The One Team that Could Change Everything for the Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings are more than likely going to do everything in their power to trade up for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Unfortunately, a trade of such magnitude cannot be done based on the Vikings’ desire alone. They will need to find a willing trade partner to cooperate, and there is one team that could stand in Minnesota’s way and change everything at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The One Team that Could Change the Vikings’ Draft Plans
That team is the New York Giants, a franchise that has just about everybody guessing in terms of what they are going to do next weekend. Some have suggested that they are far more interested in adding a wide receiver or offensive line help than a quarterback, but their pre-draft process has suggested otherwise.
New York has conducted plenty of visits with the top QB prospects in this draft class, and that has continued this week. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweeted on Wednesday morning, “The #Giants’ pre-#NFLDraft work on QBs included #Oregon’s Bo Nix and #SouthCarolina’s Spencer Rattler making visits to East Rutherford this week, sources tell me and @RapSheet. So the team has done deep dives on passers who will be available at different levels of the draft.”
The Giants have also conducted visits with Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, and Michael Penix throughout the spring, so outside of Caleb Williams, they have met with every top QB prospect in this draft class.
If the Giants are interested in a quarterback, they could make a very strong case for a team like the New England Patriots or Arizona Cardinals in terms of a trade package. They hold all of their future first-round picks, and by trading with New York, either of these teams would have the opportunity to remain in the top 10.
Meanwhile, a trade with the Vikings would require moving even further down the board. A reasonable argument could be made that Minnesota’s offering of two first-round picks in the 2024 draft is more enticing, but New York can give either team a much higher chance of landing the precise player that they want.
For now, the Giants are in the midst of paying Daniel Jones his massive four-year/$160 million contract extension that he signed following the 2022 season. However, New York does have an out in that deal following the 2024 season which would save them nearly $20 million in cap space for 2025 and $47.5 million in 2026, per Over the Cap.
Maybe the Giants are putting together a smokescreen in an attempt to make Minnesota perform a rash trade to get up the board, but if they are interested in a quarterback, it could derail the Vikings’ plans of selecting either Maye or McCarthy.
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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.