Report: Vikings 'More Likely to Keep 11 and 23 at This Point' But Still Exploring Options

Will the Vikings be comfortable staying put and taking whichever quarterback is available?

Author:
Will Ragatz
Apr 24, 2024

In this story:

Minnesota Vikings

2024 NFL Draft

2024 QB Class

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

The dilemma the Vikings are seemingly facing is that they want to trade up for a quarterback like Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy, but the teams picking in the top five know that — and are thus asking for far more than what Minnesota is comfortable paying to move up.

The Vikings are "more likely to keep (picks) 11+23 at this point," says Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz, "though they continue to explore all options."

More and more, it sounds like the Patriots are going to stay put at 3 and take Maye. At 4, the Cardinals are apparently also asking for a major haul if they're going to trade out instead of taking Marvin Harrison Jr. there. SI's Albert Breer thinks the Patriots and Cardinals will both end up staying put.

"The intrigue will then start at 4, where Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort has told teams that he won’t move the pick until he’s on the clock, if he chooses to at all," Breer wrote. "At this point, I’m not convinced that a team is coming with an offer that’ll get him to pass on the chance to land Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

"Why? Well, as I see it, the Vikings are operating from a position of strength, and could very well call everyone’s bluff on needing to go up for a quarterback. For one, J.J. McCarthy may well make it to Minnesota at 11. For another, their situation is such where Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have the right to think, with cornerstones such as Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Christian Darrisaw around the quarterback, that they can win with McCarthy or, say, Michael Penix Jr.

"Now, over the last week or so, Minnesota has gotten a little more aggressive on calling around. The Vikings could still move up to 4 or 5 for McCarthy. But I’m not quite as sure that they do that as I was a few weeks ago."

It's fascinating to see Breer describe the Vikings as "operating from a position of strength" despite not having a top-ten pick in a draft where they blatantly need a quarterback. The idea there is that the Vikings could wait and see if they can get McCarthy outside of the top four picks, with Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix existing as fallback plans.

Maybe the Vikings trade up to 5 with the Chargers to ensure that they get McCarthy, depending on the cost of doing so. What would be even more ideal would be moving up to the Falcons' No. 8 pick to get McCarthy, while holding onto the 23rd overall pick. Waiting until 11 would be risky, knowing the Broncos and Raiders could try to jump ahead of them. That strategy could work if Vikings are also big fans of Penix and/or Nix, I suppose.

One more day, everybody.