Vikings’ Rivals Could Control Minnesota’s Fate in the 2024 NFL Draft
Josh Frey
|
One position on every Vikings fan’s mind as the 2024 NFL offseason approaches is the quarterback spot.
There is no certainty that Kirk Cousins will return in free agency, nor do the Vikings have a clear backup plan in mind in case he were to leave. As a result, there is a large contingency of Vikings fans hoping that the team will select a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
That would certainly be the most seamless route towards a new, young quarterback to eventually replace Cousins, but there is a bit of a wrinkle for Minnesota to actually land a top QB: they hold the 11th overall pick. In order to select one of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels, the Vikings will likely need to trade up.
At the very top of the draft board sits one of Minnesota’s biggest rivals, the Chicago Bears, and this team could ultimately control the Vikings’ fate in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Vikings’ Rivals Could Control Minnesota’s Fate in the Draft
Let’s lay it out. The Bears have a number of different routes that they could take at the top of the draft list. They could trade the pick, select a player like Marvin Harrison Jr. to help out their offense, or move on from Justin Fields and select a QB.
Chicago caught fire down the stretch of the regular season to finish the year with a 7-10 record, and Justin Fields played some strong football toward the end of the season.
Fields finished the season by completing 61.4% of his passes for 2562 yards, 16 TDs, and nine interceptions. Ever known for his rushing ability, the Bears QB also totaled 124 carries for 657 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
This could be viewed as a sign of growth from Fields as the Bears try to build around him as their franchise quarterback, or it simply could make the temptation to trade the 24-year-old even greater.
Fields’ growth has been noticeable, and there are plenty of teams who could benefit from a QB of his caliber in the NFL. If the Bears can pick up a sizeable package of draft picks in exchange for Fields while also being able to draft a prospect like Williams, why not pull the trigger?
Then behind the Bears, two teams that are almost certainly going to select a quarterback are the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots, who hold the second and third overall picks, respectively.
If all three teams at the top of the draft were to select a QB, the Vikings would be left to pick players like J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, or Michael Penix. All three prospects carry their red flags heading into the draft whether it be due to injury histories or the systems they’ve played in during their collegiate years.
Or, Minnesota could scrap the QB plans altogether and rebuild their rosters elsewhere. The Vikings certainly have needs across their roster this offseason, particularly defensively.
In the end, the best-case scenario for Minnesota would be finding a way to trade into the top-5 and selecting one of the top QB prospects. However, it does seem like the Bears could be the team to derail those plans if they opt to select a quarterback with the first overall pick.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
Three Vikings Listed Among Top 100 Cut Candidates This Offseason
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.