This Is Who Vikings Fans Predict in Round 1
Dustin Baker
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In four days, purple and gold fans will finally learn the identity of the team’s draft pick(s), probably a quarterback somewhere in Round 1.
This Is Who Vikings Fans Predict in Round 1
The team’s faithful have excitedly agonized over the draft process, especially after general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah produced a pre-draft trade on March 15th, grabbing an additional 1st-Round pick from the Houston Texans while offloading two 2nd-Rounders in the deal, plus a late-round pick swap. The trade arrived just two days after Kirk Cousins left for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, intensifying the anticipation over “the next guy” at quarterback.
Well, Vikings fans believe the draft pick on Thursday night will be Drake Maye, a quarterback from the University of North Carolina. We polled VikingsTwitter, an insatiable, panicky, but devoted bunch of fans, this week, and the prediction was Maye — by an impressive margin. Some 45.3% nominated Maye as their prediction.
Over 1,300 people partook in the poll.
Fans also wonder which team will do business with Minnesota for the would-be trade up the board, as the Washington Commanders (Pick No. 2), the New England Patriots (Pick No. 3), the Arizona Cardinals (Pick No. 4), or the Los Angeles Chargers (Pick No. 5) are likely companions.
Along with Maye, Caleb Williams (USC), Jayden Daniels (LSU), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), and Bo Nix (Oregon) are expected to leave the board in Rounds 1 and 2. Most Vikings loyalists believe the purple team will end up with one of the six. We shall see.
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler published a lengthy analysis of all quarterbacks in the upcoming draft, 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.
Meanwhile, Minnesota hired a new quarterbacks coach in February named Josh McCown, who a) Is a former NFL quarterback b) Coached Maye in high school. Many consider that hire too large of a coincidence to go unnoticed.
According to oddsmakers, though, McCarthy is the favorite to end up in purple. He has between +110 and +200 odds to be drafted by Minnesota, depending on the sportsbook, and probably won’t be as expensive for the Vikings via trade. This is also why the fanbase is so split on predicting the draft’s outcome.
The draft is Thursday night in Detroit. Minnesota hasn’t chosen a quarterback from Round 1 or 2 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 MIN 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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