The Unorthodox Vikings Trade Possibility in the 2024 NFL Draft
Josh Frey
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A few weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings made the decision to trade for the No. 23 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
That decision means Minnesota is one of three teams to hold multiple first-round picks this spring, and they are in prime position to trade up for a quarterback if they choose to do so. Well, Rhett Lewis of NFL.com has Minnesota trading up for a quarterback, but his idea for a Vikings trade is a very unorthodox one.
The Unorthodox Vikings Trade Possibility
In Lewis’ mock, the first three selections all are quarterbacks, which is something that is very possible when April 25th arrives. Then, the Denver Broncos are the team to swing a trade to move up for J.J. McCarthy, landing the 10th overall pick from the New York Jets to move up and snatch the Michigan product.
As a result, the Vikings are the team left scrambling at No. 11, and instead of reaching for a QB with that pick, Lewis has them taking CB Terrion Arnold out of Alabama. Here is what Lewis had to say of the selection:
“If you read the intro to this mock, then you understand the rationale here for Minnesota. I tend to side with Daniel Jeremiah’s assessment of J.J. McCarthy — that the former Wolverine has a grade closer to Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. than to the top three QBs. If the Vikings have a similar evaluation of the position group, perhaps they choose not to make a splash move into the top five, but rather let the draft come to them and take and the best corner in this year’s class. Arnold is ready to handle the pressure of playing in Brian Flores’ aggressive scheme.”
It is entirely possible that the Vikings allow this draft to “come to them” as Lewis suggests. Kevin O’Connell has preached flexibility throughout this entire process, and he has been very open that he believes there is a lot of talent at the QB position in this class.
If that is the case, perhaps the Vikings are content to simply wait until later on for a QB who they believe can be a fit in their offense. For Lewis, though, this is where thinks get interesting. Rather than simply sticking and picking again at No. 23, this is where the analyst suggests that the Vikings could make a trade up the board.
Lewis has the Vikings sliding up to No. 18 overall, making a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals. He doesn’t specify the exact amount of draft capital that Minnesota would have to give up, but more than likely, this type of trade wouldn’t cost them a future first-round pick.
With that 18th pick, he has the Vikings taking QB Bo Nix out of Oregon after the Las Vegas Raiders snatched Michael Penix with the 13th overall selection. Lewis had this rationale for the move:
“Concerned that the Rams might have an eye toward the future beyond Matthew Stafford, Minnesota jumps five spots to snag Nix, whose accuracy and operation within Oregon’s offense was impeccable over the last two seasons. He’s the consummate competitor with the added appeal of immense collegiate experience (NCAA record 61 starts).”
If the Vikings were to wait this long to select a QB, the Rams could be a team to keep an eye on as a spoiler with the 19th overall pick with Matthew Stafford entering his age-36 season.
Overall, this would be a very “outside the box” manner for the Vikings to address their QB need. They would land a QB prospect later in the draft while also addressing a need in the secondary.
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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.