.
And Bleacher Report is one of those theorists. BR’s Alex Ballentine locked in eight formal draft predictions this week, and for Minnesota, it’s J.J. McCarthy as the pick. Ballentine explained, “There are so many rumors about the Michigan quarterback that it’s hard to parse out where he’ll end up being draft, so instead, we’ll make a proclamation about who he ends up playing for. The Minnesota Vikings.”
Per oddsmakers, the Vikings are the frontrunner to grab McCarthy on April 25th. So, Ballentine isn’t alone with the prediction.
“The Vikings haven’t hidden their interest in a quarterback. They finally got off the Kirk Cousins contract carousel, and signing Sam Darnold is the only corresponding move they’ve made. Their move to trade with the Texans for the 23rd overall pick for second-rounders in 2024 and 2025 feels like a beefing up of the ammo to move up in the draft,” Ballentine added.
Back in December, when credible mock drafts were just getting off the ground, McCarthy was forecasted as a 2nd-Rounder. Fast forward to March, and the man is damn near a Top 5 prospect in all mocks.
Ballentine concluded his Vikings + McCarthy prediction, “Whether McCarthy falls all the way to No. 11 or the Vikes move up to get him, it feels like destiny that he’ll be wearing purple and gold.”
NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero recently mentioned about McCarthy: “It’s been really interesting because everybody is always trying to figure out — especially at the top of the draft — what the other teams are doing. When I’ve had conversations here with executives for other teams who know [Washington GM] Adam Peters well, know the situation well, the most popular answer for what they do at No. 2 is J.J. McCarthy. So a lot of drama still to come.”
So, for Ballentine and sportsbooks to get it right, Minnesota will likely have to trade into the draft’s Top 5, if not Top 3.
McCarthy turned 21 in January and stands 6’3″. He dispelled any fears about his frame at the NFL Combine, weighing in at 219 pounds.
The Vikings haven’t used Rounds 1 or 2 of the draft for a quarterback since Teddy Bridgewater — 10 years ago.
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.