Category: Mock Drafts

Vikings trade up for QB of the future in Dane Brugler’s mock

Minnesota Vikings trade up for J.J. McCarthy in the latest mock draft from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler gave us his post-NFL Scouting Combine mock draft, which was filled with chaos. Trades throughout the mock led to some thought-provoking results, including for the Minnesota Vikings. Brugler has Minnesota trading up to the seventh selection to take Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy.

Projected trade: Vikings send No. 11, No. 109 and a 2025 second-rounder to the Titans for No. 7

Bringing back Cousins and drafting McCarthy is the ideal outcome for the Vikings, as that would bridge the short-term with the long-term at the roster’s most important position. But with Denver, Las Vegas, New Orleans and maybe a few other teams potentially in the McCarthy market, it might require a trade up for Minnesota to nab the Michigan quarterback.

Brugler stresses that his mocks are determined not by what he would do but by what he hears from credible sources. After a week in Indianapolis, Brugler had probably heard more than enough.

The fit for McCarthy into Kevin O’Connell’s offense would be seamless, but McCarthy is not ready to take the reins just yet. A transition from Kirk Cousins to McCarthy is the best-case scenario as long as Cousins is amenable to the handoff.

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Vikings take Combine standout in latest NFL Network mock

Minnesota Vikings take NFL Scouting Combine standout in latest NFL Network mock draft

NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein released his post-NFL Scouting Combine mock draft based on what he saw and heard in Indianapolis. There were a few surprising selections in the top ten, but not for Minnesota Vikings fans. Zierlein gave defensive coordinator Flores a new weapon in Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner.

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah recently rejected the idea of dealing Justin Jefferson, but if he changes his mind, then this pick could easily become Rome Odunze. For now, we add a pass rusher who tested off the charts at the combine and comes with a winning pedigree.

While the talks of trading Jefferson dissipate, the need for an edge rusher, either opposite or replacing Danielle Hunter, is paramount. Turner put on a show for the scouts and coaches in attendance last week. He turned some heads in Indianapolis as he ran a blazing 4.48 40-yard dash, but Turner wasn’t done there. He also showed off his explosiveness with a 40.5″ vertical and a 10’7″ broad jump.

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2024 NFL draft: Vikings mock draft roundup 9.0

Through nine weeks, the Minnesota Vikings have been sent 19 players across 236 mock drafts. This week saw 10 across 33 2024 NFL mock drafts.

Mock draft season is upon us and that means our mock draft roundup for the Minnesota Vikings is back!

What we do every week is track the mainstream outlets mock drafts and aggregate how many times a player gets selected. Last season, we tallied up 545 mock drafts and that included a whopping 54 different players. With the Vikings set to pick 11th overall, there will be a lot of discussions surrounding the quarterbacks in this draft along with trading up.

We will track them and try to determine trends and patterns, along with giving my own analysis on how they could fit with the Vikings.

Mock Draft Roundup 8.0

Vikings move up for their quarterback in latest PFN mock draft

Tony Catalina of Pro Football Network has the Minnesota Vikings trading up to #3 in the 2024 NFL draft to take quarterback Drake Maye.

The NFL scouting combine has come and gone, and with it an important piece of the NFL draft puzzle has been filled. Now that teams have the measurements and athletic testing numbers for prospects, they can adjust their draft boards accordingly. A lot of things have changed since the pre-combine mocks, but one thing that hasn’t — at least for Pro Football Network — is the Minnesota Vikings’ need for a quarterback.

The latest mock draft from PFN by writer Tony Catalina has the Vikings being aggressive to fill that need. In his latest, Catalina has the Vikings trading up to the #3 spot to take North Carolina’s Drake Maye. Here’s Catalina’s analysis of the selection:

Drake Maye has some real fans around the league, with multiple teams putting the North Carolina QB on the same level as Williams.

The Vikings share that feeling in this scenario, packaging their first-round pick and other high-ranking selections to swap with the New England Patriots to get their guy.

Maye looks to be the future in Minnesota regardless of what happens with Kirk Cousins, and the Vikings are aggressive in this 2024 NFL Mock Draft to secure the face of their franchise.

According to Catalina, the cost to move up for the Vikings would be their first-round pick, #11, along with their second-round pick, #42, and a first-round pick next year in 2025. Most importantly, the Vikings would keep wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who has been the center of trade rumors recently.

It would be an aggressive move for the Vikings, but if Kirk Cousins isn’t going to be back, it’s a necessary one. Even if Cousins comes back, he’s an aging quarterback coming off a major injury. The plan for the future at QB has to be put into place eventually…what better time than the present?

Vikings 2024 7 round mock draft 7.0: Drafting to bolster the offense

What if the Minnesota Vikings used the NFL Draft to bolster the offense? Tyler Forness explores that exact, yet unlikely, strategy

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.

Each week throughout the leadup to the NFL draft, I will be doing different seven-round mock drafts for the Vikings as a way to explore different scenarios. You never know who might fall to you and how that could cause a ripple effect and being ready for those situations is paramount come draft weekend.

In the second rendition of our seven-round mock draft series, what could a draft look like that has the Vikings focusing solely on the offensive side of the ball after using free agency to fix the defense?

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Pro Football Network gives Minnesota some EDGE help in latest mock draft

Dallas Turner continues to be a popular selection for the Minnesota Vikings

While the buzz around Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins not returning to the team is heating up, more and more mock NFL drafts have the Vikings skipping quarterback and drafting defensive help in the first round. That’s the case yet again in the latest mock draft from the folks over at Pro Football Network.

In writer Lorenzo Reyna’s latest mock draft, he has the Vikings taking Alabama’s Dallas Turner with the 11th pick in the draft, opting not to trade up for a quarterback or take one with their pick at that spot. Here’s Reyna’s analysis of the selection:

Minnesota could go quarterback in the draft. But with Danielle Hunter likely on his way out, the Vikings need a disruptor against the run and pass. Dallas Turner, who many believe has top-10 potential, fits that mold here and becomes the first EDGE off the board.

This pick is interesting for a couple of reasons. The obvious is opting for an EDGE when quarterback is a potential major need. More interesting, however, is the who of the pick. Alabama’s Dallas Turner is a great athlete and would provide a great insurance plan in the event of Danielle Hunter leaving.

However, it’s interesting that Turner is the pick here with both Jared Verse and Laiatu Latu still on the board. Both players have been heavily mocked to the Vikings in previous mock drafts, so to see a different name at the position is noteworthy. Ultimately, all three players would provide Minnesota with the insurance they need, and a great complement to Hunter if he stays in Minnesota.

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Vikings 2024 7 round mock draft 6.0: Trading Justin Jefferson for QB of the future

What would a Minnesota Vikings 7 round mock draft if they traded Justin Jefferson to the New England Patriots to get third overall? Tyler Forness explores the wild possibility.

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.

Each week throughout the leadup to the NFL draft, I will be doing different seven-round mock drafts for the Vikings as a way to explore different scenarios. You never know who might fall to you and how that could cause a ripple effect and being ready for those situations is paramount come draft weekend.

In the second rendition of our seven-round mock draft series, what could a draft look like that has the Vikings trading Justin Jefferson to get the quarterback of the future at third overall?

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The Athletic’s beat writer mock draft sends Vikings a pass rusher

Would an edge rusher be the best bet for the Vikings at pick 11 if they can’t trade up for a quarterback?

When looking at mock drafts across the ecosphere, it’s fascinating to see how everyone approaches them for the Minnesota Vikings. They are really interesting to see how things grow throughout the process which is why our mock draft roundup is a really cool tool to utilize.

The Athletic gathered their beat writers to do a mock draft collectively and Vikings beat writer Alec Lewis selected Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner with the 11th overall pick.

The Vikings were willing to move up to snag a quarterback, but the price was too high. The Vikings were also willing to move down to add more premium picks to the holster, but there were few takers. In the end, Turner made too much sense. Minnesota needs defensive talent, and while Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II and Florida State defensive end Jared Verse offered intrigue, Turner is the best fit. He’s young. He’s productive. He’s versatile. He’s dogged. Minnesota hasn’t drafted a player on the defensive front in Round 1 since 2013, and it’s time to change that.

Lewis did mention on social media that he tried to make multiple trades up to likely get a quarterback but was shut down. Taking a talented edge rusher is a smart move, but is it the right move?

Currently, Turner is my fourth-ranked edge with a second round grade. There is a lot of potential but there is a lot for him to learn and develop. Would Turner be a good pick for the Vikings? We might find out come April.

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Browns trade back and still land offensive firepower in 2024 NFL draft 7-round mock

Could the Browns trade back and add future picks?

The Cleveland Browns have traded back in the last two drafts and could do the same in the 2024 NFL draft while still landing talented players as they have done in years past.

The return of first-round picks is nearly here for the Browns with just one more year of the Texans owning their first-round pick after the Deshaun Watson trade. General manager Andrew Berry has shown the ability to flip day three picks and get solid veteran players like Amari Cooper and Za’Darius Smith.

This could lead to the Browns moving back in this year’s class for future assets in a year that some say the overall depth in this class isn’t that great. Cleveland will have some major decisions to make at premium positions after this year and Berry loves to draft for the future and a year ahead of having a problem at that position.

The offense will evolve next season with so many new voices on the coaching staff and the team could look at adding to the appropriate skill positions to make the newer scheme work.

Here is my latest 2024 mock draft as the team looks to draft premium positions and develop them into cheaper playmakers as the team looks to consistently push for the playoffs year after year.

2024 NFL mock draft: Vikings make big move to get QB

The NFL Draft is in 64 days and Tyler Forness has his third mock draft of the cycle with the Minnesota Vikings trading up for their QB

The NFL draft is 64 days away and things are starting to heat up, especially with the Minnesota Vikings. It’s fascinating to watch how some things will change and others will stay the same. Stocks will shift throughout the process due to information coming out about players and opinions will shift with analysts getting eyes on a player for the first time.

These mock drafts won’t be accurate come April but they aren’t necessarily designed to be. Mock drafts are designed to be informative based on the current information at the time. It’s also good to take a look at how things change through the process to see why the opinions shifted.

This mock draft is my third of the cycle and the first time that I’ve done trades. Outside of quarterback, it’s hard to predict trades right now, as there will be more than two, both of those into the top five for their quarterback of the future.