The Minnesota Vikings did the expected thing and drafted a quarterback in the top 10 of the NFL Draft in J.J. McCarthy. The Atlanta Falcons did the same thing by drafting Michael Penix Jr. at eighth overall, but they weren't expected to do so.
Going into the NFL Draft, everyone and their mother knew that the Vikings were going to target a quarterback in the first round. However, they still needed to have a conversation with players on the team that it would impact. The main ones are Justin Jefferson and Sam Darnold.
Being that they had signed Darnold this offseason, it was to be assumed that they were still going to take a quarterback. However, they still made sure to call Darnold before the NFL Draft started, something that the Falcons couldn't be bothered to do. The Athletic's Alec Lewis wrote about it in his latest piece.
About a half-hour before the NFL Draft’s first round, O’Connell informed Darnold of the team’s plans. It was all but obvious the Vikings were going to select a quarterback, but Minnesota wanted to keep Darnold in the loop. He accepted the news positively, even feeling like he could help mentor the potential draftee considering his own background.
If you recall, Cousins was told while the Falcons were on the clock at eighth overall. Once again, the Vikings proved once again to be a top-notch organization and Cousins somehow felt slighted again.
