Vikings Are Keeping a Close Eye on QBs at the Senior Bowl
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings almost certainly will be in the market for a quarterback when the 2024 NFL Draft rolls around.
The only real question regarding such a selection resides in where exactly the Vikings will take that quarterback. The team, and specifically general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, is keeping a close eye on the quarterbacks taking part in the Senior Bowl this week.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic tweeted on Tuesday, “Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was on the field this morning at the Senior Bowl. Present for the Bo Nix & Michael Penix throwing sessions. CB Quinyon Mitchell and DL Marshawn Kneeland also popped in that practice.”
Remember, the Vikings selected QB Jaren Hall in the fifth round of last spring’s draft after a strong showing in the event. The quarterbacks participating in this year’s Senior Bowl could certainly be on Minnesota’s radar in April. To get a better sense of the QBs taking part in the event, here is a look at all seven players taking the field at the position throughout the week.
Michael Penix
Michael Penix has all sorts of arm talent, and he popped off the screen every time Washington took the field this season. He was a former track athlete in high school and has all sorts of speed that allows him to create plays with his legs while his ridiculous arm strength makes him one of the more intriguing QB prospects in this draft.
However, Penix’s injury history is a major concern, particularly for a team looking to take him early in the first round. His medical will be something that front offices have their eye on this spring. Still, the QB very well could find his way into the first round, thus placing him on Minnesota’s radar.
Bo Nix
Bo Nix began his collegiate career at Auburn, but the QB struggled to get that program back to the top in the SEC, throwing for 39 touchdowns and 16 interceptions over the course of three seasons. In total, Auburn went 21-16 during Nix’s tenure as the starter.
Nix then transferred to Oregon for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and he has found much more success in Dan Lanning’s offense. The QB was one of the most accurate passers in college football over the past two years, completing 77.4% of his passes this past season. The question with Nix will be how much of that improvement can be attributed to the Oregon scheme, and will it transfer to the NFL level? He projects as a second-round selection in April.
Sam Hartman
Sam Hartman is one of the oldest QB prospects in the 2024 draft, spending six seasons at the collegiate level. He began his college career with Wake Forest where he spent five seasons before transferring to Notre Dame in 2023.
Hartman has spent so much time in college largely because of injuries early in his collegiate career. His freshman season ended prematurely after an ankle injury against Syracuse, and then, he was granted another extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19. Then, in 2022, Hartman had to get a rib removed because of a blood clot.
Needless to say, Hartman has been through a lot off the football field. However, that hasn’t stopped the QB from being a prolific producer at the collegiate level, ranking fifth all-time in career passing yards. This production is largely because of his poise in the pocket. He is able to anticipate defensive coverage schemes very well due to his experience, but his lack of arm strength and mobility along with his age likely place his ceiling as a late-round selection.
Michael Pratt
Michael Pratt is very experienced and has been starting for the Green Wave since his freshman season, and he has improved in each season. His ability to move and throw on the run makes him an intriguing prospect. In the open field, he is a bear to bring down at 6’3″ and 220 pounds. He’s very poised in the pocket and delivers an accurate throw regularly.
If the Vikings select Pratt, it would likely be later on in the draft as a developmental piece. It should be assumed that Kirk Cousins is back in a purple uniform if he is on the list of quarterbacks for Minnesota in April.
Spencer Rattler
There was a point in time where it seemed like Spencer Rattler was destined to be the next great quarterback prospect. However, a disappointing season at Oklahoma in 2021 derailed that, and he transferred to South Carolina where he has remained ever since.
Rattler may not be a generational player at the position, but he has plenty of skills that could translate to the NFL level. His arm talent is off the charts. However, erratic accuracy and a heaping serving of turnovers will limit his draft stock. Teams likely will wait until the third day to select him as well.
Joe Milton
Joe Milton performed well in the Tennessee offense after Hendon Hooker landed in the NFL last spring and was a third-round selection by the Detroit Lions. The trait that stands out regarding Milton is his sheer size at the QB position, standing at 6’5″ and weighing 235 pounds.
As a result, Milton arguably has the biggest arm in the entire class, with his ability to utilize that size and generate torque behind his throws. However, Milton is not nearly as mobile as Hooker, and seeing as Tennessee utilizes a lot of single-read throws in their offense, it will be interesting to see if his skillset translates to the NFL level.
Carter Bradley
Carter Bradley enters the Senior Bowl as a major underdog out of South Alabama of the Sun Belt conference. Like Hartman, Bradley has spent six seasons in college. He spent four years with the Toledo Rockets before transferring to South Alabama in 2022.
Bradley possesses a very strong arm, which allows him to uncork accurate passes downfield. He also brings decent size to the table at 6’3″ and 218 pounds. His draft process is also benefited from the fact that his father, Gus, is the defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts. He should perform well in interviews, and to this point, his on-field production on the Senior Bowl field has been strong. Perhaps this leads a team to take a late-round flyer on him in the draft.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Sports Reference CFB helped with this article.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.