Mocking the Vikings First Round | 2024
Ted Schwerzler
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The Minnesota Vikings are about to undergo one of their most important drafts in franchise history. Without taking a first-round quarterback in years and that reality being squarely in play, they must get it right.
Mocking the Vikings First Round
In swinging a trade with the Houston Texans, the Minnesota Vikings put the league on notice. By acquiring a second-round pick, the franchise now has ample ammunition to trade up in the draft should they so choose. It did leave them in a spot where they have no second — or third-round picks — but cementing the most important position in sports is clearly the larger goal here.
So, what do they do? Here’s exactly what they should do.
Minnesota trades the 11th and 23rd overall picks, along with a 2025 first-round pick, to New England. They acquire the third overall pick in 2024 and select Drake Maye.
This price is extremely steep, and if Minnesota wants to draft in the top two, then adding another future first-round pick must come into play. Washington and New England both need quarterbacks, but this scenario allows the third team to stockpile assets in the post-Bill Belichick era. That should be enticing enough to allow the Vikings an opportunity to grab one of the top-tier options.
Caleb Williams will be off the board by this point, as he’s going first overall to the Chicago Bears. It remains somewhat of a mystery just how much interest Minnesota has in Jayden Daniels. He has flopped back and forth with Drake Maye as the second quarterback to be taken. If Daniels goes second to Washington, then this puts the Vikings in their ideal scenario.
Maye is familiar with the Vikings staff because he worked with quarterbacks coach Josh McCown in high school. His style fits perfectly with what Kevin O’Connell wants to do in his system. The North Carolina product lands in an ideal offensive landscape with talented pass catchers and a star running back. The two sides couldn’t be a better match.
It could be the scrambling ability or the Heisman hype, but Daniels overtaking Maye as the second quarterback off the board plays into the Vikings’ hands here. Minnesota may be thrilled to make it work with the LSU product as well, but he doesn’t slide into the system for O’Connell as smoothly.
The draft capital required to make this move definitely will sting, and the Vikings then are forced to wait until the fourth round before making another selection. Getting their quarterback of the future should soften any of that blow, though.
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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