Is the Vikings pick trade part of plan to move into top 4 of NFL Draft?
Vikings fans woke up Friday to the news that the Vikings have acquired the No. 23 overall pick in the NFL draft.
By giving up their second-round picks in the 2024 and 2025 draft, along with a 2024 sixth-round pick, to get Houston's first-round pick this year. The move instantly makes the Vikings the favorite in an arms race to move up in the draft.
After losing Kirk Cousins to the Falcons the Vikings have been widely expected to take a QB in the draft, though Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah told media Thursday the team is not "locked in" to taking a quarterback.
"I don't think there's much mystery here. The Vikings are not toying around with their future at quarterback," Purple Insider's Matthew Coller told Bring Me The Sports. "They are moving heaven and earth to get up to the top of the draft to take their guy so we should expect to see another move soon."
The Jimmy Johnson draft chart make a straight up trade of 2024 first-round picks between the Cardinals at No. 4 and the Vikings with picks No. 11 and No. 23 an equal trade.
“I think Minnesota will put forth a strong effort to try and get up to get Drake Maye," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said this week on his Moving The Chains podcast. "I think they will make the effort. I just don't know if one of those teams up there will get out."
Trading for the Los Angeles Chargers' pick at No. 5 seems the most likely deal to be made – BUT it does leave the Vikings at risk of getting leapfrogged by the New York Giants, who may well want a QB themselves and could trade their No. 6 pick to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4, knowing the Cardinals are likely to want wide receiver phenom Marvin Harrison Jr.
If the Cardinals don't want to move down to No. 11, could the Vikings be aiming even higher, ending in the top 3?
There have been rumblings this week that the New England Patriots may be willing to trade down from No. 3, and Friday's move has added fuel to the fire.
With the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders seemingly set to take Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels at No. 2, a move to No. 3 would give the Vikings their choice of Drake Maye and JJ McCarthy.
The trade by the Vikings Friday is similar to recent moves made by other teams that have moved up to take quarterbacks.
In 2018 the Bills put together a trade package to move up from No. 21 to No. 12 before making a second trade to move up to No. 7 in order to select Josh Allen. The Eagles traded up twice in 2016, from No. 13 to No. 8 then up to No. 2, in order to take Carson Wentz.
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Dec 10, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell (left) and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah react during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Allegiant Stadium.
© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The most recent precedent was set by San Francisco in 2021, when they traded up from No. 12 to No. 3 by trading three first-round picks and a 2022 third-round pick in order to select Trey Lance.
"I don't think you make this move, if you are Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, unless you already know what you are going to be capable of getting," Coller said in a reaction video on the Purple Insider YouTube channel. "You already must have an idea that one of those teams in the top four is totally ready to make that trade with you and this is what they were asking for.
