The Vikings Now Have a Clear Path to You Know Who
Dustin Baker
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There is a clear path, and there’s just no other way around it.
The Vikings Now Have a Clear Path to You Know Who
If the Minnesota Vikings are willing to spend enough — so, a king’s ransom — North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is there for the taking. And it’s not really debatable.
Thanks to a wonderfully timed press conference Thursday, one week before the 2024 NFL Draft, Vikings fans learned the primary source that would lead to Maye in purple is open for business. “We’re open to anything. Moving up, moving down. We’re open for business in the first round and every round,” defacto New England Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf said Thursday.
This is the way.
If Minnesota is comfortable sending three 1st-Round picks — and whatever else it might take — to New England, Maye can be the target. Per oddsmakers, Caleb Williams is expected to fly off the board at pick No. 1 to the Chicago Bears, with LSU’s Jayden Daniels presumptively on his way to the Washington Commanders.
That’s where the draft would get funky.
Earlier this week, Adam Schefter said about Maye and the Vikings, “It all depends on the team you talk to. It all depends on the team’s interest. If Minnesota were to find a way to get up to three, my sense is, and we don’t know fully, but my sense is that Drake Maye would be the preference.”
Credible reporting indicates that Maye is the Vikings’ guy, and with Wolf’s comments Thursday — we’re open for business — the final hurdle was cleared.
The price will be gaudy. Some consider the three 1st-Rounders to the Patriots for Maye as the starting point of negotiations. After that, an extra deal sweetener may be required, and it boils down to whether Minnesota is willing to pay the price.
Otherwise, J.J. McCarthy is the oddsmakers’ darling to end up with the Vikings, possessing a +115 moneyline as of April 18th.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler published a lengthy analysis of all quarterbacks in the upcoming draft on Tuesday, and Minnesota was specifically mentioned regarding Maye. “Multiple evaluators pointed out Minnesota is the perfect place for Maye in that regard, should the Vikings move up to get him. Scouts noted he’s smart, relaxed and even witty in interviews,” Fowler wrote.
Ergo, there is a fit, the Vikings’ theoretical desire, and a “perfect place” for Maye.
All Minnesota has to do is pull the trigger on draft night. And that’s actually doable after Wolf’s declaration.
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.
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