Day 1 of the 2024 NFL draft is Thursday, and there’s a ton of suspense regarding how things are going to play out. Perhaps the most intriguing storyline is how the Minnesota Vikings will get their future quarterback.
According to ESPN NFL Nation reporter Mike Reiss, it likely won’t come through a trade with the New England Patriots, who hold the third overall pick. Reiss writes that the Patriots are planning on moving forward with picking at their current slot “barring an unexpected blockbuster trade offer.”
The stance makes a ton of sense for the Patriots, who also need a quarterback. The consensus top four quarterbacks in the draft are Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and J.J. McCarthy. Picking in the third slot ensures they get one of those players.
That said, the Vikings are one of the few teams that have the draft assets to be able to pull off a “blockbuster” trade — if they value getting their quarterback that early. Minnesota has the 11th and 23rd picks in the first round, along with seven selections in the rest of the draft.
However, outside of the two first-rounders, none of the remaining picks are before the fourth round, which means a trade with the Patriots would likely include early picks in 2025. Thankfully, the Vikings have a full complement of picks in 2025 (with an extra fifth-round pick in place of a sixth).
The question is, will general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah be willing to give up the assets needed to make such a deal? Would he and the Vikings’ decision makers be content to get whichever QB is left after New England picks and try to make a deal with the Arizona Cardinals — who don’t need a quarterback and might be willing to take less to move back?
We’ll find out in a couple of days.