The Minnesota Vikings pulled off an intriguing deal on Friday, sending a future second-round pick along with one this year for the No. 23 overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft.
Why is that so intriguing? Because it sets them up to use that second first-round pick — along with No. 11 overall, which is what they have, per the current NFL draft order — to trade up. And it’s probable that they’re looking at their quarterback of the future. Like many mock drafts, our latest mock from Christian D’Andrea has the Vikings taking a QB, specifically J.J. McCarthy.
ESPN recently did a mini-mock draft, which they updated on Friday after the news broke, and Field Yates now projects the Vikings trading up to No. 5 to grab MCarthy.
Here’s his take:
The Vikings made a big move on Friday in acquiring pick No. 23 from the Texans. That might not seem like much of a talker on the surface and might even seem confusing — the draft is still over a month away — but the trade seems to be forecasting another potential move up in the draft. With quarterbacks coming off the board quickly, I have the Vikings sending pick Nos. 11 and 23, along with a 2025 first-rounder, to the Chargers for this No. 5 selection.
In moving to No. 5, the Vikings jump ahead of the Giants, another team some believe would consider a quarterback (picking at No. 6). Minnesota lost Kirk Cousins to the Falcons in free agency and signed Sam Darnold to a one-year deal this week. But while he is still just 26 years old, I do not view the signing of Darnold as prohibitive to drafting a quarterback. That deal just gives the Vikings insurance under center, and Minnesota really needs to reset at the position and find its long-term guy. McCarthy is widely viewed as the fourth-best QB in this class and was sixth in completion percentage last season at Michigan (72.3%). A new era for the Vikings arrives.
There you have it! Make sure to check out the latest post-combine NFL mock draft from Christian D’Andrea.