Field Yates of ESPN dropped his latest mock draft on Wednesday and once again the Vikings traded up for a quarterback. Compared to most scenarios, Yates had them trading up with the Los Angeles Chargers. Jim Harbaugh has talked about having a complete football team and trading back is the easiest way to accomplish that.
The package of course was for the Chargers fifth overall pick but the Vikings had to surrender their 11th and 23rd overall picks as well as their 2025 first round pick. The selection would end up being J.J. McCarthy, who has become a popular pick for them. McCarthy would be going into a loaded offense with a great coaching staff and skill players to get the most out of him.
However, is that package an ideal scenario for the Vikings? I would argue no.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has shown he can be a mixed bag with his draft picks. Yes, the 2022 draft class was one he had just two months to investigate as the Vikings general manager but that shouldn’t be an excuse. The 2023 class has a hit at the top seemingly with Jordan Addison but the rest of the class still has a ways to go.
Is trading away the one pick you have been hitting on a good move? If McCarthy is a hit then that is the ultimate medkit to fix any negative news. That is a major gamble though for a general manager that may not be able to afford losing those crucial picks.