Tag: Minnesota Vikings

Latest USA Today Mock Draft has Drake Maye fall to where?

We don’t know which NFL team will draft Drake Maye or where he goes in the draft order.

It seems like just yesterday, we were celebrating the CFP National Championship.

Now, nearly four full months into 2024, we’re preparing for the NFL Draft.

Barring a major slip-up, like Laremy Tunsil’s gas mask video moments befoer the 2016 NFL Draft, there’s a strong chance Caleb Williams goes first overall to the Chicago Bears. Quarterbacks will likely go in the first four selections, marking the first time this would ever happen in NFL history.

One of those quarterbacks projected off the board early is Drake Maye, the former UNC gunslinger who compiled nearly 10,000 scrimmage yards, 80 total touchdowns and was named 2022 ACC Player of the Year.

Maye has largely been projected second or third overall, but there’s another quarterback who could surpass him – J.J. McCarthy.

“Might the Patriots’ potential decision between McCarthy – who is being hosted by New England on Monday, according to multiple reports – and Drake Maye be the inflection point of the entire first round,” USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz said. “New coach Jerod Mayo has raved about the latter signal-caller, but McCarthy’s continued ascent – both as a player and prospect – could take him all the way to the top three. No matter the pick, however, New England might not want to throw its rookie quarterback into the fray right away unless it can significantly upgrade its skill-position talent later in the draft.”

Middlehurst-Schwartz also had this to say about Maye, who the Minnesota Vikings could trade up for:

“Unless Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can somehow pry the No. 3 pick from the Patriots, the Vikings might be limited in their likely options at quarterback – and getting into position for whichever top passer is left could still prove mighty costly,” Middlehurst-Schwartz said. “Quarterbacks coach Josh McCown coached Maye at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, and it’s easy to see why Minnesota would be excited about adding a rocket-armed signal-caller comfortable operating on the move, especially as the franchise turns the page from the Kirk Cousins era. For Maye, there might be no better situation for his development than learning under McCown and Kevin O’Connell while having Justin Jefferson on the receiving end of his deep bombs and Christian Darrisaw keeping him clean.”

Whichever quarterback goes earlier, there’s no denying they’re both worth of high draft picks. Maye might be the more talented quarterback, but McCarthy came from a program that knows how to consistently win.

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Zulgad: Justin Jefferson’s absence isn’t reason to panic … yet

Justin Jefferson has decided to not attend the Vikings’ offseason work while discussing his new contract. It isn’t reason to panic.

Minnesota Vikings fans have spent more than a month preoccupied with whether their team will draft its next quarterback in the first round and how high general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah might have to trade up to get that top-level starter.

That question will be answered a week from Thursday during the opening night of the NFL draft, and whether the fan base approves, they will likely face another reality once the excitement subsides.

That will be the fact that Justin Jefferson’s contract situation remains unresolved.

We’ve written plenty about this issue, including this February column on the reason for the potential hangup and this one focused on what Adofo-Mensah had to say about Jefferson’s situation at the NFL Scouting Combine.

So why revisit the topic?

Because we are entering a new and important chapter of the story for both Jefferson and the Vikings. The team opened the voluntary portion of their offseason program on Monday without one of the NFL’s best wide receivers in attendance. The fact these workouts are voluntary tamps down the anxiety that might go with Jefferson, or anyone else, being absent. But when your best player and a guy who takes great pride in being a team captain stays away, it can’t be ignored.

This situation isn’t unprecedented. A year ago, Jefferson skipped all of the voluntary workouts before showing up for the mandatory minicamp. “I had a lot of stuff going on,” Jefferson said last June. “They didn’t really force me to come back too much, so it didn’t seem like I was missing too much, but they definitely wanted me back here.”

Jefferson spent the remainder of last season doing a marvelous job of handling questions about his contract. Last year, he had two seasons remaining on his rookie deal. That included the 2024 fifth-year option salary of $19.743 million, a bargain considering Jefferson’s 5,899 yards receiving is the most for any player in their first four seasons in NFL history.

There were some who thought Jefferson might balk at playing last year without a new contract, considering the risk that goes with being on a rookie deal and having no financial guarantees beyond that. But Jefferson didn’t stage a holdout, or hold-in, and did everything that was asked of him.

Jefferson had not missed a game in his first three seasons, so the threat of injury likely didn’t preoccupy his thoughts. That probably changed in a Week 5 loss to Kansas City at U.S. Bank Stadium when Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury that cost him seven games. Despite playing in only 10 games, Jefferson was the lone Viking with more than 1,000 yards receiving (1,074).

It has been acknowledged that Jefferson and the Vikings were close to an agreement just before the start of last season, but what isn’t clear is why the contract didn’t get done and if that was a real setback or just a hiccup. If Jefferson signs right after the draft, that question will be answered and any potential animosity between the sides will be avoided.

If he doesn’t …

“I’m waiting,” Jefferson said during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Feb. 8. “I’m looking for the bag, just like you are. I’m waiting for the call to experience that with my family. It’s life-changing. I’m waiting for it.”

It also seems unlikely that Jefferson will put himself at risk until he signs a second contract that figures to make him the highest-paid nonquarterback in NFL history, surpassing the $34 million a year that San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa is making.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell recently said that he has kept Jefferson “in the loop” on the team’s plans at quarterback. Veteran Sam Darnold, signed as a free agent, is the current starter, but the hope is the draft will produce the long-term starter. Jefferson certainly cares about who will be throwing him the ball, but this focus on him not signing because of Kirk Cousins’ departure to Atlanta has been silly.

Jefferson’s focus is on how much he’ll be paid, and that’s what it should be. On Monday, when he addressed Jefferson’s absence, O’Connell didn’t sound concerned about the situation.

“I’ve had a lot of great dialogue with Justin,” O’Connell said. My hope is we can get him around the team. We want him here as much as we can have him, but also understand there’s a lot of factors involved.”

The most important factor is obvious, and the sooner that gets done, the sooner Jefferson will report to offseason workouts. If it doesn’t get done, Jefferson’s presence at mandatory minicamp in early June won’t be a given. At that point, hitting the panic button will become a real option.

T.J. Hockenson places blame for injury on league, not Kerby Joseph

T.J. Hockenson spoke about his knee injury, stating he blames the NFL for the position they put defenders in, not Kerby Joseph for the hit.

The 2023 Minnesota Vikings had to endure several major injuries during the season. The Achilles injury to starting quarterback Kirk Cousins got the majority of the headlines, but the knee injury suffered by tight end T.J. Hockenson had a major impact on the Vikings offense down the stretch.

Hockenson was injured on a tackle attempt by Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph during their Week 15 matchup. Hockenson caught a pass over the middle and Joseph attempted to bring him down by taking out Hockenson’s legs, which resulted in a significant knee injury.

Speaking about the injury, Hockenson mentioned that he played with Joseph during his tenure with the Lions and that he doesn’t believe that Joseph was trying to injure him on the play. Hockenson instead places the blame for the injury on the NFL, saying “I don’t have it against the player, as much as the league putting the defense in those positions in order to have to do that.”

The NFL has taken numerous measures to remove high hits over the years, leading to defenders attacking ball carriers’ legs more and more, resulting in injuries like the one suffered by Hockenson. Thankfully, Hockenson seems to be on track with his rehab and should be able to contribute to the team for the 2024 season.

Vikings continuing dialogue with Justin Jefferson despite workout absence

Despite opting out of voluntary workouts with the team, the Minnesota Vikings are continuing contract talks with star WR Justin Jefferson.

Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson is entering his fifth season in the NFL and has quickly established himself as one of the top receivers in the league. With that stellar performance comes the desire for a new contract, and with that comes the inevitable contract dispute.

That’s where the team and the talented receiver find themselves now, with Jefferson wanting a new contract but with no agreement having been reached yet — which means Jefferson has taken the ‘skip voluntary workouts‘ approach to contract negotiations.

The move, however, seems to be little more than a hiccup to head coach Kevin O’Connell, as he stated Monday that he’s “had a lot of great dialogue with Justin” and that they “hope we can get him around the team”.

Jefferson has certainly earned the right to advocate for a new contract with his play with the Vikings over the past four seasons. He’s been one of the most productive wide receivers in NFL history through his first four seasons. Perhaps most impressive in the growing laundry list of achievements is what Jefferson accomplished last season.

Despite missing seven games throughout the season and dealing with all the turmoil at quarterback, Jefferson still managed to top 100 yards receiving in five games and put up a 1,000-yard season.

With production like that, it’s clear that Jefferson is an integral part of the Vikings offense, and he has more than earned the right to be paid like one of the top players at his position. It’s also clear that Jefferson is going to produce regardless of his surroundings, and has earned the right to skip out on voluntary workouts. The Vikings brass seems unconcerned about his absence, and fans shouldn’t be, either.

Justin Jefferson absent for start of Vikings offseason program

The Minnesota Vikings started their voluntary offseason program on Monday, and their star wide receiver was notably absent. 

The Minnesota Vikings started their voluntary offseason program on Monday, and star wide receiver Justin Jefferson was notably absent.

The All-Pro is entering the final year of his rookie contract, set to make $19.7 million. The pressure now seems even higher to hammer out an extension for Jefferson while also replacing Kirk Cousins, who left for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.

The wide receiver market was already tough to navigate, but DeVonta Smith’s extension with the Philadelphia Eagles, announced Monday, makes things even tougher. Along with Jefferson, several other notable receivers are vying for extensions, including CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys, Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers.

As each one gets an extension, the task gets even harder because the price goes up.

Jefferson should be expected to make north of $30 million per year when he finalizes his deal. The team has been asked prior, specifically during the NFL Scouting Combine in March, about trading Jefferson and harshly denied that being a possibility. Keeping Jefferson will be key for the team going forward, especially for whoever is under center in 2024 and beyond.

For now, don’t read too much into Jefferson’s absence. This is him letting the team know that he wants a deal done sooner rather than later.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah indicates he won’t ‘force’ a move to draft a quarterback

The Vikings face an uphill battle to trade up for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Minnesota Vikings are just one of many teams looking to fix their franchise’s biggest problem, quarterback, in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots control the first three picks and have their choice of whichever of the big four in this class fall their way. Caleb Williams is etched in stone at this point to be a Bear. After that, it is anyone’s guess as to where everyone ends up.

The ultimate controllers of chaos in this situation are the Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, who hold the No. 4 overall pick. Both teams are seen as having quarterback situations — a bridge solution for the Patriots and a franchise starter in Arizona — that allow flexibility. That flexibility will come as a potential trade back with someone looking to solve their problem.

We mentioned the teams at the top of the draft, but their teams are on the outside looking in: the Denver Broncos and, of course, the Vikings. For the Vikings specifically, they have made it a point to have several options regardless of how the draw unfolds 10 days from today.

At last week’s pre-draft press conference, Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was asked: Is there a world where you don’t draft or trade up for a quarterback? Adofo-Mensah gave a very honest answer.

“You have to be ready for everything; it’s a very deep class,” he said. “But I do think you have to be ready for every scenario. If there are elite players at premium positions on the board, I don’t think you’re supposed to reach or force or anything like that. It’s just not what I believe, all the while understanding that quarterback is the most important position in the sport. So, it’s calculating both those things at the same time.”

The Vikings clearly need to trade up for a quarterback. Adofo-Mensah is in a unique situation, though, and he is well aware of that. The team will have to give up significant draft capital if they move up. They have the 11th and 23rd overall picks to start the draft; after that, their capital dwindles. They must dip into 2025’s group of picks to complete any trade.

Will Adofo-Mensah be willing to do that? His draft history during his tenure with the Vikings has its fair share of hits, but the misses have piled up. Trading up for what is perceived as a “sure thing” will be enticing. What can’t and won’t be forgotten is in the NFL there is nothing close to a sure thing.

Jayden Daniels sets private meetings with 2 NFL franchises

Could teams be looking to move up for Jayden Daniels?

As we approach the 2024 NFL draft, one of the biggest questions surrounds where [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] will be selected.

The former LSU quarterback and 2023 Heisman winner has been projected to go as high as second overall, but there could be some potential suitors outside of the Washington Commanders.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Daniels has also set private meetings this week with a pair of quarterback-needy teams in the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings.

The Giants hold the sixth pick while the Vikings pick 11th, but the latter has been considered a potential trade-up candidate to get a signal-caller.

Daniels is one of the top quarterback prospects in the cycle and could be the second off the board behind Caleb Williams. Which team ultimately selects him, however, remains to be seen.

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The latest 2024 NFL mock draft from CBS has the Vikings trading up for Drake Maye

Will the Vikings get Drake Maye or JJ McCarthy at the 2024 NFL Draft.

It feels like the Minnesota Vikings have been connected a lot to J.J. McCarthy in mock drafts.

But what if the Michigan quarterback gets taken in the top-3 and he’s not available? In the latest 2024 NFL mock draft from our Christian D’Andrea, he has the Broncos grabbing McCarthy … because the Vikings trade up for Maye at No. 3.

In the latest CBS Sports mock from Pete Prisco, he’s got McCarthy going No. 3 overall to the Patriots and the Vikings then trading up to get Maye at No. 5. This would give the Vikes that much-needed QB of the future.

Here’s his take:

They make the move to go up and get their guy in Drake Maye, while the Chargers, who are re-tooling with Jim Harbaugh, get multiple first-round picks.

Definitely check out our latest two-round mock draft from Christian D’Andrea, along with the current NFL draft order for Round 1 and his NFL Draft Big Board with all his rankings.

The Athletic: Fans want Vikings to trade up for a quarterback

According to a recent survey from The Athletic, Minnesota Vikings fans overwhelmingly prefer a trade up for a quarterback in the NFL draft.

The 2024 NFL Draft is just two weeks away, and the big question looming for Minnesota Vikings fans is: How is the team going to address the quarterback situation? The team signed former Jets, 49ers, and Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold in the offseason, but he’s not the long-term solution at the position. So, what is the best way for the team to find that solution?

According to a survey of Vikings fans from The Athletic, nearly 75 percent want to see the Vikings trade up in the draft to take their quarterback of the future. Whether it’s for Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, or J.J. McCarthy, the fanbase overwhelmingly approves of the team making a bold move to secure the most important position in football—if not all sports.

The article, written by Alec Lewis, further breaks down the quarterback choices, with nearly 40 percent of the over 3800 respondents preferring a trade-up (sending picks 11, 23, and 2025 first) for former North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

The fanbase’s second choice is former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, with just over 23% of respondents saying they would trade picks 11 and 23 and a later-round pick to land McCarthy. Interestingly, that option is less than 3% more than those who would prefer the team to keep their assets, stay at 11 (or later at pick 23), and take former Washington quarterback Michael Penix, Jr.

Perhaps the most interesting tidbit from the survey is just how many—or how few, rather—of the respondents wish the team had paid to keep Kirk Cousins in Minnesota for at least one more season. Not even 2% of the respondents said that the team should have paid for Cousins.

Former ESPN analyst Merril Hoge believes Drake Maye ‘will get you fired’

Drake Maye has been all over the place in draft rankings. Former ESPN analyst Merril Hoge believes that the UNC passer is a very high risk.

As draft season rolls along, the takes and “news” you hear on players will begin to take a specific turn from glowing to critical. It happens every single year.

The latest news cycle had former Steelers fullback and ESPN analyst Merril Hoge speaking out on Drake Maye while appearing on WCCO-AM in Minneapolis.

Hoge said: “Drake Maye is the kind of player that will get you fired. Especially if you draft him in the top five or top three, he’s going to get you fired.”

He thinks the evaluation of Maye is pretty cut-and-dried and reminiscent of that of Malik Willis in 2021. Willis was favored to be one of the top quarterbacks drafted in 2021 but he now is buried on the Tennessee Titans depth chart instead. 

“Willis might be the only guy that I can think of that is as erratic as Maye,” Hoge said. “I studied him for two years. … I watched every one of his games last year. … His last game against [North Carolina State] was probably the most embarrassing display I’ve seen from a guy who is supposed to be an elite franchise quarterback.”

Hoge has been right on quarterback prospects in the past. He was notably against both Tim Tebow and Johnny Manziel throughout their draft processes. Not the company Maye will want, nor Vikings fans, as he is linked to the team more and more in mock drafts.