Most NFL analysts expect the Minnesota Vikings to land a top QB prospect in this year’s draft, so why not two?
Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus released his newest mock draft on Monday, April 15, and the results for the Vikings were eyebrow-raising. Several league insiders have identified the New England Patriots and their No. 3 overall pick as a potential trade partner for Minnesota, operating under the assumption that the Vikings will need to trade up from No. 11 into the top five to land a top-four quarterback.
Monson bucks the idea that Minnesota can’t secure one of its preferred signal-callers without giving away the store to move into the top five, projecting Drake Maye to fall to No. 9 overall and the Vikings to subsequently trade up with the Chicago Bears to draft the UNC quarterback in that spot.
“There were reports that Drake Maye is the quarterback the Minnesota Vikings covet, and that lines up nicely for them if he starts to slide as more and more concerns crop up with his game,” Monson wrote. “In this scenario, Minnesota jumps up only two spots to ensure they get their guy and ward off teams behind them looking to jump in front.”
In Monson’s pitch, the Vikings swap the 11th pick for the Bears’ 9th overall selection and throw in pick No. 108 (early fourth round) to complete the deal.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s History Predisposes Him to Selecting Michael Penix Jr. as Safety Net
GettyGeneral manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings.
Monson next takes what he knows about Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s professional background pre-NFL and extrapolates that the Vikings GM will prefer two bites at the apple when it comes to a decision that will likely determine his job security in Minnesota and his reputation around the league for years to come.
Monson projects that the Vikings ultimately make a trade with the Patriots, but do so for the No. 34 pick in the early portion of the second round. In this scenario, New England lands No. 23 overall in round one for the 34th and 68th selections, the first of which Minnesota uses to draft Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington.
“Adofo-Mensah has a finance background, which means diversifying and hedging,” Monson continued. “Minnesota shocks the NFL by selecting quarterbacks in the first and second.”
Vikings’ Brass Could Feasibly Maneuver for Both Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr.
GettyGeneral manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (left) and head coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
Monson’s suggestions hold a strong internal logic, even if they make major assumptions about both Maye and Penix falling out of the top-3 and the first round, respectively.
While almost dizzying to follow, Monson creates a set of circumstances in which the Vikings land two of the top-six quarterback prospects with their first two draft picks and don’t need to surrender a 2025 first-rounder in trade to do so.
Selecting two QBs in one draft, and the lower choice ending up the franchise guy, isn’t an entirely unique outcome in the modern NFL. The Washington Commanders made that call with Robert Griffin III (first round) and Kirk Cousins (fourth round) back in 2012, while the San Francisco 49ers did the same thing with Trey Lance (first round) and Brock Purdy (seventh round) in 2022.
Kyle Shanahan, who served as the Commanders’ offensive coordinator and the 49ers’ head coach during those two drafts, isn’t on the Vikings’ staff. However, head coach Kevin O’Connell is a branch of the Shanahan coaching tree, while Adofo-Mensah worked in the San Francisco front office for the first three years of Shanahan’s tenure there as head coach (2017-19).
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Vikings Predicted to Draft 2 Top QB Prospects Via Trades With Bears, Patriots appeared first on Heavy.com.