Vikings Reportedly Willing to Make Splashy Move in Draft
Dustin Baker
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The 2024 NFL Draft is 91 days away, and when the time arrives, the Minnesota Vikings could be among the most prominent movers and shakers via trade.
Vikings Reportedly Willing to Make Splashy Move in Draft
The club owns the 11th overall pick and must decide before free agency in March to re-sign incumbent quarterback Kirk Cousins or let him hit the open market. While the team’s leaders have expressed interest in reuniting with Cousins for a seventh season, the outcome is truly a coinflip as of January 25th. It’s all about the money.
But with or without Cousins — the following is probably a likelier outcome if he departs — Minnesota is reportedly willing to trade ample draft capital for a move up the board, presumably for a quarterback. The 2024 class is filled with promising quarterback prospects, unlike 2022, for example, when only Kenny Pickett was selected in Round 1. This class could have six quarterbacks fly off the board in Round 1.
Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling joined Paul Allen’s show on KFAN this week and explained Minnesota’s draft mindset regarding quarterback, “If they’re going to take one, it’s going to be someone we love or we’re not doing it. If you have to give up a couple first-round picks for future years, I don’t think they’d bat an eye at that.”
A couple of reports have indicated in the last year that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was prepared to trade up last year for Anthony Richardson or Bryce Young, depending on their draft standing, but no deal materialized. The Vikings stayed put and drafted wide receiver Jordan Addison instead, a move celebrated by basically everybody.
“They have certainly looked at this as ‘we need to get the guy that we can plant our flag with for the next 10 years, and if it costs a lot to do that, so be it. ‘I don’t think they’re going to limp in on this, so to speak, and be like, ‘Well, if it’s QB5 and we’re kind of OK with him, let’s take him anyway,'” Goessling added.
At the Vikings’ organic 11th pick, Adofo-Mensah will be in prime territory to disavow trades and select Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan), or Bo Nix (Oregon). But the question is whether Minnesota wants a blue chip, Top 3 prospect. If so, it will have to trade up near spot No. 2 or 3 with the Washington Commanders or New England Patriots for Drake Maye (North Carolina) or Jayden Daniels (LSU). Caleb Williams (USC) is expected to go off the board first, probably to the Chicago Bears, the franchise holding the pick.
Goessling added, “They looked at it last year. They probably didn’t have quite enough capital to get up to three or four to get Anthony Richardson. Richardson, Stroud, Young, they liked all three of them.”
Minnesota hasn’t drafted a quarterback in Round 1 or 2 of the draft in 10 years.
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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