For the Vikings, the 2024 NFL Draft May Hold More than One Right Answer
Josh Frey
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The 2024 NFL Draft officially sits just two weeks away.
When that event officially arrives, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Minnesota Vikings will have the difficult task in front of them of deciding whether or not they want to move heaven and earth in order to select a quarterback.
Of course, Kirk Cousins is no longer on the team, and as of now, the team is devoid of a future at the position unless free agent acquisition Sam Darnold can find a way to resurrect his NFL career in Minnesota.
As a result of this reality, along with the fact that the Vikings hold both the 11th and 23rd overall picks in the draft, it does seem logical to believe that they will do their absolute best to trade up for a quarterback. However, as is always the case in the NFL Draft, there may be more than one right answer for Adofo-Mensah in a couple weeks.
The 2024 NFL Draft Holds Multiple Possibilities for the Vikings
The Vikings’ general manager took to the podium one more time before the draft begins to answer questions from reporters regarding the team’s evaluation process and these possibilities when the draft arrives.
Of course, quarterback is the main position on everybody’s minds right now, but exactly which player at that pivotal position are the Vikings zeroing in on? Well, there may be multiple that Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell are excited about this spring.
“I think there are multiple guys that we are in love with on an outright basis, but there are also other guys that we’re in love with given what if we get them at a certain value what they’d also be able to come with. […] If the guy comes with less ability, but we have assets to go get a guy who’s not going to put him in [a negative] situation, those things add up too,” Adofo-Mensah explained.
Essentially, it seems that Adofo-Mensah is suggesting that, yes, there exists at least one or two QB prospects who the Vikings would be interested in trading up to go get. However, they will also be cautious not to overpay if they can get another player who they like while not giving up vital draft capital.
If the Vikings aren’t comfortable giving up three or four first-round picks to the Arizona Cardinals or New England Patriots to go get a Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy, perhaps they will sit pat and select Michael Penix or Bo Nix while adding another playmaker with their other first-round pick and holding onto their future draft capital as well (do note that this is just an example, Adofo-Mensah didn’t mention any specific names during the presser).
There could be a scenario where things don’t break the Vikings’ way, and they don’t draft a quarterback as well. Adofo-Mensah suggested that while the quarterback position is very important to a team’s success, it certainly isn’t the end all be all in the sport of football.
“I know we talk about quarterback a lot, and it is the most important position in our sport, but it is the most important position in a team sport. It’s not just getting the quarterback right. It’s getting the quarterback and the team around it,” the GM said.
Overall, there is risk and reward with any decision that is made in the NFL Draft. It is a fickle world and a thin line that Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings must try and balance between cost and talent when considering their options of trading up for a QB, standing pat, or even passing on the position altogether.
While Adofo-Mensah recognizes the risk in such decisions like deciding whether or not to trade large amounts of draft capital for a quarterback, he is not shying away from making them. “Just because something is risky doesn’t mean you’re scared of it. It’s uncertain, and we’ve got to take our swing, but that doesn’t give us any pause.”
The Vikings have set themselves up with an opportunity to go in a number of different directions in this first round. When April 25th arrives, it will be up to Adofo-Mensah and the rest of the organization to decide which of those directions is the correct one for the franchise.
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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.