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?