Former Vikings QB Doubles Down on Draft Endorsement
Dustin Baker
|
It’s a straightforward request from former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer.
Former Vikings QB Doubles Down on Draft Endorsement
Drake Maye or bust.
That’s the word from Kramer, who spent 13 years in Minnesota as a quarterback and hasn’t been bashful about his affinity for Maye. Most mock draft personalities have settled on Maye to the New England Patriots with the draft just hours away, but there is a reasonable path for Minnesota to trade with New England for the pick that could land Maye.
Kramer tweeted on Thursday morning a blunt recommendation, “Go get Maye.”
Minnesota would have to send a king’s ransom to the Washington Commanders (Pick No. 2) or aforementioned Patriots (Pick No. 3) for Maye, but he’s evidently worth the squeeze. Kramer also tweeted last week, “I would like to see the Vikings get Drake Maye in this draft and build around him. Who do you guys think we draft?”
Six weeks ago, the Vikings watched as quarterback Kirk Cousins, who led the purple team for six seasons, signed with the Atlanta Falcons for four years and $180 million. The next day, Minnesota signed journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold, a presumptive insurance policy for a rookie to be named later. That later is tonight.
Thereafter, two days after Cousins left, Adofo-Mensah finagled an unexpected trade, sending two 2nd-Round picks to Houston for the Texans’ 2024 1st-Rounder (Pick No. 23) and a late-round pick swap. Minnesota currently owns the 11th and 23rd picks for draft night — or today.
Conveniently, Kramer’s endorsement aligns with the Vikings fans’ preferences. About a month ago, we polled VikingsTwitter, a loud brand of intense fans, for their draft desire. Maye was the guy — by a wide margin.
If it’s not Maye, Minnesota will likely draft Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, who is the Vegas frontrunner to land in purple. McCarthy’s would-be trade price won’t be as much as Maye, and some day-of-the-draft mocks claim McCarthy could slide to the Vikings at their organic 11th overall pick.
Maye said this week about his connection to Vikings coach Josh McCown, who coached Maye in high school: “Coach McCown, he coached me in high school. His two sons Owen and Aiden were some of my best friends in high school, we still play video games together.”
For over a year, Maye was the consensus No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft behind USC’s Caleb Williams, but then LSU’s Jayden Daniels came along, won a Heisman Trophy, and displaced Maye on most big boards. Accordingly, Maye is quasi-attainable for Minnesota if it’s willing to pay the trade fee.
“Josh was great. He would go play on Sundays and then fly in and coach us on Friday nights. I’m thankful he’s in the NFL coaching quarterbacks, he’s a great mind and a great player,” Maye added.
Now, it’s a countdown of hours to learn if the Vikings brass listens to Kramer.
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.