The Minnesota Vikings have set themselves up in a big way to make a move up for a quarterback. They acquired the 23rd overall pick to pair with the 11th overall pick which is very intriguing to potential trade partners. However, a team still has to say yes to a trade and it's not a guarantee they do.
Best options if the Vikings can't trade up in the NFL draft
It's not a situation that fans want to admit is a possibility. They are set up very well to make a move into the top five. However, the caveat will always exist that another team needs to be willing to move down. It's why the Vikings couldn't move up for quarterback Anthony Richardson in the 2023 NFL draft. It's a lot easier to convince a team in the top five to move back to 11th overall than to 23rd overall.
If the Vikings can't end up making that move up, what do they do with their draft capital? Is there a quarterback they could try and target later on in the NFL draft? Let's dive into some options, including some ideal scenarios.
Vikings get a quarterback to fall to 11th overall
This is one that doesn't have a high likelihood of happening. The top four quarterbacks are likely to end up going in the top five picks. However, nobody thought that Justin Fields would make it to pick 11 in the 2021 NFL draft. That year also saw quarterbacks go in each of the top three picks.
Who could fall down to that spot? The most likely candidate is J.J. McCarthy. Early on in the draft process, he was seen as an early second-round pick. As the draft process went further and further, McCarthy's stock rose to a very high point. However, he feels like the wild card of the top three. Either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels could fall as well but it feels far less likely.
Ignore quarterback and bolster the defense
This is a scenario that is bound to make people mad and I get it. The Vikings might not like any quarterback outside of the top four and they could decide to just roll with Sam Darnold. It's not the greatest strategy but one that might be implemented in this scenario.
Who could the Vikings take? Well, Illinois DT Johnny Newton and Texas DT Byron Murphy II would be the immediate answers here as the defensive line needs to be bolstered quickly and effectively. Now, they could also choose to take an edge rusher like UCLA's Laiatu Latu or Penn State's Chop Robinson. The Vikings could also choose to take one of each, as they would have the ability to do so.
They also could go cornerback as Alabama's Terrion Arnold or Clemson's Nate Wiggins both fit the bill. Now, cornerback isn't a super pressing need for the 2024 season but Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaquill Griffin are both free agents after the season.
Take a quarterback outside of the top four
How you feel about the quarterbacks in this class is going to be very subjective. Everyone has their favorites but the likely candidates here are Michael Penix Jr., Spencer Rattler and Bo Nix.
They each have their inherent flaws and positives which is why they are so divisive. Penix is a pocket passer who can attack all three levels of the field but has injury concerns and isn't great at creating outside of structure. Teams will likely be split on him for those reasons.
Rattler was at one point viewed as the number one overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. However, his 2021 season was a disaster. He was replaced by Caleb Williams and transferred to South Carolina where he wasn't surrounded by a lot of talent. What he does offer is a superb amount of arm talent that only those at the top of the class possess.
Nix is a much different player. After three poor seasons at Auburn, NIx transferred to Oregon and they tailored an offense for him to thrive. The big issue here is that the scheme was designed to explicitly to hide his weaknesses or in other words: smoke and mirrors.
There isn't anything of a guarantee that the Vikings will like any of these options even though they all have their positives.
Trade down for day two picks
If the Vikings can't get a top quarterback, there is a real argument to try and get as much capital as you can for this year. You can still try to take a developmental quarterback in the second round or someone like Penix at either 11 or 23. With the other pick, the Vikings can trade down and get some day two capital to build up the depth of this roster.
There are a lot of interesting options that will be available on day two, including players at both edge rusher and defensive tackle. The Vikings need to bulk up in the front seven and this could be a really good way to do so.
Are any of these ideal?
The word ideal in itself is a relative one. Everyone is going to have there own idea of what the Vikings should do. What is ideal for pretty much everyone is getting a franchise quarterback in this draft.
If that happens to come in round one or two, it really doesn't matter as long as it hits. If they don't get a quarterback in this draft, some will deem it a failure. However, hitting on the rest of your picks and fortifying a roster that has some real holes could still be a great result for the long-term success of the franchise.