The question has defined the past couple of months for the Vikings: Will they trade up to draft a quarterback?
The answer will finally come on Thursday night when the Vikings are on the clock in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Whether it ends up being LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, UNC quarterback Drake Maye, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, Washington quarterback Michael Penix, or Oregon quarterback Bo Nix remains to be seen. The only thing that feels certain at this point is that the Vikings will be leaving the first round with a new quarterback.
The decision ultimately will define the tenures of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell. If they get it right, they will be royalty in Minnesota. If they get it wrong, they will be run out of town sooner rather than later.
The magnitude of the task at hand isn’t lost on either of them. They have been preparing for this moment since they joined forces in the name of collaboration. They are ready to live with the results.
“Just because something is risky doesn’t mean we’re scared of it,” Adofo-Mensah said. “We’ve got to take our swing.”
The risk involved doesn’t give the Vikings any sort of pause, nor should it, especially considering the pieces they already have in place. Frankly, there isn’t a more desirable landing spot for a rookie quarterback. Not with all the offensive weapons the Vikings have a their disposal.
“The path is not the same for every player,” O’Connell said. “We just happen to have a really good situation.”
Everything a rookie quarterback needs to succeed seems to be in place at TCO Performance Center, even if he ends up watching from the sidelines this season with journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold under center.
Not only do the Vikings have a pair of dynamic playmakers in star receiver Justin Jefferson and young receiver Jordan Addison, a security blanket in star tight end T.J. Hockenson, and a workhorse in veteran running back Aaron Jones, they have an offensive mastermind in O’Connell running the show.
“If we gave truth serum to the quarterbacks and the agents of all the top guys, every single one of them would say they would love nothing more than to go to the Vikings,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “That would be the No. 1 choice. That is by far the best landing spot for a quarterback to go into. It’s all set up.”
It’s a perfect example of how the concept of “Nature vs. Nurture” can go a long way in determining success.
The pre-draft process is rooted in determining how good a particular player can be based on his talent alone. It does not take into account the situation a particular player is walking into. Sometimes that can make all the difference in development.
“That’s the interesting part,” Adofo-Mensah said. “You go back and look at some of these historical things and everybody talks about the low hit rates. Is that because the player wasn’t good, or because the situation wasn’t great? I’m not saying I know the answer to that.”
The infrastructure the Vikings have built should be able support whichever rookie quarterback they decide to take. The same thing can’t be said about, say, the Washington Commanders, who own the No. 2 pick, or the New England Patriots, who own the No. 3 pick.
“It’s not just getting the quarterback right,” Adofo-Mensah said. “It’s getting the quarterback right and the team around it.”
Should that deter the Commanders from taking Daniels or the Patriots from taking Maye? It depends on who’s being asked the question.
“I’m a fan of taking the quarterback and figuring out the rest at a later date,” ESPN analyst Field Yates said. “It’s such a tricky line to be toeing when a team is expecting to have the chance to draft a quarterback.”
That’s precisely why the Vikings should be aggressive in their pursuit of a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. There’s no guarantee they are going to be in a better position to make a splash in the coming years. They have never drafted a quarterback in the Top 10, and this might be their best opportunity to do so.
“We’re not the only team that may want to select one of these guys,” O’Connell said. “We’re working through making sure we know the landscape of the whole class at that position, as we are many, many positions throughout the draft that we think we can help our team win.”
2024 draft picks
Here’s a look at where the Vikings are picking in the 2024 NFL Draft. Notably, they have a couple of selections on Day 1, barring a trade, and no selections on Day 2.
No. 11 (first round)
No. 23 (first round)
No. 108 (fourth round)
No. 129 (fourth round)
No. 157 (fifth round)
No. 167 (fifth round)
No. 177 (sixth round)
No. 230 (seventh round)
No. 232 (seventh round)
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